PM urged to act on unmarked grave revelations as NSW pledges urgent review

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is facing calls to use national cabinet to address the use of unmarked, communal graves for burying impoverished Australians, following revelations from a Guardian Australia investigation.

The investigation found that unmarked communal graves were being used in some cases without notifying the families of the deceased, prompting widespread political condemnation, including from federal Liberal MPs, state Labor ministers and the Greens.

NSW commits to urgent review

Authorities in New South Wales have committed to an urgent review of the practice and pledged to do better, acknowledging failings that left families of the deceased blindsided by how their loved ones were buried.

Officials said all deceased persons should be treated with dignity and respect, regardless of their financial circumstances, as they responded to the findings and the political pressure that followed.

The revelations have renewed scrutiny of how authorities handle burials for people who die without the means to cover funeral costs, with critics arguing that failing to notify families or mark graves denies the deceased basic dignity and leaves loved ones without a way to visit or grieve at a known gravesite.

It remains to be seen whether the pressure on Albanese will lead to a nationally coordinated response, or whether reforms will be limited to the state-level review announced in NSW.