The proposed Heaven on Earth Memorial Park envisions providing the Gold Coast community with essential cemetery and crematorium space for many years to come.

Consisting of a new cemetery, crematorium, and mausoleum spaces, the proposed Heaven on Earth Memorial Park will become a place of natural beauty for the northern Gold Coast.

Heaven on Earth Memorial Park will cater to various cultures, religions, beliefs and memorial preferences by offering:

• burials and funeral services
• crematorium
• mausoleum with private and public crypts
• chapel and ancillary areas
• extensive landscaping and sculptures that will complement and enhance the memorial park and provide shade and seating for visitors.

On completion, Heaven on Earth Memorial Park will be privately operated with a professional management team and experienced memorial park staff.

While development applications are lodged with the local government (City of Gold Coast), MID requests to facilitate the delivery of community infrastructure are made to the Planning Minister and assessed by Queensland’s Department of State Development, Infrastructure, Local Government and Planning.

Heaven on Earth Memorial Park has progressed its application and a proposal has been submitted as a request for a Ministerial Infrastructure Designation (MID) under the Planning Act 2016.

To find out more information and to view the MID application, visit the the Department’s website.

The proposal for Heaven on Earth Memorial Park covers approximately 10 hectares of vacant rural land on a 23-hectare site, bordering Old Wharf Road and Pimpama Jacobs Well Road.

The location of the site and preliminary concept design will emphasise beautiful gardens and architectural spaces within a peaceful and inclusive environment. The reminder of the site, including creek waterways and vegetation, will be retained in its natural state.

As the Gold Coast population continues to grow and age, especially in the northern corridor, the region is need of more cemetery and crematorium offerings. To help plan for the future, the proposed Heaven on Earth Memorial Park will deliver an expanded offering for all people and cultures.

The MID proposal is supported by a masterplan and built form outcomes, including materials and colour palettes, floor plans and evaluations to depict height and any visual impact to the surrounding landscape.

The proposal includes a community mausoleum, private mausoleums, chapel, events centre and visitor centre and maintenance facility and a crematorium with a required vent stack. The chapel may accommodate approximately 300-350 people seated. The MID proposal considers a range of specialist input and stakeholder feedback.

A preliminary economic analysis for the proposal has estimated that over 10 years Heaven on Earth Memorial Park could support:

• 130 mausoleum interments (approximately 13 per year);
• 1,200 other burials (approximately 100 per year or 2 per week); and
• 12,000 cremations (approximately 1000 per year or 19 per week).

Similar to other facilities, the proposed hours of operation may allow vehicle access between 6.30am and 6.30pm daily. Up to three funeral services could be accommodated daily, with operational activities such as burial excavation and maintenance likely to take place between 8am and 3pm Monday to Friday. The crematorium is likely to be powered by natural gas and operate between 6am and 10pm as required.

The proposal is progressing through the MID approval process. Community and stakeholder engagement on the proposal was undertaken throughout 2023. The MID application request was accepted and the application is available on the Department website.

The public notification process closes on Tuesday 13 February 2024.

Pending approvals, it is anticipated that the project could commence in 2024 and initial construction would be completed over approximately 12 months. The subsequent construction would be delivered in stages. In line with industry best practice, a Construction Environmental Management Plan will be developed and strictly followed and will include prescribed construction hours and ways for the community to provide feedback.

Heaven on Earth Memorial Park is the vision of an expert team with extensive experience in memorial parks and property development. The team is led by Gold Coast developer Richard Duce and includes award-winning Harmer Architecture, planners from Place Design Group and landscape architect Florence Jacquet.

On completion, Heaven on Earth Memorial Park will be privately operated with a professional management team and experienced memorial park staff. It is anticipated that 20 to 25 full time ongoing jobs will be available, with associated employment during the construction phase. Ongoing jobs include administration and sales, caretaking and gardening, and crematorium, chapel and events staff.

All feedback on the MID application must be made through the Department website.

Further enquiries, including media, can be directed to the Heaven on Earth Memorial Park engagement team via email info@heavenonearth.au or phone 1800 344 080 .