An Invercargill councillor who gave a stern word to staff over a “traumatic” incident at a local cemetery has refused to reveal the details of what happened.

Councillor Andrea de Vries told a council meeting on Tuesday she had been contacted about a “pretty traumatic experience” at Greenpoint Cemetery.

She said the incident was upsetting to talk about, and asked council staff why drainage was not being prioritised.

“We need to have a provision or something in place that allows us to bury people with dignity regardless of whether or not there is drainage in there.

“Otherwise we shouldn’t be offering it as a level of service and we should be very clear with our community about what they will be receiving if they purchase a plot in our cemeteries,” she said.

Council manager parks and recreation Caroline Rain said she was aware of the incident and indicated drainage had not been undertaken in advance at Greenpoint.

Local Democracy Reporting contacted Cr de Vries about the situation, but she would not divulge what had happened to protect the privacy and dignity of affected families.

People had experienced drainage issues at all the city’s cemeteries over the years, Cr de Vries said.

Ms Rain also declined to provide more details about the incident and cited the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act.

She said the council could refuse to respond to questions to protect the privacy of a person or people, including that of the deceased.

A combination of high groundwater and prolonged rainfall contributed to drainage issues at the site, Ms Rain said.

“These conditions can result in some waterlogging in parts of the cemetery during wetter months, and are typical of the area.”

Discussion about Greenpoint Cemetery took place at a long-term plan workshop where topics included parks and reserves, social housing and public toilets.

The cemetery is located near Bluff, and burials were still possible there, Ms Rain said.

LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.