A father who lost one of his twin daughters in a car crash in 2016 says the “disgusting condition” of Williamstown Cemetery is compounding his grief.
Peter Caruana said he had resorted to carrying a shovel, bucket and whipper snipper in his car to replace top soil and maintain his daughter’s grave himself.
“My every visit seems to find mud on the roads in the cemetery and whenever a burial has taken place the mud, rocks etcetera are strewn across the grounds,” he said.
“They’re doing construction work and they run their machinery over the gravesites, causing large indentations in the grass and soil.
“I am continuously dropping in and topping up the soil myself. I find this very disrespectful.
“I’ve actually got a bucket and shovel in my car to do it on the way home from work.
“Every time my wife goes there, she sits there and shakes her head.”
Mr Caruana, who also has loved ones buried at Altona, Keilor and Melton cemeteries, said other memorial parks were in much better condition than Williamstown.
On numerous occasions, he has contacted The Greater Metropolitan Cemeteries Trust, which manages Williamstown Cemetery, to request better maintenance.
“Getting close to Christmas time, how would they feel to visit their family and loved ones and pay respect and look at it like that?” Mr Caruana said. “They’ve got no respect at all.”
The Trust’s acting chief executive Deb Ganderton said staff at Williamstown were proud of their achievements and performed admirably under sometimes trying and difficult circumstances.
“Occasionally, in preparation for a funeral, especially after rain, mud in machinery tyres and tracks can be dislodged,” she said. “Our staff are diligent when cleaning up and regular street sweeping also addresses the problem.
“Our machinery may leave some indentations on the grass but on completion of the activity staff are quick to rectify any issues.”
