Council land is available to the south of the Moree cemetery and should the crematorium development happen, it would benefit the community as a whole according to a spokesperon from an interested company.

The spokesperson was expected to put in an expression of interest and said they felt a crematorium would be an extension of services they provide.

“A crematorium will not require the ongoing maintenance of a burial because there won’t be a need for a granite headstone,” the spokesperson said.

“The problem with having a crematorium – do we also need to build a funeral home as well? We feel the town is not quite ready for one yet.”

He said where cremation was offered, about 60 per cent of people would take it up as an option and that it could save up to $1500 compared to that of burial.

With people being concerned about the cost of funerals, cremation would be seen as a cheaper alternative where it would also have “a much smaller footprint on the environment”.

 “The population is also much more mobile these days so for example if children’s parents die in Moree but they have to move, they can take the ashes with them.”

Economic development officer, Mark Connolly, said any prospective development was in its infancy.

“We’re trying to encourage increased services around the town and if it did come off, it would be a very modest set-up,” he said.

Mr Connolly said the council had wanted to do something similar in the town for a while as the nearest crematoriums were situated in Inverell and Narrabri.

“It can be really difficult for people to see the coffin put into a hearse and then have it driven to another town. If we have a crematorium here, it takes that away.”

Mr Connolly said the development needed to be feasible.

“We’re still in the early stages of the expressions of interest, but we encourage those interested to get in touch.

“It’s not something we all want to think about, but you do need a certain amount of deaths or cremations to make a facility like this work,” he said.

For further information contact Mr Connolly on (02) 6757 3247 or via email at mark.connolly@mpsc.nsw.gov.au. Expressions close on September 3.