Singleton Council has unanimously resolved to use its Mayoral Relief Fund to restore or replace seven headstones damaged in a vandalism attack at Sedgefield Cemetery, with security upgrades also on the agenda.
The resolution was passed at June’s council meeting following a Mayoral Minute from Mayor Cr Sue Moore. The attack occurred sometime between 26 and 27 May and affected seven memorials at the cemetery.
Cr Moore said the repairs would be carried out on a like-for-like or similar basis, in consultation with the families of those affected.
“No family should have to endure the additional grief and heartache caused by damage to the final resting place of their loved ones,” she said.
Any funds remaining after restoration works will be directed toward security improvements at the site. Council staff have been asked to prepare a report detailing options and costings for measures including a lockable gate, lighting and CCTV cameras, with the added challenge that no mains power is currently available at the cemetery.
Cr Moore noted the incident was not the first of its kind at Sedgefield Cemetery, pointing to a similar attack in 2019 in which 36 headstones were desecrated.
“Cemeteries are places of remembrance, reflection and respect, and the deliberate destruction of these memorials is both distressing and unacceptable,” she said.
Council acknowledged the support of a local monumental mason who has been working with staff throughout the process.
