IPSWICH City Council wants input from locals on a concept master plan for Warrill Park Lawn Cemetery at Willowbank.
The city’s largest and most used cemetery since opening in 1971, Warrill Park Lawn Cemetery accommodates more than 14,800 burials and ashes placements.
Originally managed by the Ipswich Cemetery Trust, the site has been under council trusteeship since 1979.
“It now time for potential expansion and upgrades to meet community expectations,” Infrastructure, Planning and Assets Committee Chairman Andrew Antoniolli said.
“The master plan aims to enhance the cemetery’s functionality and visitor experience … [and] presents an opportunity to improve accessibility, introduce new memorial spaces, and ensure the site continues to meet the needs of future generations.”
Surrounded by protected Melaleuca irbyana forest, Ebenezer Creek, and flood-prone areas, the site faces ecological and environmental constraints that limit traditional expansion.
The concept plan proposes a range of features like natural burial areas, expanded memorial gardens and upgraded facilities to support quiet reflection.
The council recently completed upgrades and expansion of the almost 150-year-old Tallegalla Cemetery as part of works across all five council-owned cemeteries – Warrill Park, Tallegalla, Stone Quarry Cemetery in Jeebropilly, Ipswich General and Haigslea.
A preliminary concept master plan map for Warrill Park is available to help residents visualise the proposed changes, highlighting key landscape zones, pathways, and areas of ecological and recreational interest.
To view the plan and have your say, visit https://shorturl.at/204w9.
