Veterans' Affairs spends almost $15,000 on service cemetery work in Canterbury

Veterans' Affairs had a new hardstand, seat, and sign installed at Kaiapoi Cemetery. Photo / Supplied

Veterans' Affairs has spent almost $15,000 this year on maintenance work in two service cemeteries in Canterbury.

The work was carried out at Kaiapoi Cemetery, where a new hardstand, seat and sign were installed, and at Sydenham Cemetery, where a damaged grave was repaired and a new headstone installed.

The money is part of more than $650,000 Veterans' Affairs has spent overall this year on funerals, memorials and maintenance work in cemeteries throughout New Zealand, which has included installation of nearly 700 new headstones and plaques for veterans.

It has contributed more than $480,000 from its memorial fund towards funeral costs, headstones, and plaques for veterans with qualifying service, while $170,000 from its capital works fund has gone towards constructing new berms, installing new seating, and re-affixing or replacing damaged headstones in cemeteries across New Zealand.

Some of the work has been significant, like replacing 44 terrazzo headstones in Wairarapa, while other projects have been smaller, such as repairing damaged berms in Waipawa.

Deputy head of Veterans' Affairs Marti Eller said services cemeteries were a great way for communities to engage with their history.

"At Veterans' Affairs we honour service and it is a privilege to play such an important role in many communities throughout New Zealand," she said.

Caring for Services Cemeteries was a massive undertaking, Eller said.

"The work we do would not be possible without the support of local councils and community groups like the NZ Remembrance Army."

Inspection and oversight of work in the 183 Services Cemeteries in New Zealand is carried out by Bronze Plaques NZ, a contractor employed by Veterans' Affairs. Bronze Plaques NZ is run by Chris Fraser, who has been a memorial stonemason for more than 30 years and whose work with Veterans' Affairs has taken him throughout the country to inspect the cemeteries.

"Veterans' Affairs takes care of cemeteries from Kaitaia to Bluff – from small plots in the heartland to massive cemeteries like Taita," Fraser said.

"Local councils, RSAs and community groups all contribute to the work we do and it's a pleasure to work with them to keep these spaces beautiful."

Veterans' Affairs manager of business services David Jahnke, who served in the New Zealand Army for five years, said even the smallest projects were important to communities.

"In Kaiapoi we replaced a seat, sign, and hardstand in the cemetery, so that the space is now more accessible to people who visit the cemetery and want a space to reflect," Jahnke said.

"Services cemeteries are often gathering places on Anzac Day and Armistice Day, so fixing small things like berms can make the world of difference. It's an honour to play a part in helping communities remember their veterans."