Cemetery spells death for Sydney market garden
Updated
A second generation Chinese market gardener says his lease on Crown Land in Sydney's south shouldn't have to end to make way for a cemetery.
A plot of Crown Land at La Perouse is currently leased to three Chinese market gardeners.
Next door to the heritage-listed gardens is the Botany Cemetery, where space is at a premium.
The Cemetery Trust wants 60 per cent of the Crown Land resumed to create more burial sites because it is running out of space.
But market gardener, Terry Ha says he will lose his livelihood if the plans go ahead.
"We've been working there so long, I don't know what we'll do in the future," he said.
But Andrew McAnespie from the New South Wales Government's Land and Property Management Authority says he is committed to finding other land for the gardeners to use if the plans are approved.
"I've committed to work with the current P-O holders, PO being permissive occupancy, to look for other pieces of land in the vicinity," he said.
He says the Cemetery Trust will be granted a licence to continue planning investigations in coming weeks.
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