Former Bachelor contestant Elora Murger‘s business — Coastal Cremations — has been embroiled in controversy for its “eerie emissions” and how it’s affected neighbouring businesses.
Usually, when an ex-reality TV star’s business sees a bunch of controversy, it’s usually a vitamin pill or a podcast. But nope, for this 2017 Bachelor contestant, it’s a crematorium business.
According to a report by A Current Affair, Murger’s crematorium has “ignited a dispute” amongst its neighbours who share the same industrial area.
You see, Coastal Cremations moved into a Sunshine Coast industrial area earlier this year after receiving approval from the local council. Now it’s been reported that an “unsettling substance” has been coming from the business and has affected other workplaces and their properties.
First Class Automotives’ Dan Mckay claimed that issues began as soon as the crematorium started its operations.
“You’d just get a severe waft of this and it pulls you up,” McKay told A Current Affair.
“The ash and everything comes into the workshop and it lands all over the cars.”
He also described the smell as “horrific”.
Another business owner, John Kelly, claimed the alleged ash from Coastal Cremations caused him to have “major coughing fits”.
“I’ve had X-rays, my lungs are inflamed from the fumes and whatever else is coming through. So where do we go from here?” Kelly told the publication.
“I literally can’t bear it anymore because I now have health issues from this.”
During his interview, Kelly also showed the ash that he brushed off his car that allegedly came from the crematorium.
A third business owner who used to work near Coastal Cremations, Jason McGarry, claimed he’d tested the ash that had reportedly come from the crematorium.
“I, on my own back, went and organised some testing after we sort of collected over a short period of time,” McGarry said.
“It confirmed our suspicions that the ash was coming from the crematorium next door, and it did actually contain organic matter.”
As per A Current Affair, an environmental scientist doubled down on McGarry’s statement, saying the ash could potentially be “cremated human remains” or “burnt coffins”. However, more testing needs to be done to validate the claim made by the former neighbouring business owner.
David Molloy, Vice President of the Australasian Cemeteries and Crematoria Association, said the Coastal Cremations’ situation was “concerning” after he visited the Sunshine Coast business.
“In all of my dealings through cremations in Brisbane, interstate, I have never seen anything like that,” Molloy said.
He also claimed that the alleged fallout from the cremation business is likely a “burn-off of the container the body is cremated in”.
According to a statement obtained by A Current Affair, a spokesperson from Sunshine Coast Council confirmed that Coastal Cremations was “complying with noise and air quality conditions and environment standards with the approval.” However, they are “responding to the concerns raised by neighbours businesses”.
Aaron Hyde, who runs the crematorium, also backed this claim saying, “We’ve hit every target we need to; every guideline we need to”.
A statement on behalf of Murger, per the publication, claims she’s “committed to operating its cremation business to the highest ethical and legal standards.”
“Our client has undertaken all required approval assessments to ensure that the crematorium is operated at the highest standard and in line with the Development Approval,” the statement reads.
“As a result of the independent assessments and inspections that include the monitoring of the furnaces over an extended period, any allegations in respect of by-products and odours are completely unfounded.”
Source: Channel 10 / The Bachelor & Channel 9 / A Current Affair
