New facilities at Norwood Park Crematorium, including a state-of-the-art crematorium, will give its clients’ families a modern, comfortable environment, says general manager MICHAEL BRIDGES.

Serving the Canberra community since the early ‘60s, the Norwood Park Crematorium is getting a facelift.

“This is an important time in the history of Norwood Park,” says general manager, Michael Bridges.

“The new facility will be a state-of-the-art crematorium and administration building to service the growing population of the ACT and surrounding region.”

Michael says the new facilities will see Norwood Park well into the future and give its clients’ families a modern, comfortable environment to visit and arrange their loved one’s memorials by using the latest technology.

With construction crews onsite working, it is anticipated that the new building will be finished by December.

“We are hoping to see the facility finished by the end of 2025 and then fully operational for the community by 2026,” says Michael.

The new facilities will herald the arrival of a new cremator that, according to Michael, will be better for the environment.

“It will be more efficient, save energy and will be cleaner and greener,” he says.

Producing less greenhouse gases, Michael says the machine’s time will be halved from 1.5 hours to 45 minutes during each use.

“The new cremator will be three times more efficient than our current ones and it will nicely compliment the new state-of-the-art building,” he says.

While the current facilities have managed more than 60,000 cremations,  Michael says the new facilities will expand the longevity of the older infrastructure. The old cremators will not be decommissioned until the park can ascertain whether its current two machines are no longer working at an optimal level.

“We don’t want to waste the current facilities and will continue to create meaningful cremations with our machines,” he says.

“We will also be building 24/7 facilities for funeral directors.”

Allowing funeral directors to enter the premises at any point in the day, the new facilities will include a breakout room for drivers and team members to rest before travelling back to their destination.

“We want to be able to reach more people,” says Michael.

“This means catering to the needs of our partners.”

Expanding their “footprint”, Michael says their services will now be able to reach those in the Southern Highlands and surrounding communities.

“We are proud to see this upgrade happen,” he says.

Currently known for its peaceful and scenic location in Mitchell, Michael says the upgrade will enhance the site’s natural beauty with an expansive view of the surrounding valley.

“The park is a peaceful and naturally beautiful place to visit with the sounds of nature and is famous for the number of blue wrens and other bird species that inhabit the park,” he says.

“We will continue to provide a peaceful space for our client’s families.”

Open every day of the week from sunrise until sunset (including public holidays), Michael says the current facilities are not being disturbed by the construction.

“Our chapel can hold more than 200 people and we have a dedicated catering facility that can complement a funeral service held at Norwood Park,” he says.

“Our reception is open from 8.30am to 4.30pm on weekdays and our dedicated staff can help with all enquiries.”

Norwood Park Crematorium. 65 Sandford Street, Mitchell. Call 6241 3177 or visit norwoodpark.com.au