THE discovery of "ground disturbance" in the Tambaroora General Cemetery has led to the vehicle entry points being locked for the foreseeable future.
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According to residents, unauthorised vehicles had entered the cemetery, resulting in "ground disturbance in the vicinity of where those vehicles were parked".
A member of the community group that has been looking after the cemetery requested that Bathurst Regional Council take action, leading to the vehicle gates being locked.
Bathurst council was recently appointed the operator of a number of rural cemeteries in the local government area.
Mayor Robert Taylor said the council is still working on how to manage Bathurst's rural cemeteries, and protecting the cemeteries from damage and preventing inappropriate, unauthorised activities appear to be priorities for the council.
"The matter of closing the vehicle access gate was requested by a member of the Hill End community group that has been looking after the Hill End Tambaroora General Cemetery site before changes by the NSW Government made council the cemetery operator," Cr Taylor said.
"... Due to recent vehicle access within the Hill End Tambaroora Cemetery that council and the Hill End community group were unaware of, council has agreed that it be appropriate to have the vehicle access gates locked at this stage until cemetery operating procedures and protocols are established."
Vehicle entry to the cemetery can be arranged upon request, and there are no restrictions on pedestrian access at this time.
"It should be noted that the cemetery's pedestrian gates remain open and visitors are able to access the cemetery grounds," Cr Taylor said.
"Should there be a need for vehicle access by members of the community, such requests should be directed to council in the first instance."
The council learned in 2024 that it would become the operator of more than a dozen cemeteries in the region following the state government's cemetery reforms. It soon began to push back due to the expense it said would be required.
It calculated an upfront cost of $278,000 and then a further $357,000 annually, plus CPI, in operational costs.
As of June 2025, these costs had not been budgeted for and the council was planning to meet with the affected villages to investigate potential ways those costs could be lowered.
At least one new staff member will be hired to help the council meet its obligations.
"Council is currently in the process of advertising for a cemetery officer, who will be tasked with coordinating cemetery operations to its 15 rural cemeteries within the Bathurst LGA, including the development of the required rules and procedures for each cemetery site," Cr Taylor said.
Applications for the position are set to close on October 26, 2025.
