Grave concerns about burial boom
Published on 22 October 2025
Queensland is facing a “burial boom” but cemeteries are running out of space, presenting councils with key challenges to overcome, new research presented at the Local Government Association of Queensland (LGAQ) Annual Conference has found.
With councils across the state warning of growing space pressures, local governments have called on the State Government to work with them to investigate constrained land supply and competing land uses, financial viability, cultural needs and preferences, tenure and long-term management to develop contemporary options to support local communities into the future.
“Queensland’s population is growing, ageing, and diversifying: councils are facing a ‘burial boom,” Local Government Association of Queensland President and Gladstone Mayor Matt Burnett said.
“We know that the need for end-of-life infrastructure is universal but unlike other uses for land, cemeteries are forever, and land must meet specific criteria.
“Several councils have noted that capacity within existing council-owned and private cemeteries is becoming increasingly limited, with few options for expansion.
“As Queensland’s population continues to grow and age, and as local government areas continue to urbanise, pressure on cemeteries is also expected to mount, with cemetery land supply in some local government areas expected to be exceeded in 10 to15 years.
LGAQ Chief Executive Officer Alison Smith said councils have conducted research to better understand these statewide challenges and have united in their call for the State Government to work alongside councils on the future of cemeteries for all Queenslanders.
“We need a holistic, strategic and statewide approach to considering and addressing these issues,” Ms Smith said.
Grabs available from LGAQ CEO Alison Smith.
Quotes attributable to:
Noosa Council Mayor Frank Wilkie: “The LGAQ research review is timely as Noosa Council is in the process of developing its own cemeteries plan. If we had overarching cemeteries legislation this would help support councils in the choices they make regarding solutions to save space and provide for their communities’ needs.”
Fraser Coast Regional Council Mayor George Seymour: “This is an important conversation we should be having across the State – looking at how we can turn the challenges into opportunities. This is a part of our culture that is undergoing change – we have the opportunity as a sector to get the conversation started. In placing these permanent community facilities across our towns and cities, we need to be mindful they will always be there, and knowing this we can plan for meaningful spaces that serve many purposes.”
City of Gold Coast Deputy Mayor Mark Hammel: “Any approach needs to be collective and regional – the magical red line of council division doesn’t matter when someone is being buried. With our population growth on the Gold Coast, we need to be planning for a longer window in this space.”
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