To read the CCAV latest Newsletter please see below:

Where a funeral is held within a venue in a public cemetery (for example a place of reflection or chapel), the cemetery trust will need to keep a record of attendees using the Victorian Government QR Code Service. A step-by-step guide on how to use the QR Code Service is available on the QR Code Service webpage.

If a cemetery trust cannot access a QR Code for any reason, it will need to manually record the first name and phone number of attendees and discard those records 28 days after the funeral. More information is available on the Record Keeping webpage.

Note: Trusts do not need to keep records of general cemetery visitors who are not attending a funeral in a venue operated by the trust.

Information received from the AFDA (Victorian Division on Friday 4^th June, which has been communicated to funeral directors by some Victorian Cemetery Trusts and can be shared with all CCAV Members now with thanks to the AFDA.

To the Funeral Director,

Please see below the advice from the AFDA that we received this morning.

In short, if a person is attending a funeral in Regional Victoria from Metro Melbourne, the restrictions relating to funeral conducted in Metro Melbourne follow the individual and  are applied to the funeral in Regional Victoria.

Meaning that only 10 people plus those required to conduct the funeral are allowed.

Considerable time was spent on the phone to both the Coronavirus Hotline and Business Victoria to get confirmation of the interpretation of this, unfortunately this is the ruling from the State Government as of 11:59 pm Thursday 3^rd June.

This is very disappointing and we understand that this is going to impact a lot of regional and metro families in what is already an extremely difficult time, and that funerals have  already been arranged without these restrictions in mind.

Please check with your families that you have arranged funerals with for the coming days to ensure that no one is attending from Metro Melbourne and if needed adjust the numbers  of those that are attending.

Public gatherings

(6) During the stay at home period, a person in Metropolitan Melbourne must not arrange to meet, or organise or intentionally attend a gathering, with any other person (with any  infant under one year of age not counting towards this limit) for a common purpose at a public place, except:

(f) for the purpose of attending a funeral in Victoria that complies with the requirements in subclause (6);

Note: a person who ordinarily resides in Metropolitan Melbourne is permitted to attend a funeral in Regional Victoria, provided that funeral complies with  the requirements in subclause (6). A person reasonably necessary for the conduct of the funeral may leave Metropolitan Melbourne under clause 5(8A)(c)

Subclause 6

(6) During the stay at home period, a person in Metropolitan Melbourne must not arrange to meet, or organise or intentionally attend a gathering, with any other person (with any  infant under one year of age not counting towards this limit) for a common purpose at a public place, except:

Note: subclause (4) does not prevent a person attending a public place (for example, a shopping centre) for a purpose (for example, shopping), where other  people are also likely to be attending that public place for a similar purpose. It prevents people from attending a public place intending to gather with other people for a common purpose (for example, meeting family or friends at the shopping centre).

(a) if it is necessary to arrange a meeting or organise or attend a gathering for one or more of the purposes specified in:

(i) clause 7 (care or other compassionate reasons); or

(ii) clause 8 (work or education); or

(iii) clause 9 (exercise), provided it is only with:

(A) any other person (or people) who ordinarily reside at the same premises; or

(B) a person with whom they are in an intimate personal relationship; or

(C) one other person with whom the person does not ordinarily reside.

7 Leaving premises for care or other compassionate reasons

(1) A person who ordinarily resides in Metropolitan Melbourne may leave the premises:

(f) to attend a funeral, wedding or end of life activity, if that funeral, wedding or end of life activity complies with the requirements in clause 11;  or

(g) to attend a cemetery or other memorial site to pay respects to a deceased person provided that this is only with any other person (or people) who ordinarily  resides at the same premises as that person or one other person; or

Stay Safe Directions Regional Victoria

(7) The requirements for a funeral held in Regional Victoria are that:

(a) if all people in attendance have a principal place of residence in Regional Victoria it involves no more than:

(i) 50 members of the public (with any infant under one year of age not counting towards this limit); and

(ii) the minimum number of persons reasonably necessary for the conduct of the funeral,

otherwise, if any person in attendance has a principal place of residence in Metropolitan Melbourne, then the Stay at Home Directions (Metropolitan Melbourne) apply to that funeral;  

Further to advice provided at the General Meeting held on 27 November 2020 regarding a QR Code Service, members are encouraged to access a free QR Code Service through the Victorian Government to keep records of visitors, if required.

It’s as simple as registering, downloading and printing the Victorian Government QC Code which can be found at https://www.coronavirus.vic.gov.au/victorian-government-qr-code-service. Visitors simply scan the QR code using their smartphone camera. For those with up to date smartphone software, a pop up will appear asking for their first name and contact number. All data collected through the Victorian Government QR Code is securely stored and will be deleted 28 days unless it is specifically requested by the Department of Health and Human Services for contact tracing purposes.

Alternatively, if you wish to use a manual process, a downloadable form can be found at https://www.coronavirus.vic.gov.au/signs-posters-and-templates along with a range of supporting signs, posters and templates.

Please direct any questions to [email protected].