Bodies risk being dug up as shire loses the plot

Burial blunders, and grave mix ups have been unearthed in a report to council urging
action to deal with what has become a serious operational risk.

By Rashelle Predovnik
May 2026

An explosive report has dug into systemic problems at the Toodyay Cemetery revealing grave sites in older sections of the cemetery are not properly pegged, making plots hard to identify, and judgement calls on where to dig are being made on limited information.

The report to council revealed decades of poor mapping, missing pegs and unreliable records have created a serious operational risk for the shire.

Unworkable maps and poor records 

 The cemetery holds generations of Toodyay’s history, with graves dating back to some of the district’s earliest settlers.

But shire staff are struggling with unworkable maps and poor records that don’t give them confidence they are identifying the correct grave or reserved grave.

 The report to council said a loss of experienced staff who have taken corporate knowledge with them has left replacement staff relying on Excel spreadsheets and deficient records.

The report said the shire’s cemetery operations was being managed with inadequate tools, and insufficient site controls.

 “Historical records and physical inspections confirm that earlier sections of the cemetery were never systematically pegged, and many existing pegs no longer correspond reliably with actual burial sites due to erosion, movement, or loss.”

 The report identified critical compliance risks to the shire, including the need to identify the right plots of land so people were buried in correct locations.

“Historical information also indicates diverse burial locations with varying heritage considerations and land conditions, reinforcing the need for reliable on-ground controls,” the report said.

 “A review of the shire’s cemetery operations has identified significant shortcomings in site control, accurate plot identification, and the tools used to manage burials, reservations, and the cemetery’s spatial layout.”

A risk of graves being disturbed 

The report also warned there was an extremely high chance existing graves could be disturbed if burials were allowed to continue while plots were not properly pegged, as the exact location of older graves were not always clearly recorded.

 It also warned the shire could face reputational damage, conflict with grieving families and possible legal consequences if the problems were not addressed.

The report estimated about $300,000 may ultimately be needed for ground penetration testing, professional surveying, re-pegging of graves and the creation of a modern GIS-based digital cemetery map.

Shires votes to take action

Council voted to suspend new cemetery plot reservations while major issues with mapping, grave identification and site accuracy were investigated.

   The decision means no new plots can be reserved until testing, surveying, re-pegging and updated mapping of the cemetery are completed.

   Council also backed a temporary ‘connection to Toodyay’ policy that will prioritise long-term residents, former residents, people with family already buried in Toodyay and those with strong historic or community ties to the district.

   Council also directed the CEO to contact people who already hold reserved plots to let them know their plots can’t be guaranteed, and a temporary policy will prioritise burials for people with strong ties to Toodyay.

   Council approved up to $50,000 from the Asset Development Reserve for preliminary investigations and consultant quotations.

   The motion passed 3-2, with councillors McKeown, Dival and Mills voting in favour, while councillors Prater and Van der Heyden voted against.

   Councillors opposed to the motion said they were uncomfortable making decisions about suspending burials and spending money without first having clearer information about which areas of the cemetery were compliant and what the actual costs would be.

   Council also resolved to discuss the cemetery issues outlined in the report at a future workshop.

 

UPDATE: 

Dead wrong: Council forced to dig up

cemetery decision

By Rashelle Predovnik
June 2026

Grave mistakes have come back to haunt council after it was revealed a decision last month was incorrectly recorded as passed, when it actually failed to get the required number of votes needed to pass.

Last month, The Herald reported burial blunders and grave mix ups had been unearthed in a report to council urging action to deal with what has become a serious operational risk for the Shire of Toodyay.

The report dug into systemic problems at the Toodyay Cemetery revealing grave sites in older sections of the cemetery were not properly pegged, making plots hard to identify.

Council moved to fix the problem by directing the chief executive officer to contact people who already held reserved plots to let them know their plots couldn’t be guaranteed.

Council supported a temporary policy that would prioritise burials for people with strong ties to Toodyay.

Council also decided to pull $50,000 from a reserve fund to do some preliminary investigations.

But the motion required an absolute majority vote, which means it needed the support of at least four councillors to pass.

Instead, the motion was recorded last month as carried 3-2 so council was asked to amend the April 2 council minutes to record the motion as lost.

The Toodyay Cemetery issue has still not been properly laid to rest as council amended the minutes but did not say when this item will come back to council for a decision