Catholic Metropolitan Cemeteries Trust (CMCT) has welcomed today’s judgment of the NSW Court of Appeal, confirming CMCT’s long-standing charitable status.
CMCT maintains it is not currently a state-controlled entity but has been a publicly transparent charity since 1902, with its audited accounts provided annually to the Australian Charities and Not for Profits Commission, Cemeteries and Crematoria NSW and NSW Treasury for review.
CMCT has always maintained the NSW Auditor General had no power to audit charities. It proposed new arrangements following the judgment to facilitate the Auditor General’s oversight.
If CMCT had complied earlier with the Auditor-General’s requests, CMCT could have lost its charitable status, and the general public would have endured higher cemetery prices. Indeed, todays’ judgement highlights it would have been reckless to do so.
The court decision means that cemetery operator arrangements currently being finalised must incorporate the existence of this long-term Charitable Trust. The Trust will continue to manage its funds independently of NSW Treasury.
The NSW Government last year announced:
- CMCT will remain as a stand-alone crown land manager, independent of other amalgamated Crown cemeteries.
- CMCT will continue to manage its current non-for-profit cemeteries at Rookwood, Liverpool, Kemps Creek and Varroville.
CMCT is the only cemeteries operator to be developing new burial grounds, with its Varroville site at Campbelltown well into construction and expected to open with 136,000 burial spaces in 2025.
Tim Allerton
City Public Relations
Ph: (0412) 715 707
