Waikato District cemeteries to become more inclusive thanks to bylaw change proposal

Huntly Cemetery is one of 21 cemeteries managed by Waikato District Council. Photo / Waikato District Council

Natural burials are on the cards for Waikato District’s cemeteries, as the local council is consulting on its Cemeteries Bylaw.

Two other key changes that are being proposed are allowing dogs on-leash at cemeteries and permitting families to backfill the graves of their loved ones themselves.

Waikato District Council Community Venues and Events team leader Samantha Baker says the proposed changes would make local cemeteries more “reflective of the practices and beliefs” of the community.

“The proposed changes show our intention to make our cemeteries an inclusive space,” Baker says.

The proposed changes follow a round of public consultation with key stakeholders, including mana whenua, Taupiri Urupā trustees, community boards and funeral directors, in July last year.

The feedback received during this period helped draft the bylaw now open for feedback.

The proposal to allow for natural burials received especially “overwhelming support” during the engagement last year, the council says.

For natural burials, also known as eco-burials, a body is prepared and buried in ways that do not slow the decomposition process, and often use eco-friendly options like flax, cardboard, untreated timber or cloth in place of the traditional casket.

Natural burials would not be permitted on all 21 Waikato District cemeteries. However, the council would identify key cemeteries which have spaces that can be set aside for natural burials.

Only a few cemeteries in the Waikato region currently allow for natural burials. The Waikato cemeteries that have spaces set aside for this already include Leamington Cemetery (Waipā), Hamilton Park Cemetery at Newstead, Omahu Cemetery (Thames-Coromandel District) and Taupō Cemetery on Rickit Street.

Waikato District Council is also proposing to allow families and loved ones to backfill graves if they wish to do this, in the presence of council staff. Currently, only council staff and contractors can backfill.

The current bylaw also prohibits dogs at council cemeteries, but the council is proposing allowing dogs at cemeteries on leashes.

In addition to the 21 cemeteries managed by Waikato District Council, there are a number of private cemeteries or urupā in the district. The bylaw will not apply to those spaces.

Submissions on the cemeteries bylaw can be made online or via a paper form available from the council’s offices until April 16.