The Thames-Coromandel District Council says it is still yet to receive a formal application for a cremator to be installed in Grahamstown.

Council is encouraging anybody who's interested in installing a cremator to organise a pre-lodgement meeting to discuss a detailed proposal and so its planning team can offer clear advice.

In March about 300 people marched in opposition to a proposal for a cremator to be installed in the centre of Grahamstown. The Thames-Coromandel District Council says it is still yet to receive a formal application. Photo: File

Mayor Glenn Leach says council has also sought a legal opinion which it has shared with all affected parties, suggesting a cremator in Grahamstown would likely need a resource consent.

'Due to the high public interest and sensitivity around this issue,” says Glenn, 'we would also prefer that with the mutual agreement of the applicant, if resource consent is needed that it be publicly notified even if that wasn't required.

'An example of where we've done this previously was with the applicants wanting to subdivide land at New Chum Beach.

'In that case it was mutually agreed to publicly notify the consent due to significant public interest even though it didn't need to be publicly notified.”

In the meantime, any application for a cremator would also still need to be submitted to the Waikato Regional Council and the Ministry of Health.

In the past council has considered both Totara and Omahu cemeteries as potential sites to locate a cremator but no formal or detailed planning has taken place.

Council would need to consider the space requirements and whether there is sufficient land area to accommodate this without compromising future burial space.

'Currently there are no plans to establish a crematorium on council cemetery land but if approached we would be open to receiving proposals. Any proposals would likely require engagement with the public.”

A proposal for locating a crematorium on cemetery land would also be required to go through the same planning and consent processes as would a site proposal within the township.

This would also include considering issues such as zoning, effects, building consent requirements, Waikato Regional Council and Ministry of Health approvals.