Annual Report16 Table of Contents Year in Review
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ANNUAL REPORT16 TABLE OF CONTENTS YEAR IN REVIEW YEAR IN REVIEW ABOUT THIS REPORT 03 The Rookwood General Cemeteries Reserve Trust (RGCRT) 2016 Annual Report has been developed to provide our stakeholders with key information pertaining RGCRT IN PROFILE to the Trust’s operational and financial performance for the 2015/16 financial year. 06 It complies with the legislative guidelines established by both Cemeteries and Crematoria NSW (CCNSW) and NSW Treasury. MEET THE TEAM 10 This report, along with our 2015, 2014 and 2013 Annual Reports can be found on our website under Corporate Governance – www.rookwoodcemetery.com.au. OPERATIONAL OBJECTIVES 21 STRENGTHENING CORPORATE GOVERNANCE PROCESSES 22 DELIVERING A COMPLETE RANGE OF INTERMENT RELATED SERVICES 28 ENHANCING OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH INDUSTRY AND COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDERS 32 2 3 PROMOTING ROOKWOOD CEMETERY TO PUBLIC STAKEHOLDRS 35 DEVELOPING OUR PEOPLE AND CUTURE TO BETTER 38 SERVICE OUR CLIENTS IMPLEMENTING PRACTICES TO CREATE A SUSTAINABLE 44 CEMETERY 49 CONSERVING AUSTRALIA’S HERITAGE 55 FINANCIAL INFORMATION 86 DISCLOSURE INDEX 90 GLOSSARY OF TERMS STAKEHOLDER HIGHLIGHTS GROUPS • Industry COMMUNITIES SERVICED IN 2015/16 ROOKWOOD CEMETERY – o Government • Armenian • Methodists THE SLEEPING CITY o Funeral Directors • Assyrian • Muslim o Stonemasons • Chinese • Russian Orthodox • Consecrated in 1867 o Friends of Rookwood • Greek / Eastern Orthodox • Serbian Orthodox • Serving the Sydney community • Community • Estonian • Syrian for 149 years o Religious and Cultural • Jewish • Ukrainian Community Groups • Latvian • Other (Includes, but is not • Largest Cemetery in Southern limited to, Catholic, Italian, • Public • Macedonian Orthodox Hemisphere • Maori Aboriginal, Druze, Sikhism o Grave Owners and no religion) • Land size greater than the Sydney CBD o Cemetery Visitors o Environmental Groups • Oldest working cemetery in Australia o Community Activists and 2015/16 IN FIGURES Special Interest Groups • Over 1 million people now reside o Arts Community Services within the gates o School Groups • 1663 interments conducted o Recreationalists • 39 interments conducted on behalf o Volunteer Groups of people with lesser means o Local Businesses • 1,628 allotment sales TRUST FOUNDING o Media (pre-need and at-need) 4 5 INFORMATION • 742 monumental and inscription • Internal permits processed • Established in 2012 to unite the o Staff and Contractors • 14 unsafe heritage monuments Anglican, General, Independent, SERVICES repaired / conserved Jewish and Muslim Trusts at • 61 deteriorating heritage monuments Rookwood Cemetery • Interment (throughout 130 2015/16 IN FIGURES repaired / conserved unique interment locations) CONTINUED… • 14 monumental conservation projects • Responsible to the NSW Minister for completed outside of Rookwood • Memorialisation Financials Primary Industries • Heritage Conservation • $2.7 million invested in Capital to Engagement Initiatives improve Rookwood and our services • 23 community and industry stakeholder • Adheres to the regulations set out in the • Concierge • $5.1 million surplus generated events held Cemeteries and Crematoria Act 2013, • Maintenance Governance • 13 public events held among others • 1 AGM held • Genealogy • 90 instances of media coverage • 4 Board meetings held • 9,845 Facebook fans • Manages 190 hectares (two-thirds) • Exhumation • 18 Committee meetings held of Rookwood Cemetery • 17,873 engaged Facebook users • Venue Hire Our People • 88 employees (25 female and 63 male) • Catering • 300+ employee development opportunities RGCRT IN PROFILE ABOUT ROOKWOOD CEMETERY 1792 - Sydney’s first burial ground (The 1862 - The government purchased 1913 - Gradually Haslams Creek 1981 - With a view to storing Old Burial Ground) was situated where 200 acres of the Liberty Plains estate, Cemetery also adopted the name genealogical information electronically, Sydney Town Hall now stands. This Haslams Creek, near Homebush, on the Rookwood, causing locals to once volunteers (managed by the Society of cemetery served the growing Sydney Sydney to Parramatta railway line. The again complain that their suburb bore Australian Genealogists) worked for seven 6 colony up until 1820. owners, Messrs. Cohen and Benjamin the same name as the Cemetery. The years to transcribe information from 7 Esquire, receiving the sum of ten suburb’s name was again changed, this Rookwood’s headstones. 