Proposed Terms of Reference:

Terms of Reference

NSW Legislative Council inquiry into the Metropolitan Memorial Parks (MMP) proposal for Carnarvon Golf Course (Lidcombe).

The Committee is to inquire into and report on the proposal with particular reference to:

1. Site selection and evidence base

a)      The evidentiary basis, business case and demand assumptions for burial land.

b)     The number, nature and assessment of alternative sites, including any discrepancy between public claims (≈1,000 sites) and Standing Order 52 material (≈100 sites).

c)      The criteria, weighting/scoring, dates and decision points used to include or exclude sites, and any changes made after the assessment process.

d)     Policy settings and oversight guiding site identification, including the role of NSW Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure (DPHI), Cemeteries & Crematoria NSW (CCNSW), and Transport for NSW (TfNSW) and other relevant government agencies in providing guidance or approvals.

2. Community consultation and data integrity

a)      The design and application of surveys and other instruments, including question wording and bias controls.

b)     The methodology for validation, weighting, aggregation and reporting of results; transparency and auditability.

c)      Measures to ensure representativeness and the genuine influence of community views on decisions.

d)     The availability of information to stakeholders, including access under the Government Information Public Access (GIPA) Act 2009.

e)      The effective use of public funds for consultation/communications and the handling of public and elected‑representative correspondence.

f)        Consistency of consultation with applicable Crown land consultation requirements, including whether the appropriate responsible authority oversaw statutory obligations.

3. Governance, probity and procurement

a)      Roles, accountability and oversight within MMP and any advisory/engagement committees.

b)     Procurement and performance of external contractors (including research and fieldwork providers such as SEC Newgate Australia and National Field Services) against NSW integrity, procurement and record‑keeping frameworks.

c)      Conflicts of interest, independence safeguards and information management.

4. Statutory, environmental and public‑health compliance

a)      Constraints relating to groundwater, soils and flood risk, and associated public health considerations.

b)     Consistency with CCNSW Guidelines on establishing and running a cemetery (2023) and applicable Crown land, environmental and planning requirements.

c)      Biodiversity, urban‑heat and climate‑resilience impacts.

5. Financial due diligence and risk

a)      NSW Treasury involvement, funding assumptions, lifecycle costs and projected long‑term liabilities.

b)     Fiscal risks to the State and implications for public expenditure.

6. Community outcomes and metropolitan equity

a)      The loss of active recreation and open space in Cumberland LGA and effects on amenity, infrastructure, cultural practices, mental health, wellbeing, and social cohesion.

b)     Public safety and social cohesion impacts, particularly for women, vulnerable users, and CALD residents of adjoining public areas.

c)      The metropolitan distribution of burial and memorial land across Greater Sydney, including MMP’s strategy for utilising capacity across its existing cemeteries and how needs in areas currently served by those sites are to be met.

d)     Traffic, parking and transport network impacts arising from the proposed development, including effects on surrounding residential streets, public transport accessibility, and cumulative congestion within the Lidcombe-Berala-Regents Park corridor.

7. Any other related matter.