Nelsonians have been left “disgusted” by damage to their loved ones’ headstones at Marsden Cemetery.
By Max Frethey, Local Democracy Reporter
Tania Kingston visited her mother, who is interred at the cemetery, about five weeks ago to discover that her headstone’s photo tile had been broken.
She attributed the damage to the headstone being run over by a mower during the cemetery’s routine maintenance and upkeep activities.
“It’s an emotional thing anyway, when you come up. To find that your mum’s headstone’s been damaged, it’s just so disheartening.”
Kingston said she called the council, was redirected to its open spaces contractor, Green by Nature, and subsequently experienced four weeks of “toing and froing”.
“No one wanted to take ownership of the damage.”
Frustrated by the lack of action over the damaged headstone, she took to a local community Facebook page to voice her complaints.
Her post was “inundated” with messages from others who had loved ones’ headstones damaged or marked by muddy tyre tracks, leaving her “shocked, disgusted, [and] sickened”.
“It made me so sad and sick to hear all these other people with their concerns for their loved ones, the damage that’s been sustained on their headstones. There’s just no need for it,” Kingston said.
“The lack of empathy that [the] workers have in a cemetery is disgusting. It’s not okay.”
She expected more care should be given in a ratepayer-funded cemetery.
“There should be no damaged headstones, especially by a contractor who’s put the bid in to maintain the place.”
Christine Robertson said having headstones damaged by mowers was nothing new, with her son’s grave being damaged several times since he was first interred almost four decades ago, a period well before the beginning of Green by Nature's contract.
The plaque on her parents’ headstone had also been knocked off in recent months.
She also attributed the damage to mowers at the cemetery.
“It seems obvious there’s an issue there,” she said.
“If this is going to be a constant problem, it’s going to be a constant expense to get it fixed.”
Robertson expected the contractor to investigate and rectify the causes of the damage so that families did not have to bear the cost of repair.
“Things happen, but… there’s a feeling of lack of care and lack of respect.”
She added that it would be good for families to be notified if their loved ones’ headstones were damaged.
“For some people, it’s really upsetting, and quite devastating really. At least if they get a heads up… you can prepare yourself for it.”
Both women also said that Marsden Cemetery was less well-kept than it used to be and hoped it would be maintained to a tidier standard.
Nelson City Council’s manager operations delivery, Eddie Powick, acknowledged the community concerns.
“We are currently reviewing the concerns raised and have been in contact with our contractor to discuss our expectations around cemetery care, so they are clearly understood and met going forward.”
He said the council had clear standards for how cemetery maintenance work was conducted, and addressing concerns was a priority.
Residents should email the council’s customer service team at enquiries@ncc.govt.nz if they believe headstone or memorial damage occurred during maintenance activities.
“We will arrange for the damage to be assessed and, where appropriate, remedied,” Powick said.
“We recognise this is a deeply personal matter for families who have loved ones buried at Marsden Valley Cemetery, and we are committed to ensuring the space is maintained with the care and respect the community expects and deserves.”
Green by Nature has been approached for comment.
Since making her Facebook post on Monday, Kingston said that Green by Nature had agreed to repair her mother’s headstone at no cost to her.
“I’m glad that they’ve finally come to the party, but it’s sad that I had to push.”
Green by Nature took over the parks and open spaces contract from Kūmanū – formerly known as Nelmac – in July 2025.
Local Democracy Reporting is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air
SHARE ME