The Southern Cross website was inundated with responses from the community opposed to council’s decision last week which would see all items except flowers left on plots removed.

Colleen Carpenter, who has two young relatives buried in the cemetery, said the opportunity for her to leave adornments on the graves was an integral part of being able to grieve and connect with her loved ones.

“It’s very important and it’s important to my children. When they heard they were very upset and could not understand the decision.”

From visiting the cemetery every few days for a long period of time, she said at no point has she found the site untidy and the sites dedicated to her relatives were always in a neat and tidy fashion as a moving tribute to how much they are missed.

“It’s beautiful. I don’t find it at all messy.”

She said her children adore being able to place items on their siblings’ graves and they take the time to fix other deceased people’s sites if items have been knocked over by the wind, out of respect.

Junee Shire Council manager of engineering services Colin Macaulay said at this stage council has no immediate plans to remove any items.

It will be a gradual clean up of the site which will allow council staff to use their discretion, he said.

Rather than having a policy of all items be removed, Mr Macaulay said council staff will allow items to remain at sites as long as they are in a neat and tidy fashion and do not pose a potential safety hazard.

After fielding a number of calls from concerned residents, he said council staff will be directed to remove unsightly or dangerous items from the site, but not before the families involved are contacted and the issue discussed.

“If it looks like a mess and it’s untidy and it looks like no one goes there regularly, we will clean it up.”

The wording for a sign to be erected at the cemetery is yet to be determined, but Mr Macaulay said it will be put up to discourage future visitors from placing adornments at the graves.

“Coolamon has a similar policy, so it’s nothing new. I think it’s just a case of people getting used to it,” he said.