GUNNEDAH Shire Council has announced a review of its cemetery tribute policy following a protest by about 60 people at the Memorial Park Cemetery this morning.
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Council had advertised people needed to remove all tributes and trinkets from loved ones' grave sites that did not comply with council's policy by today, or have them removed by caretakers.
Council general manager Eric Groth had said the tributes were becoming a maintenance issue.
The move sparked an outcry that led to a protest at the cemetery this morning, with people calling for a rethink of a policy and refusing to remove non-compliant tributes from gravesites.
Protesters had expected Mr Groth to attend the protest at 10.30am, but he arrived later to announce council would review the policy.
Council's Facebook site noted council was aware of the "rally".
"It’s great to see we have a community who are united on issues that affect them," the post said.
"We ARE listening to you, and we know how important this issue is to you.
"In response to community concerns, Gunnedah Shire Council, at this moment, are in the process of reviewing the policy. We are confident that we can come to a compromise, that will allow you to grieve in your own individual ways, while still keeping our cemetery safe and maintainable.
"We know how important the cemetery is to the community and we want to make sure it is a beautiful and safe place for you to grieve and visit your loved ones."
