Burial, Cremation or Donation
You can choose to have your body:
- buried in the earth
- cremated
- buried at sea
- donated to medical science
Earth burial
In the greater Wellington region there are ten active public cemeteries:
Karori Cemetery – Wellington (burials available only in existing family plots)
Makara Cemetery – Wellington
Natural Burial Cemetery – Wellington (a dedicated section of Makara Cemetery)
Akatarawa Cemetery – Upper Hutt
Taita Cemetery – Lower Hutt
Whenua Tapu Cemetery – Porirua
Paraparumu Beach Cemetery – Kapiti Coast
Awa Tapu – Paraparaumu
Waikane Cemetery – Waikanae
Otaki Cemetery – Otaki
You can be interred at any public cemetery in New Zealand, space permitting, but will usually incur an out of district fee from the local council if you cannot prove residency.
Burial is a more expensive option than cremation due to the costs of; purchasing a plot, interment fee, maintenance fees and headstone or plaque, however a Natural Burial incurs no headstone or plaque costs.
Cremation
There are two public crematoria in the greater Wellington region:
Karori Crematorium
Whenua Tapu Crematorium
Cremation is a less expensive option than burial. The ashes are usually available within three days and can be returned home or looked after by Broadbent & May until a decision has been made whether to split, inter the ashes at a designated plot or scatter on land or sea.
Burial at Sea
The New Zealand coastline has specifically designated areas for marine burials and permission must be sought from maritime authorities and the local Coroner. Transfer by either boat or helicopter makes this an expensive option and the casket needs to be modified to ensure it sinks.
Donation to medical science
Arrangements for donating a body to science must be made well in advance of a death and strict criteria must be met for the body to be accepted by the New Zealand medical schools.
University of Otago – Body Bequest
Organ donation
Over one million New Zealanders have indicated on their Driver’s Licence their wish to donate organs for the benefit of someone else. However, circumstances of death dictate the viability of healthy organs for transplant. Donation of tissues is more likely and equally beneficial to improving the quality of someone’s life.
Burial or Cremation – the best environmental choice?
Both cremation and burial have an impact on the natural environment and there seems to be no definitive answer. The final decision may be driven by personal choice and practicality.
