Rough grave site "clean-up" at Eaglehawk cemetery rekindles trauma for some

"Mate, it's heartbreaking," plot-holder Geraldine Byrne said. "Re-living the trauma - that's what I'm going through."

Ms Byrne's father and sister's graves were both cleared of ornaments and flowers that had adorned them for years due to the enforcement of a management policy she was unaware of to remove items that "pose a potential health and safety risk to visitors and staff".

"They may as well have opened her grave up and taken her to the tip as well," Ms Byrne said of her sister, who died aged 21 in traumatic circumstances 27 years ago.

For the long-term Eaglehawk resident, the actions of Remembrance Parks Central Victoria staff have disturbed not only her family's memories but the dignity of the community resting place.

"That cemetery goes back to the 1800s. We've buried so many people there over the years," she said. "There's not a grave in it I couldn't tell you about who they were."

Sarah Dunn, whose best friend Lindsay Kidman took her own life in 2013 and was buried at Eaglehawk, heard by word of mouth that grave sites were going to be cleared.

But after seeing on a regular visit her friend's grave was untouched she "couldn't bear to take anything away".

"I'm kicking myself that I didn't," the young woman said. "Everything's gone. It just brings back the trauma of it all."

Lindsay's grave was cleared of permitted non-breakable vases and artificial flowers as well as mementos from the 17-year-old's life including coins and bracelets and figurines of dolphins, guinea pigs and birds.

Lindsay's distraught mother Lisa Kidman echoed the sentiment that the disturbance of the memorial had brought up the tragedy again.

"I've cried every day," she said. "It's affected my work."

Another plot-holder whose grief was rekindled by the "clean-up" was Deborah Mathews, who had to pick up the shards of small statues that had been on her parents' graves.

"The little angel and German Shepherd dog had been there for more than 10 years," she said.

"They actually smashed them. There were broken pieces of china we had to clean up, which was very distressing."

The artificial flowers left in built-in cemetery vases on the graves were also removed.

Like Ms Kidman, Ms Mathews had been unaware of Remembrance Parks Central Victoria's plans to enforce a safety and tidiness policy "that aligns with the standards used across the industry".

"When we contacted them they said there was a sign on the gate," she said.