More than a hundred pigs are to be buried in Australia’s largest cemetery as part of a controversial, world-first scientific trial that aims to create more grave space.
Fairfax Media can reveal that, in a contentious move at odds with numerous traditional religious customs, Rookwood Cemetery intends to accelerate the human decomposition process so more people can be laid to rest in the same plot.
Up to 120 pig corpses will be used as human substitutes and have individual plots at the same sacred site where more than a million people are buried. There the pig corpses will be exposed to compounds, additives and “a lot of different variables” that are designed to “speed up” the natural process below ground.
Like all burial sites across Sydney, Rookwood is inching towards full capacity. For religious groups that prohibit cremation, such as the Muslim and Jewish faiths, the situation is even more perilous.
“The sustainability of cemeteries everywhere is a major issue right now,” said George Simpson, chief executive of the Rookwood General Cemeteries Reserve Trust. “This is a real watershed if we can get it right. It would revolutionise the entire industry the world over.”
Until details were leaked to Fairfax Media last week, the independent study had progressed, in secret, for three years. While Mr Simpson acknowledged it might trigger some outcry, he said the interment industry had been forced to confront similar issues before. “If you go back to the 1950s and 1960s when cremation first became popular, there was an element of people who were for it and against it. It’s the nature of the industry,” he said, adding: “We are aware of that. But we also can’t lose sight of the fact that we need to look at innovative new ways of providing space for generations after us.”
When the State Government released the last parcel of land at the 280 hectare Rookwood Cemetery in 2013, it was divided between the Muslim and Jewish communities on the understanding there was no more left to give. Under Islamic tradition, it is strictly forbidden to lay a second body in a grave until the first has completely transformed. Additionally, Rookwood is severely hampered by a clay based soil composition that slows the decaying process.
According to Mr Simpson, “those communities from the Middle Eastern area have been encouraging us to come up with ways to accelerate that process.”
Fairfax Media has been told that representatives from both the Muslim and Jewish faiths have joined Rookwood hierarchy and the industry regulator, Cemeteries and Crematoria NSW (CCNSW) on an expert steering committee that is now finalising the decomposition plan.
When asked whether there had been any opposition from either the Jewish or Muslim communities about pigs being buried at the same holy site that accommodates their religions, Mr Simpson replied: “Quite to the contrary. The representatives from those faiths [on the committee] expected that would be the case. It is widely known the world over that pigs are the closest, anatomically, to humans. For us to get as close a match as we can, it was vital we use this proxy.”
He said the tests would be conducted in a “discreet” section of the cemetery, away from other burial areas, adding: “It is certainly not something we would take lightly.”
Fairfax Media requested, through Mr Simpson, interviews with religious representatives on the project’s steering committee. There was no response at the time of publication. The CCNSW declined to comment about the actual trial but said it was working “closely” with independent and Crown cemeteries “to plan for and respond to policy challenges”.
NSW Minister for Lands Paul Toole confirmed he was “aware” of the study, adding it was “consistent with priorities” outlined in the CCNSW Strategic Plan.