Cemetery sector newsletters

Topics in this issue:

• Pet burials
• Fire season 2025-26
• Cemetery Grants Program
• Abstract of accounts
• Change to funerals Act
• Updated forms
• Did you know
• Safety in and around graves
• Trust email addresses
• Developing policies
• Conflicts of interest
• Free governance training

Topics in this issue:

• New Cemeteries and Crematoria Regulations
• New department contact for statutory approvals
• Length of Class B cemetery trust member terms
• Kerang Cemetery Trust grant project
• Depth of interring cremated remains
• Assistance program for low activity cemeteries
• Did you know?
• Abstract of accounts due 1 September
• Should cemetery trusts bundle fees?
• When a trust’s primary contact is unavailable
• Electronic banking and the removal of cheques
• Native vegetation
• Application to establish or alter a memorial
• Free information sessions by the Victorian Public Sector Commission
• Free governance training

Attachment to Edition 2, 2025 newsletter:

Topics in this issue:

• Manager’s message
• Consumer price index increase to fees 1 July 2025
• Corinella Cemetery Trust grant project
• What is the difference between a right of interment and an interment fee?
• Rights of interment purchased for a third party
• A history of Vaughan cemeteries
• Did you know?
• Advertising on the Join a Public Board website
• Updated Class B trust member application form
• Free governance training

Topics in this issue:

• New manual for cemetery trusts
• Fire season 2024-25
• Abstracts of accounts
• Grants program
• Electronic banking and the removal of cheques
• Fire safety at Kangaroo Ground cemetery
• Did you know?
• Default perpetual maintenance component added to the fee justification model
• Class B member vacancies now advertised online
• Trust email addresses
• Free online grave safety training
• Developing policies
• Free governance training

Attachments to Edition 3, 2024 newsletter:

Topics in this issue:

• Storms and tree safety
• Abstracts of accounts
• Burial and grave depths
• Performance support program
• Cemetery grants
• Barnawartha Cemetery Trust grant project
• Class A cemetery trust member appointments
• Cemetery trust insurance
• Class B cemetery trust member appointments
• Advertising for Class B cemetery trusts
• Did you know? - Pedestrian access to public cemeteries
• What is the right of interment permit?
• Investing
• Data security reporting
• Free governance training
• Links to key resources

Topics in this issue:

• Welcome… and changes to the Department of Health
• Consumer price index increase to fees 2024
• Data security reporting
  • Class A cemetery trusts
  • Class B cemetery trusts
• Cemetery grants program
• Small cemetery operations grants
• Trust member behaviour
• Grief support services
• Annual budget
• Long-term financial strategy
  • Fees
  • Grants, investments and fundraising
  • Expenditure
• Class B cemetery trust member appointments
• Free governance training
  • Class B online training
• Links to key documents and resources

Attachments to Edition 1, 2024 newsletter:

Topics in this issue:

• Class A cemetery trust member appointment round
• Directors’ duties with respect to climate risk
• New records management handbook
• New fraud and corruption control and public interest disclosures framework for Class B cemetery trusts
  • Fraud and corruption
  • Public interest disclosures
  • Framework for Class B cemetery trusts
• Updated right of interment permit factsheet
• Changes to fee codes and names
  • Retiring fee codes in Class B cemetery trust fee schedules
  • Renaming fee codes 601, 604 and 607, 610 in Class B cemetery trust fee schedules
  • Renaming fee code 628
• Updated fee-setting documents
• Governance improvement
• Planning scheme
  • Building permits
• Native vegetation - cleaning
• Free governance training
  • Class B online training

Topics in this issue:

• Class B cemetery trust email addresses
• Exhumation licence – new process for paying the fee
• Conflicts of interest
• Class B cemetery trust member appointments
  • New appointment application form and application guidelines
  • Class B cemetery trust member appointment timeframes
  • Appointment round application deadline dates for current terms of office due to expire 31 October 2023
• Tours and recreational activities in cemeteries
• Who is the right of interment holder?
• Grants program
  • Changed closing date for round 1 applications starting 2024-25
• Small cemetery operations grants
• Abstract of accounts 2022-23
• Free governance training
  • Class B online training

