Open letter to Government from faith and community leaders

Joint Statement from MMP chair and religious leaders:

Urgent action needed on Sydney’s burial space crisis

Statement contributors:   

• Ken Morrison, MMP Chair
• Michele Goldman ,CEO, Jewish Board of Deputies
• Mariam Ardati, Australian National Imams Council   
• Rev. Fr. Fadi Nemme, Antiochian Orthodox Archdiocese 
• Rev, Fr. Tradros El-Bakhoumi OAM, Coptic Orthodox

Sydney is fast running out of burial space — and for many faith and cultural communities, the situation is critical. 

For communities where in-ground burial is a religious or cultural requirement — including Muslim, Jewish, and Orthodox Christian communities — there is no alternative. 

At current rates, some communities are projected to run out of dedicated burial space within 2–5 years. Muslim burial allocations are critically low in key locations, including Rookwood. Orthodox communities estimate less than a decade of available space, even under conservative population growth forecasts. 

This is an issue of religious freedom, cultural respect, and human dignity. 

We are calling on the NSW Government to urgently prioritise the creation of new burial space — particularly in areas where the need is most acute. At the heart of this issue is dignity. Every person should have the right to be buried according to their faith, close to their family and community. 

Losing a loved one is already painful. In that moment, families should not be burdened with the added distress of struggling to fulfil spiritual obligations for their loved one’s final resting place. 

“Six of Sydney’s historic cemeteries will begin to exhaust from 2031 and be completely full in the decade after that, with some faith groups running out of space in less than two years. A new Crown cemetery has not been built in the heart of Sydney in more than 80 years despite significant population growth, and we urgently need to find solutions to service the community,” said MMP Chair Ken Morrison. 

Some families are already being forced to travel more than 100 kilometres to lay loved ones to rest. This is unsustainable. 

We urge the NSW Government to act now — before this crisis becomes a catastrophe. New burial land must be made available near where communities live, so it remains accessible, meaningful, and dignified. 

Banner image: Sydney’s faith groups have united in an unprecedented plea for action as new data reveals some communities will run out of burial space within months. Picture: Sam Ruttyn