Expired Sites at Enfield Memorial Park

In order to continue maintaining Enfield Memorial Park at its best and to help meet ongoing public demand, from time to time Adelaide Cemeteries re-uses certain graves. In accordance with Section 38 of the Burial and Cremation Act (SA) 2013, the re-use process entails consultation with our records, engagement with families via letters, notices placed on grave sites and public notices such as this in newspapers.
Family and friends linked to grave sites at Enfield are able to ensure that sites are preserved by renewing the Interment Right for a further term, and we encourage this renewal. If the Interment Right Holder or other eligible person chooses not to renew, they may apply to claim the memorial. Sites that are not renewed will revert to the control of the Authority and will be subject to re-use as per South Australian Government legislation. Noted below are expired grave sites scheduled for re-use.

Why are you reusing graves at Enfield Memorial Park when you still have so much land available for new interment areas?

  • The remaining undeveloped land at Enfield Memorial Park has been earmarked for the new multi-function precinct and extension of existing interment areas.
  • Our lawn tablet product is our most affordable burial option and is still a popular choice. With only two years of capacity remaining in our General section areas, we now need to consider reuse of some of our older lawn tablet areas to ensure we can continue to offer this product in the long term.
  • In the areas being considered, despite attempts to contact families about renewal of their sites, the vast majority sites have remained expired (and most of these for more than 15 years). While we have continued to maintain these expired graves over this period, this is not sustainable in the long-term.

When I rang 5 years ago, I was told that there were no plans to reuse expired graves at Enfield Memorial Park. Why now?

While there were no plans in place at that time, there has been several factors which have accelerated the need to reuse expired graves at EMP. These include:

  • Increased demand for the lawn tablet product
  • The construction of the new multi-function precinct
  • The demand for sites in premium interment areas
  • A low renewal rate for these older areas of the cemetery, leaving a greater percentage of expired graves in these areas. The cost of maintaining these expired graves is borne by Adelaide Cemeteries.

How long have we got to decide about renewal or claiming the monument?

You still have plenty of time to discuss renewal/memorial claim with your family.  Generally, there is at a least a 2-year period from the time notices are given to the time that unclaimed memorials are removed and sites resold.  We recommend contacting us to find out more information which you can then consider when suitable.

Can I renew an Interment Right at any time?

Yes. Interment Rights can be renewed at any time during the tenure period – you do not have to wait until the Interment Right has expired. The period of renewal is simply added to the Interment Right, extending the expiry date. The minimum renewal period is five years. In most cases, Interment Rights that have expired can also be renewed. For more information please contact us.

Will I be contacted when the Interment Right is about to expire?

Prior to expiry of the Interment Right, we will attempt to contact the Interment Right Holder and/or family representative to advise them of the renewal process. As such, it is important for families to provide us with their current contact details.

If the Interment Right over my family’s site has expired, is it still there and can I renew the Interment Right?

In most cases, yes. We encourage families to contact us to renew the Interment Right as this will ensure that the site is preserved and potentially allow the family to have further loved ones interred into the site. Renewal of the Interment Right also assists Adelaide Cemeteries to maintain the site and the cemetery grounds to a high standard. For more information please contact us.

What happens when an expired Interment Right is considered for re-use?

Adelaide Cemeteries will write to the Interment Right Holder and/or family representative to advise them of their ability to renew the Interment Right. As such, is important for families to provide us with their current contact details.

We also place notification on the grave or memorial site asking the Interment Right Holder or any other interested party to contact us. Advice is also published in the Public Notices section of The Advertiser and on our website.

If after these actions and the Interment Right Holder or other interested party chooses not to renew, or a minimum period of 2 years has elapsed since notice was given and the interment right has not been renewed, ownership of the sites reverts to Adelaide Cemeteries. At this point in time, the site may be re-used in accordance with the Burial and Cremation Act 2013.

What happens to the skeletal remains when a site is reused?

The process of reusing a site is undertaken with the greatest of dignity, care and respect. All skeletal remains are carefully recovered from the site and are placed within an ossuary box and re-interred at a lower depth in the same site.

What happens to the cemetery records when a site is reused?

  • All interment records remain associated with the location, so the records will remain available for searching via our Records Search facility (including the location of the deceased person)
  • Digital photographs of each site are also taken prior to any reuse activities (including images of headstones and tablets). These images are retained permanently and are available to the general public upon request

Can I reclaim the monument?

When families choose not to renew the Interment Right over a site that is being considered for re-use, they may apply to the Adelaide Cemeteries Authority to reclaim the monument. For more information please contact us.

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