In the event that graves must be relocated (whether as a result of impacts on the graves or as part of a resettlement process), the exhumation and reburial process must be agreed with the next of kin of the deceased, and religious or community leaders, authorities and other stakeholders as appropriate. Cultures have different rituals to be performed and procedures to be followed. These must be respected and facilitated by the social performance team.
Sites should engage the services of a qualified cultural heritage specialist to develop a Grave Relocation Plan (GRP). The GRP must comply with national and local legislative requirements. In the absence of legislated requirements, it is recommended that the GRP follows the following process:
- Identification: displaced graves must be surveyed, and relevant information captured in a spatially-referenced dataset;
- Avoidance and minimisation: a final attempt must be made to avoid displacing graves, and if not possible, to minimise the displacement;
- Consultation: next of kin of the deceased must be consulted to reach agreement regarding the grave relocation, including entitlements;
- Permitting: as applicable, the necessary permitting must be obtained for implementation; and
- Implementation: graves must be exhumed and reburied in a culturally sensitive and appropriate manner and in accordance with agreements reached with the next of kin and permit conditions as applicable.
It can be expected that the cultural heritage specialist may need support from undertakers and archaeologists to implement the grave relocation. Upon completion, a Grave Relocation Report must be compiled, kept for record purposes and submitted to the relevant authorities as required by legislation.
Relocation of graves and cemeteries is common in the context of resettlement; if graves are to be relocated as part of a resettlement process, a GRP must be developed as per this Section and subsequently integrated into the (see Section 4F).