A four-year saga between Bundalong residents and members of the cemetery's trust has come to a stalemate leaving community members disappointed.
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Peter Illingworth has done maintenance at the Bundalong Cemetery since his wife, Debbie, was buried there in 2011.
He said a dispute with the Yarrawonga and District Cemetery Trust arose when he attempted upgrades.
"I had four trailer loads of instant turf donated which I rolled out," he said.
"I'd drag my water tank down there to water it which the trust had no problem with.
"I got compliments on how nice the place was looking.
"I wasn't just doing it for my wife, I was doing it for everyone."
Mr Illingworth said he received verbal consent from a trust member to put in a picnic table and bin.
However, trust secretary treasurer Jan Parker said he needed written permission to do so.
Mr Illingworth was sent a letter in 2012 instructing him to cease action at the site, however the two gave different accounts on whether it was sent before or after he poured two concrete slabs.
"A friend was going to donate a bin and I was making a table," Mr Illingworth said.
"When I got the letter, I couldn't believe it.
"You'd think they'd be all for it if it's free.
"I've had to fill up my own wife's grave four times because it kept sinking."
A mediation meeting was held between Mr Illingworth's daughter, Rachel, and the trust.
Mrs Parker said they'd allowed them to put in a seat, but no table and hadn't heard from the family in the three years since.
"The trust felt the cemetery didn't need a picnic table," she said.
"Maintenance is done on a needs basis and because there is no water supply there is an issue with bindiis there.
"Earlier this year we got the local Men's Shed to build a seat which is there now.
"We didn't want a bin put in because everyone would think it's their right to fill it up - who would empty it?
"The trust hasn't got a lot of money and there's only so much you can do with a rural cemetery.
"When families choose it, they know that's how it is."
The issue was brought back into the spotlight by Miss Illingworth who took to Facebook to vent her frustrations.
“It's been sitting with me for years and what really triggered this is when I went for a visit the other day and it needed upkeep,” she said.
“I just wish my mum wasn’t buried there.
“I totally understand we can’t just go planting trees wherever we like and that we need to do things within reason.
“But we were offering to do this out of our own free will and I just think it's ridiculous there is someone trying to stop it.
“It would mean everything for the cemetery to look nice.”
The trust makes about $500 for each burial and Bundalong has about three burials every two years.
It takes care of five cemeteries in the district.
Several Bundalong community members wanted to know why the trust wouldn't accept upgrades, which would be paid for by the community.
Fleur Johnson said her brother made an old wheel with a plaque for her husband who loved tractors.
She said she was not allowed to put in the memorial so ended up putting it in her garden.
Shane Stone, whose father was buried at the cemetery, said he regularly whipper snipped and mowed around the headstones.
"You look at the state of it and it is pretty sad really, it's disappointing to see." he said.
