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The parcel of land, going across Bent St and Hill St, is one of 16 parcels of land council proposes to reclassify from community to operational as part of the draft Local Environmental Plan process.

The council will be holding a public hearing for the reclassification of all 16 parcels of land at the council Chambers on July 30.

Descendants of Batemans Bay pioneers say news that council wants to change the land classification at the historical cemetery has sparked concerns.

“The concerns come from a previous incident which occurred more than 20 years ago when a proposed development was made public, which would have seen units built on top of gravesites on this parcel of land,” one descendant said.

“We are just concerned why they (council) feel the need to reclassify and what would be the ramifications of that reclassification.”

There is a Catholic Church cemetery off Bent St, and there are also people from Methodist and Presbyterian churches buried off Hill St.

According to the NSW Government Heritage website, the Presbyterian cemetery was dedicated in June 1880, with 27 graves recorded from Moruya Courthouse. The Catholic cemetery was dedicated in September 1874 with 76 graves recorded and 14 visible headstones.

Descendant Cynthia Hill, nee Ryan, said it was believed the land was donated by Batemans Bay families to the Catholic Church to bury the people on top of the hill.

“The last Ryan buried there was buried in 1952,” she said.

Family names at the historical gravesites include Bettini, Higgins, Ryan, Maloney, Roberts, McMillan, Ladmore and Knapp.

Eurobodalla Shire Council had not responded to a Bay Post/Moruya Examiner request for information by time of going to press.