1820 - The Devonshire Street Cemetery pounds per acre. time to Lidcombe, a combination of (also known as Sandhills or Brickfield 1993 - The volunteer group, Friends of the names of two former mayors of the Cemetery - because of its position at 1867 - The new cemetery at Haslams Rookwood was established to promote town, Lidbury and Larcombe. Brickfield Hill) was established where Creek was consecrated in 1867 to the historic value of Rookwood Cemetery Central Railway now stands. coincide with the closure of Devonshire 1948 - After 80 years of service and proactively raise funds for the Street Cemetery. Areas were set the mortuary train service ceased restoration and conservation of the 1860 - The Colonial Secretary for Lands, aside for Roman Catholic, Anglican, operation, due largely to the rise of cemetery’s historic monuments. John Robertson announced the search Presbyterian, Wesleyan, Independent motor vehicles as a form of transport. for a new cemetery, as the Devonshire 2012 - Rookwood General Cemeteries (Congregational), Jewish, Lutheran, Rookwood’s Mortuary Station Street Cemetery had reached capacity. Reserve Trust was established to unite the Primitive Methodists, as well as subsequently fell into disrepair. former Anglican, General, Independent, General; each had its own 1951 - Rookwood’s Mortuary Station Jewish and Muslim Trusts at Rookwood. management Trust. was sold to Reverend Mr Buckle for 2016 - Today Rookwood Cemetery is the - A separate funeral terminal 100 pounds. It was dismantled and 1869 oldest, largest and most multicultural from the main Central Station was built transported to Canberra in 83 semi- working cemetery in Australia. at Regent Street Redfern. A similar trailers, where it was converted into building was also constructed in the the All Saints Church of England in centre of Haslams Creek Cemetery. Ainslie, Canberra. 1876 - Residents of Haslams Creek began campaigning for a new suburb name in order to remove the association with the cemetery. As a result the local railway station and suburb were renamed Rookwood. RGCRT is responsible for managing Primary Dedicated Use - As per the Auburn ABOUT ROOKWOOD over 190 hectares of Rookwood, which OFFICIAL Local Environmental Plan 2010, Rookwood GENERAL CEMETERIES equates to two-thirds of the cemetery. RESPONSIBILITIES Necropolis is classified as Zone Special Purpose RESERVE TRUST The remaining one-third is managed by Reserve Name - RGCRT is responsible 1 (SP1), with its primary use to be dedicated to the Rookwood Necropolis Trust (RNT), the for the management and longevity of cemetery activities. Rookwood General Cemeteries Reserve Catholic Metropolitan Cemeteries Trust Rookwood Necropolis. Trust (RGCRT) was established in 2012 to (CMCT), Rookwood Memorial Gardens and Other Permitted Uses - Other activities are unite Rookwood’s former Anglican, General, Crematorium (InvoCare), and the Office of Reserve Numbers - In accordance with the permitted if they have direct correlation to Independent, Jewish and Muslim Trusts, each Australian War Graves. Crown Lands Act 1989, RGCRT was appointed cemetery activities. of which had previously managed parts of trustee of Rookwood Necropolis’ former: the cemetery. Since the Trust was formed, we have improved Interment Lands Officially Dedicated to interment services for the multicultural • Anglican portion Religious or Cultural Groups - Since RGCRT This amalgamation was part of significant community groups that use Rookwood, we (Reserve Number: D500912) was established, a new area of land known as reforms across the NSW cemetery industry, have endeavoured to understand and adapt to Lot 10 (deposited plan 829656) was dedicated with the Department of Primary Industries our stakeholder’s needs, and we have started • Independent portion by the then Minister for Primary Industries, (DPI) restructuring Crown cemeteries to reshaping our historic cemetery to meet the (Reserve Number: D500906) the Hon. Katrina Hodgkinson, MP, to the effectively manage resources, strengthen needs of the evolving Sydney community. • General portion (Reserve Number: D500913) Jewish and Muslim communities. governance and ensure the interment needs • Jewish portion (Reserve Number: D500903) of the future Sydney metropolis are met. Primary Documents Directing / Constraining • Muslim portion (Reserve Number: D500904) Trust Activities • Auburn Local Environmental Plan 2010 Title Identifiers - Due to the amalgamations • Cemeteries and Crematoria Act 2013 that have taken place within the above • Cemeteries and Crematoria Regulation 2014 mentioned reserves, a number of lots fall into RGCRT’s area of remit, including the following • Crown Lands Act 1989 8 title identifiers: • Crown Lands Regulation 2006 9 • Conservation Management Plan Volume/Folio System Lot/Deposited Plan Contact Details Hours of Operation Titles* System Titles** (currently being developed) A PO Box 291, Lidcombe NSW 1825 Monday to Friday 0730 – 1700 535-3000 - Portion only 1-1184042 • Freedom of Information Act 1982 Hawthorne Avenue, Rookwood NSW 2141 Saturday to Sunday 0900 – 1500 876-730 - Portion only 3-1140277 • Heritage Act 1977 P 02