Major milestone achieved in future planning for Livingstone as Capricorn Coast Memorial Gardens officially open

A major step forward in shaping Livingstone’s future community planning took place today, after the official opening was held at the Capricorn Coast Memorial Gardens.

Located between Yeppoon and Emu Park on Tanby Road, the memorial gardens will meet the regions needs for the next 50 years, providing residents with a landscaped parkland setting as a final resting place for their loved ones.

Mayor Andy Ireland was joined by fellow Councillors, Member for Keppel Brittany Lauga and Council staff to officially unveil the $3.5 million major project, with $1.75 million being contributed under Round 3 of the Queensland Government’s Building our Regions (BoR) program.

Minister for State Development and Infrastructure, Grace Grace said the Queensland Government was pleased to support an essential piece of community infrastructure for the Capricorn Coast.

“The memorial gardens are a beautiful location for families and friends to farewell loved ones and to visit and reflect,” Minister Grace said. 

“The Building our Regions program has a long and successful history of supporting Queensland’s local governments to invest in essential regional infrastructure such as this.”

Mayor Ireland said this project marked a huge milestone for Council in achieving a long-term planning solution for the future growth of the Livingstone community.

“The serene setting offers an alternative to formal cemeteries, featuring a lawn cemetery, ashes gardens, and an open pavilion,” Mayor Ireland said.

“The access road, bulk earthworks drainage, and internal roadworks have now been completed as well as the amenities, refreshment pavilion, and landscaping.

“These gardens aim to provide respectful and dignified memorialisation accessible to all. The facilities include an all-access amenity, bench seating for reflection, and ample parking. Future stages will enhance the natural bush setting, with plans for a bush chapel and additional ashes gardens.

“Council is seeking additional project funding for the proposed bush chapel on-site, as well as the recycled water supply for irrigation of the landscaping.

“Council would like to sincerely thank the Queensland Government for their significant funding contribution to the staged project, that will honour and pay tribute to residents who have passed away for generations to come.”

Member for Keppel Brittany Lauga said she was pleased to see the project come to fruition, which will provide a variety of options to the Capricorn Coast community during a significant time in their lives.

“Residents will be able to hold graveside services, make use of the Pavilion space, hold after hours and Saturday services at both the Lawn Cemetery and Ash Gardens,” Mrs Lauga said.

“These gardens have been thoughtfully planned to feature 430 burial sites, with capacity for two burials and four ashes inurnments, as well as four Ash Gardens in Stage 1 which incorporate 34 double plots and four family plots – totalling 38 plots per Ash Garden.

“Using landscape architecture, beautiful native trees, shrubs and plants will create a welcoming and peaceful atmosphere for reflection for people in times of mourning.”

Mayor Ireland said installation of new beams were undertaken in May/June of 2021 for both Emu Park and Yeppoon cemeteries to extend their lifespan while work at the new facility was undertaken.

“Yeppoon Cemetery has roughly five years availability which excludes existing reservations, and the Emu Park Cemetery has availability for the next 10 years,” he said.