Wednesday, 3 June 2026


Constituency questions

Northern Victoria Region


Georgie PURCELL

Proof only

Please do not quote

Northern Victoria Region

 Georgie PURCELL (Northern Victoria) (12:53): (2355) My question is for the Minister for Health. From the 1960s until 2019, thousands of human remains at Castlemaine Cemetery were dug up and dumped in bushland while plots were resold to other families. Historical letters, police investigations and Department of Health warnings show that authorities repeatedly instructed the cemetery trust to stop the unlawful practice, including after a human skull was discovered in 1994. When cemetery manager Deb Tranter took over in 2020, she ceased the practice immediately and sought advice from the department on how to respectfully handle the remains. She was told to apply for a grant, hire an excavator and rebury any bones found. Given the department oversees compliance for 490 cemeteries across Victoria, with most run by volunteers like Deb, can the minister please explain why repeated warnings were ignored for decades and whether, as the new minister, she will implement procedures to ensure this never happens again?