But what about Bathurst's Maranatha Lawn Cemetery, the final resting place of choice for the majority of people in the region?

For now, most residents can breathe a sigh of relief.

Michael Bridges, the managing director of Norwood Park, which operates the cemetery and crematorium in Bathurst, said there is well over 50 years of burial space left.

"Fifty years is what we have up our sleeve at the moment under the current survey," he said.

"In another 30 to 35 years we would re-survey the cemetery to find more areas and space to expand the cemetery life span.

"All in all, I would say we would have around 80 to 100 years left, but then you need to mix in the population growth, but if you said 80 years, I would say that would be close."

Under the most recent survey, the cemetery has capacity for 22,000 burials and twice as many cremations.

A good indication of how much space a cemetery has left is the cost of a burial plot.

Mr Bridges said the cost of an average plot in the Maranatha Lawn Cemetery is $4500.

"In Sydney, that jumps to well into double figures and in some instances burial sites can be sold for hundreds of thousands in some of the coastal cemeteries in Sydney due to the fact they are full and these sites are now very exclusive," he said.

Care is being taken to maximise the space available in Bathurst's main cemetery, particularly with concerns about population growth in the region.

"The main pressure on the cemetery is the fast-growing population of Bathurst and surrounding towns so this is closely monitored by Bathurst Council and Norwood Park to ensure we have the appropriate amounts of space to serve the various community and religious groups that make up the cemetery community for burials and cremations," Mr Bridges said.

As more areas face space issues, ideas are being looked at that could extend the life of cemeteries.

Mr Bridges said some states in Australia allow for renewable tenure, where burial sites are leased for 25 years, with the option to renew the lease or hand in the ownership of the site to allow for a new burial into the site.

"This is cost effective but there are particular rules wrapped around renewable tenure which the family must agree on," he said.

"Nearly all cemeteries in NSW are 'perpetual care, which means you purchase the burial site for a loved one and you own it.

"However, in the future renewable tenure may become the option for cemeteries especially in the bigger cities where burial space is at a premium."

He also speculated that there could be technological advancements for cremations that lead to "more cost effective, efficient and green options" into the future.

Inevitably, Maranatha Lawn Cemetery will run out of space.

When that happens, Mr Bridges said the cemetery will be handed back to Bathurst council to maintain as a park.

At this stage, Norwood Park has no plans to establish another cemetery in Bathurst to take over from the Maranatha Lawn Cemetery when it reaches capacity.

"It is difficult to say if another cemetery would be considered as we are talking at least 50 years into the future," Mr Bridges said.

"At this stage there is no other cemeteries earmarked or in the pipeline for Bathurst and it may be a case of utilising other smaller cemeteries in the region, but that is a council question."