Opposition to a controversial new cemetery proposed near Queanbeyan is continuing ahead of Saturday's NSW local government elections, with vandalism reported to police last weekend.
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Mount Campbell Estate residents Wendy and Paul Hubbard placed a sign critical of former Queanbeyan mayor and current council administrator Tim Overall on their property.
The sign linking Mr Overall to the cemetery plan was slashed by vandals sometime on Friday night or early Saturday morning, angering opponents of the proposal on the corner of Old Cooma and Burra Roads.
Any development will require a variation to the rural land's zoning to allow for a cemetery and crematorium to be built on the site and opponents have been campaigning against the plan for months.
Mr Overall labelled the vandalism was "absolutely unacceptable" on Tuesday.
Mrs Hubbard said nearby residents had not had proper consultation over the cemetery plan, which she fears will ruin the local environment, bring down property prices and be vulnerable to flooding.
Locals have criticised the council's moves to buy the land without notifying residents.
Other sites are also being considered as it is expected the current Queanbeyan cemetery will reach capacity within five years.
Mrs Hubbard has lobbied the NSW government about the project and has called for additional land near the existing cemetery to be used instead, or for crown land to be developed.
"We've paid a lot of money to come out here," Mrs Hubbard said.
"We thought we were protected from development by the zoning and certainly didn't consider a cemetery or a crematorium could be dumped in our backyard.
"The problem here is we weren't given any consultation whatsoever. We had to find out ourselves. Consequently, the 47 properties out here are not very happy with Tim Overall."
She said the plans had previously been described as being at nearby Royalla, rather than at Googong.
"We would have never picked up on this because Royalla is quite some way down the road."
Mr Overall said some residents had "failed or refused" to understand the process related to the cemetery proposal.
"It's a matter for the elected council," he said.
"All that's been decided on is that a planning and assessment process will commence and as administratior, I've assured those residents who are concerned that I have an open mind on the matter.
"I've resolved previously there will be full engagement with the community and an independent public hearing on the matter."
Mr Overall said the vandalism was "absolutely unacceptable".
