Funeral directors in Greater Shepparton are facing fines for a decades-old parking practice. Among those affected is Owen Mohan Funeral Directors, managed by Paul Treacy.
Photo by
Rechelle Zammit
What should be a moment of dignity for grieving families has turned into a contentious issue in Shepparton, with a local funeral director describing recent fines as “very disappointing”.
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Owen Mohan Funeral Directors, based on Nixon St, has found itself on the receiving end of multiple infringement notices — seven in total — amounting to $1400.
These penalties were issued for the longstanding practice of placing branded traffic cones to reserve parking spaces for hearses, immediate family members, and elderly mourners attending funeral services.
“Generally, we put six or eight (cones) out either in the evening or first thing in the morning,” manager Paul Treacy said.
“It’s only a couple of hours when the funeral is on, and then after the funeral, we come take the cones and cars away.
“It’s been a given for decades, no matter what town you go into, that if you’ve got family parking reserved for a funeral, that’s respected.”
According to Mr Treacy, the practice was established through a “verbal understanding” with previous Greater Shepparton City Council members.
When asked about this, council said it was not aware of formal or informal agreements around funeral service parking.
Furthermore, council director of sustainable development Geraldine Christou said the use of cones violated local law.
“Under Local Law No.1 (2018), it is unlawful to exclusively occupy or reserve public land without a permit,” she said.
“The use of cones to block bays without authorisation constitutes a breach of this law.”
Earlier this year, funeral homes across Greater Shepparton received letters from council stating that cones effectively reserved spaces without a permit.
A proposal followed, suggesting businesses pay the equivalent of parking permit fees — about $8000 annually.
Ms Christou said enforcement followed “numerous community complaints over an extended period, citing reduced public parking, disruption to nearby businesses, and unfair access to paid parking areas”.
While Mr Treacy accepts that complaints have been made, he argues the fines unfairly target the community service.
“We have to have witches hats; otherwise we’d have nowhere to put the hearse, nowhere for families to park when they come in,” he said.
“We’re providing a service to families at the most difficult time of their lives … and now the fact that the council is capitalising on that is very disappointing.”
The penalties Owen Mohan Funeral Directors received were all issued along Nixon St, directly opposite the business and the Owen Mohan Memorial Chapel.
It is a strip of all-day, free parking.
Despite this, council maintains its position is about fairness and legal consistency.
“The permit system ensures equitable access to public parking, legal compliance for all businesses, and a consistent framework aligned with other temporary and business permit arrangements,” Ms Christou said.
“While council respects the sensitivity of funeral services, it must balance competing needs across the community.”
Mr Treacy pointed out what he saw as a contradiction.
“No-one’s paying for parking along there,” he said.
Since receiving the proposal, Owen Mohan Funeral Directors has continued its operations as normal, focusing entirely on the families and managing all logistical factors involved in planning a funeral service.
Sometimes, this is not finalised until the last minute.
Mr Treacy said the new rules risked adding unnecessary cost and stress, affecting not only his business but grieving families as well.
“The last thing on our minds is booking in with the council two or three days in advance to let them know that we have a funeral,” he said.
“At $8000 a year, the business is going to have to pass the cost on to the family.
“We just want to be able to provide a seamless service without having to worry about this.”
Council said it remained open to reviewing the policy after implementation.
Mr Treacy said he believed the solution was simple.
“Just going back to the way things were and having that community awareness that this is why the cones are there,” he said.
“No-one’s making money on Nixon St parking now, so why should the council be making money on it?”
Owen Mohan Funeral Directors manager Paul Treacy urges the community to be understanding.
Photo by
Rechelle Zammit
