Matatau Cemetery operator Hayden Parr (left), Maunu Cemetery manager Stephen Jenkins, and cemetery site custodians Tony Makiri and Andrew Tulloch at the site of the first burial. Photo / Tania Whyte
Matatau Cemetery operator Hayden Parr (left), Maunu Cemetery manager Stephen Jenkins, and cemetery site custodians Tony Makiri and Andrew Tulloch at the site of the first burial. Photo / Tania Whyte
Whangārei District Council's spirits were lifted last week as Maunu Cemetery took out a top honour at the New Zealand Cemeteries and Crematoria Awards.
The development and operation of Maunu Cemetery's natural burial area was recognised with the 2021 New Zealand Cemeteries and Crematoria Innovation Award.
The keenly contested award was presented during the national New Zealand Cemeteries and Crematoria Collective (NZCCC) Conference in Rotorua last week.
Maunu Cemetery had its finger on the pulse with the creation of its 14-hectare natural burial site in native forest and bush three years ago. The environmentally friendly aspect of natural burials has seen their popularity grow worldwide.
A natural burial means the body, which must not be embalmed, is buried in a relatively shallow grave, wrapped in a heavy shroud or put in a shallow box made from cardboard or other untreated woods or fibres.
Maunu Cemetery's natural burial area has received national recognition with an award in innovation. Photo / NZME
The graves are 800cm deep, where the active layer of soil will enable the body to return to the earth relatively quickly.
Maunu Cemetery manager Stephen Jenkins said there had been a flurry of people in the last couple of weeks reserving their natural burial site in the award-winning cemetery.
"Everyone who has entered the forest has exclaimed their delight with the area, including the funeral directors, celebrants, genealogists and the general public," Jenkins said.
Oscar-nominated screenwriter David Stevens, of 1980 Australian historical drama Breaker Morant fame, was the first of five people to be buried in the native forest that is Maunu Cemetery's natural burial site.
David Stevens, pictured, was a fervent supporter of Whangārei District Council creating a natural burial cemetery. Photo / NZME
Stevens had been one voice among many calling for the creation of a natural burial site in Whangārei.
Jenkins said without the natural burial site in Whangārei, Northlanders preferring this option would have to settle for an eco-friendly resting place outside the district.
One of the biggest challenges was the lack of any guidance in New Zealand law about the creation of natural burial sites, Jenkins said.
"We just relied on what other countries have done."
The Maunu Cemetery team go to great lengths to ensure people wanting a no-fuss burial and their families understand there are no headstones or other introduced ways to mark who is buried where.
Posts with a compass on top are used to record the location of each burial. The posts were placed along the path, with the location of the head end of each plot recorded using a bearing and a distance.
The cemetery has twice received the international prestigious Green Flag Award, which recognises and rewards well-managed parks and green spaces.