Topics in this issue:

• Introducing our new unit manager
• How to use hyperlinks
• Grants program
  • Hyperlinks to email address
  • Document or website hyperlinks
• Trust email addresses
• Grants program and updated application forms
• Setting fees and charges
• Information security update from OVIC
  • What’s new
  • 2022 Protective Data Security Plan submissions
  • Contact the Information Security Team at OVIC
• Online training course now open to all Class B members and employees
• Governance training

Topics in this issue:

• Contractor's insurance requirements
• Abstract of accounts 2021-22
• Grants program
• Revisions to the Class A and Class manuals
  • Review
  • Availability
  • Changes
• Right of interment and interment service fees
• Update to fact sheet - Managing a right of internment following death of a right holder
• Updating historical right of interment records.
• Managing poor trust member behaviour - fact sheet
• Secretary's handbook
• Recruitment toolkit for Class B cemetery trusts
• Class B appointments in an election year
• Update of contact details form
• Governance and operational training

Attachments to Edition 2, 2022 newsletter:

Topics in this issue:

• OVIC 2022 reporting obligations
• Class A cemetery trusts
• Class B cemetery trusts
• Commencement of minor and technical amendments to the Cemeteries and Crematoria Act
• Leases and licences – cemetery land
• Class B cemetery trusts:
  • New application form and revised guidelines
  • Members terms of appointment due to expire in 2022
  • Updating trust member details
• Insurance for cemetery trust volunteers:
  • Group Personal Accident Insurance
  • Making a claim under the accident policy
  • Information to help trusts manage volunteers
  • Injuries at the cemetery.
• CPI increase to fees effective 1 July 2022
• Grants program
• Trust deeds
• Burial of pets in a public cemetery
• Financial budget strategy for Class B trusts
• Governance and operational training

Attachments to Edition 1, 2022 newsletter:

Topics in this issue:

• Transfer of a right of interment following the death of a joint right holder
• New discretionary power to direct the variation or forced surrender of a right of interment
• Changes to the cemeteries and crematoria webpages
• New online training course for Class B secretaries
• Update of the manual for Class B cemetery trusts
• Class B cemetery trusts
  • Class B cemetery trust appointment rounds
  • When should a chairperson not sign a Class B member appointment application form?
  • Who should sign a Class B application form in either of these situations?
  • Application forms not signed and dated by the applicant
  • Staggered appointment dates
• Class B cemetery trust email addresses
  • Emails to and from the unit
• Identifying the sex of the deceased on prescribed forms
• Cemetery grants program
• Fee applications
• Performance Support Program
• Governance and operational training

Attachments to Edition 3, 2021 newsletter:

Topics in this issue:

• Class B cemetery trusts
  • Class B cemetery trust appointment rounds
  • Notification of expiry of a term of appointment as a trust member
  • Advertising
• Can cemetery trust members be paid employees of the trust?
• Cemetery trust grants program – new forms
• Abstract of accounts
• CPI increase to cemetery trust fees
• Trust fees - GST
• Information security reporting 2021
  • Class A cemetery trusts
  • Class B cemetery trusts
  • Contact OVIC
• Pricing for value guide
• Code of practice
• Exhumation application fee 2021-22
• Planning controls
• Governance and operational training

Topics in this issue:

• Donating trust funds
• Data security reporting
• Class B appointments
  • New application forms
  • Appointment rounds
  • Notification of expiry of a term of appointment as a trust member
  • Performance Support Program
• Cemetery Grants Program
• CPI increase to fees effective 1 July 2021
• Right of interment and interment register
• Governance and operational training

Attachments to Edition 1, 2021 newsletter: