The Queensland Government has waived a ban on large funeral gatherings to allow up to 80 people to mourn the death of a "very significant" Indigenous leader in north Queensland. Much loved Father of Georgia and Emily, and Stepfather of Jessica and James. Adored Grandfather and Great Grandfather.Relatives and Friends are respectfully invited to ...A Service for Colin will be held ...Much Loved Husband of Anna. "Unfortunately for anyone who is going to bury their [loved one] in the next couple of weeks, they're going to be wanting to say 'well what about me?'".The Queensland Government has waived a ban on large funeral gatherings to allow up to 80 people to mourn the death of a "very significant" Indigenous leader in north Queensland.Community policing people were also there, as well as about six health officials who took temperatures of the attendees and handed out masks.Dr Young said the local health service worked with the family and the local disaster management group on safeguards, including that it was held outside, that social distancing was maintained and that some of the attendees would remain in their cars.About half a dozen police cordoned off the funeral, they blocked the road into the cemetery, enforced social distancing and made sure guest left immediately."It's important that the rules are applied equally and consistently to everybody in Queensland," he said.Mackay Mayor and Local Disaster Management Group chairman Greg Williamson said they were notified two days before the funeral was due to take place."We really are trying to be as understanding as we possibly can but funerals are high risk events," he said.He said the Government would soon change its rules around funerals from 10 people to 10 mourners — not including funeral directors or others officiating — in line with other states."We've done everything we can possibly do, having been dealt this by the Chief Health Officer of Queensland.""We know the gravity of the whole situation, it was an Indigenous elder and it was probably going to be a big funeral regardless," he said."Especially some of the funerals that have been so tragic, of young children who were run over by accident and then there's a family with parents, and grandparents," she said."To say we were gobsmacked was an understatement," he said.Deputy Opposition Leader Tim Mander said the decision to grant the exemption was "wrong".Mr Miles said the Government had "carefully considered" a number of other funeral exemption requests."To grant 60 or 70 extra people at a funeral flies in the face of every message that's been communicated to Queenslanders over the last couple of weeks."Queensland's Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young said the funeral was for "a very significant elder for that community who has died and normally they would expect many, many hundreds if not thousands of people to attend"."A lot of work has been put in place to provide that assistance so that the funeral can go ahead."Under state public health directions, funerals can have no more than 10 people attend, unless granted an exemption by the Chief Health Officer.She said it also involved "making sure that no-one who attended is sick, limiting some of the people who are more vulnerable, limiting people from certain parts of Queensland attending — a whole range of strategies.The funeral was held in a Mackay cemetery this morning as the State Government announced it would make changes to allow at least 10 mourners at every funeral, a coronavirus rule that Health Minister Steven Miles said had been "the hardest, the most heartbreaking" to enforce.Dr Young said of all the decisions around social restrictions she has made, the ban on large funerals had been "particularly hard".This service may include material from Agence France-Presse (AFP), APTN, Reuters, AAP, CNN and the BBC World Service which is copyright and cannot be reproduced.Councillor Williamson said the funeral was fully attended and additional mourners had to be turned away.Councillor Williams said the family went through the right channels to get approval for the funeral but hoped it did not set a precedent for other funerals of a similar size to go ahead, adding that it was "a huge ask on resources".
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