Far North council apologises after error leaves Northland family struggling for nana’s burial

RaeRae Hemara and her whānau were heartbroken when the council told them their nana Valmai Whyte couldn’t be buried with her husband Herbert because it was only a single plot. Photo / Jenny Ling

A Northland family faced “unbelievable difficulties and heartbreak” trying to arrange their nana’s burial with her husband.

RaeRae Hemara and whānau were “shattered” when Far North District Council (FNDC) told them Valmai Whyte could not be buried with her husband Herbert Whyte in Wiroa Serviceman’s Cemetery, Kerikeri, despite having paid for a double plot when he died in 1989.

The council has since apologised, saying the records they held did not indicate the plot in question was of double depth.

When 94-year-old Valmai fell seriously ill earlier this year, the whānau contacted FNDC to confirm her burial.

“To our shock, we were told that the plot was only a single plot, and even her ashes could not be buried with him,” great-great-granddaughter Hemara said.

“It was chaos. We all knew it was a double plot.”

Hemara said they had always known their nana wanted to be buried with Herbert, a Royal New Zealand Air Force veteran.

“We were broken when we thought Nana couldn’t go with her husband.”

Valmai died on January 14 but before her death, Hemara and her family made “phone call after phone call, and email after email painstakingly going through all the old paperwork, along with lots of googling, and endless back-and-forth” to get to the bottom of the problem.

To prove it was a double plot, the family presented the 1989 receipt, confirmation from the Kerikeri RSA and Veterans Association, and testimony from whānau who arranged Herbert’s burial.

“ ... The final decision rested with the council”, Hemara said.

The council suggested the family buy another plot, and told them there were limited spaces, she said.

A burial plot in the Far North costs $1179, according to council information.

The only other option was to have the gravesite probed, wherein a rod is inserted into the ground to check for obstructions and confirm that a burial container will fit. The process can be expensive and takes time.

The RSA suggested the family track down the original funeral home, which confirmed Herbert’s plot was a double.

Valmai Whyte’s great-great-granddaughter RaeRae Hemara (left) and her daughter Maria Halliday had to prove they bought a double plot for her in 1989.

FNDC delivery and operations manager Trent Blakeman said the records held by the council did not indicate the plot in question was of double depth.

He said staff began an investigation after Valmai’s whānau raised the issue with the council.

“After confirming the status of this plot with the RSA Veterans Association, the cemetery records were corrected.

“This was a regrettable error, and the council apologises for any distress this caused the whānau.”'

Hemara wanted to raise awareness “about the unbelievable difficulties and heartbreak” faced by the family trying to arrange Valmai’s burial.

The process had been “extremely frustrating and emotionally draining”, she said.

“This shattered us as a whānau and our hearts broke for our nana ... we hope no one else goes through that.”

Kerikeri RSA president Bill Godfrey claimed the council’s cemetery records are “in a shocking state” and need to be corrected.

“They’re not accurate; there are parts of the cemetery that are not mapped correctly.”

Blakeman said: “Council is working to update and correct cemetery records.

“This work is ongoing.”

After Valmai’s service, the whānau was informed by the sexton the council had initially provided the wrong plot for the burial.

“Fortunately, the sexton noticed the error and corrected it in time,” Hemara said.

Blakeman said the council had not been made aware that the information it provided to the council contractor regarding the location of the burial plot was incorrect.

“Council staff will follow up this matter with the contractor directly.”

Jenny Ling is a senior journalist at the Northern Advocate. She has a special interest in covering human interest stories, along with roading, lifestyle, business, and animal welfare issues.