The department produces a regular newsletter for the cemetery sector.
Please note that previous editions of the newsletter are provided below for reference and may contain information that has since become out-of-date. Please refer to the relevant pages on this website for current information on cemetery topics.
For more information or to receive copies of newsletters published before 2021, please contact the department on 1800 034 280 or email cemeteries@health.vic.gov.au.
Newsletter editions
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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
Cemetery Sector Governance Support Unit newsletter - Edition 1 - 2025 -
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
Cemetery Sector Governance Support Unit newsletter - Edition 3 - 2024Attachments to Edition 3, 2024 newsletter:
New manual for Victorian cemetery trusts - Summary of new topics and changes -
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
Cemetery Sector Governance Support Unit newsletter - Edition 2 - 2024 -
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
Cemetery Sector Governance Support Unit newsletter - Edition 1 - 2024Attachments to Edition 1, 2024 newsletter:
Trust member conduct and managing poor behaviour -
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
Cemetery Sector Governance Support Unit newsletter - Edition 3 - 2023 -
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
Cemetery Sector Governance Support Unit newsletter - Edition 2 - 2023 -
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
Cemetery Sector Governance Support Unit newsletter - Edition 1 - 2023Cemetery trusts – Governance training February 2023 -
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
Cemetery Sector Governance Support Unit newsletter - Edition 2 - 2022Attachments to Edition 2, 2022 newsletter:
Cemetery trusts - Governance and operational training September 2022 -
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
Cemetery Sector Governance Support Unit newsletter - Edition 1 - 2022Attachments to Edition 1, 2022 newsletter:
Cemetery trust financial budget guidance for Class B cemetery trustsCemetery trust financial budget - TemplateGovernance and operational training -
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
Cemetery Sector Governance Support Unit newsletter - Edition 3 2021Attachments to Edition 3, 2021 newsletter:
Right of interment permit fact sheet -
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
Cemetery Sector Governance Support Unit newsletter - Edition 2 2021 - Class B cemetery trusts
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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:
Attachment - Introduction to the governance and operational training - 2021Cemetery Sector Governance Support Program newsletter - Edition 1 2021
Reviewed 04 April 2025