Freedom of Information

The Freedom of Information Act 1982 (FOI Act) gives individuals the right to apply for access to documents held by government agencies and other organisations, including cemetery trusts.

Types of documents held by Geelong Cemeteries Trust (GCT)

GCT hold a range of documents relating to the operation of its cemeteries and crematoria, including those acquired from former cemetery trusts administering the cemeteries prior to amalgamation. This includes records relating to:

– Cremations and interments
– Governance and administration of GCT cemeteries
– Construction and maintenance records relating to cemetery structures
– Land acquisition and management

You have a right to apply for access to documents held by GCT including, but not limited to, the following documents:

– Documents relating to your own personal affairs (such as your ownership of a Right of Interment)
– Documents of a non-personal nature which are not older than 5 July 1978 (documents created before this date are outside the scope of the Act, whereas personal records are not subject to this limitation)

Request access to cemetery records under section 60 of the Cemeteries and Crematoria Act 2003

In accordance with the Cemeteries and Crematoria Act 2003 and Cemeteries and Crematoria Regulations 2015, GCT is required to maintain records of interments, places of interment, cremations, and rights of interment. These records are available for public inspection at the cemetery for historical or research purposes, subject to the discretion of the cemetery trust in determining what qualifies as historical or research use. A cemetery trust may also charge a fee to cover reasonable costs for providing access or copies of records.

For access to statutory cemetery records, please direct your request to [email protected]. 

More information about fees and the FOI process is available on the Office of the Victorian Information Commissioner website: ovic.vic.gov.au