State Member for Northern Victoria Wendy Lovell has been advocating for RPCV’s annual reports from the 2022-23 and 2023-24 financial years to be released.
Most recently, Ms Lovell called on Health Minister Mary-Anne Thomas to immediately table the reports in parliament on Tuesday, March 4.
RCPV confirmed to the News in February that the reports had been completed and submitted to the Department of Health.
As outlined in the Financial Management Act 1994, when reports are submitted late, section 46(3)(b) requires the responsible minister to ‘cause the report of operations and financial statements to be laid before each House of the Parliament as soon as practicable after they are received’.
Ms Lovell has suggested that the reports weren’t tabled yet to hide the full extent of problems from the public, until after the chair was appointed.
“Communities with cemeteries managed by RPCV should be concerned that the true extent of the financial problem at the cemeteries have been concealed from public scrutiny,” she said.
After Ms Lovell’s latest push for the reports to be released, the reports were tabled by the health minister on Thursday, March 6.
A Department of Health spokesperson said the tabling of the reports was delayed to ensure accuracy of financial reporting, as well as the need for them to be signed off by the Victorian Auditor-General’s Office.
Both reports have been released and are available on RPCV’s website.
Ms Lovell also used her time in parliament to question the reappointment of the current chair.
Ms Lovell called on the health minister in February to “appoint someone who can establish good governance at this cemetery trust” after saying there had been controversies during the chair’s previous term, which ended on February 28.
Most recently, a controversial push for a proposed increase of burial costs was announced by the trust in November 2024.
“Families with loved ones buried at RPCV cemeteries and who have suffered under the mismanagement of the current board will be devastated to hear that the chairperson has been reappointed,” Ms Lovell said.
A spokesperson for the Department of Health said the chair was reappointed by the Governor in Council on the health minister’s recommendation, following an open and competitive recruitment process conducted by the department.
The new three-year term commenced on March 1, with RPCV congratulating Marg Lewis on her successful reappointment.
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