Contact and advice
If you have general enquiries about our cemeteries, or want to organise a visit to choose a plot, please phone the Council contact centre on (04) 237 5089 or email [email protected] during business hours. Our team can also help with advice regarding funeral arrangements.
For advice these pages provide some useful information:
For burial and cremation bookings, phone us on 04 2375089. A funeral director will generally make these arrangements for you.
Hiring our chapel
You can hire the Whenua Tapu Crematorium chapel for a pre-committal or burial service and refreshments. There is a hire fee for the chapel.
To make a booking, either your funeral director can arrange it, or you can phone us on 04 2375089 . Tell us what type of service you want and the start/end times, making sure you allow enough time for setting up and clearing away.
Burial and cremation forms and fees
- Application for Burial Consent Form A1
- Application for Ashes Burial Consent incl scattering Form A2
- Certificate of Medical Practitioner - from the doctor attending the death (Form B)
- Cremation Booking (Form C1)
- Permission to cremate form - from the medical referee (Form F)
- Application for cremation form (Form A)
- Authority for disposal of cremated remains (Form C10)
- Monumental permit application form
- Application to pre-purchase plot for the interment of ashes
- Application for bronze plaque
- Application for disinterment
- Guidance for Disinterment Licence Applications - Burial and Cremation Act 1964
- Application to Transfer holder of right
To prevent the risk of explosions and the release of carcinogens or fumes during cremations, a number of things are not allowed to be placed within caskets. The list below covers items that cannot be placed in the caskets. Should you wish to place these types of items in for the service, they must be removed before the casket is received by the crematorium.
- Alcohol
- Animals
- Ammunition, explosive material or guns
- Aerosol or flammable containers
- Batteries
- Books or excessive paper
- Crash helmets and hardhats
- Crockery
- Die cast metals, aluminum and copper (large items only)
- Electronic devices
- Footwear made from PVC/rubber
- Flags
- Florist oasis
- Garden tools (spades, forks etc.)
- Glass (bottles, vases, picture frames, etc.)
- Golf Clubs
- Lighters
- Laptop computers
- Illegal substances
- Jewellery (except wedding rings)
- Mattresses
- Mobile phones
- Money
- Motorcycle leathers, helmets
- Pacemakers
- Any pressurised containers
- Prosthetic limbs
- PVC (in all forms)
- Soft toys over 300mm long
- Wet suits and surfboards
- Products containing polystyrene foams
- Products that are volatile
- Wire
When you are preparing a loved one for cremation, please make sure none of the above items are included or inform your Funeral Director so that they can be easily removed by them or the family before cremation.
Fees apply from 1 August 2023 and include GST.
| Description | Fee |
|---|---|
| Adult burials – plots and interment, including grave mats and lowering devices | $2365.00 |
| Muslim Burial plot, cradle and interment | $2,790.00 |
| Extra Depth Burial (300mms extra) | $155.00 |
| Oversized caskets – extra width fee (721mm or greater) | $210.00 |
| Interment fee / Grave re-open (includes servicepersons) | $1275.00 |
| Service persons – Note all qualifying service persons are only charged for the interment fee | $1275.00 |
| Out of District, full size adult plots fee – surcharge in addition to plot fee | $1045.00 |
| Disinterment fee (excludes grave re-open fee) | $1045.00 |
| Description | Fee |
|---|---|
| Stillborn and Baby (under 2 year) – plot and interment | $315.00 |
| Children 2 – 10 years – plot and interment | $995.00 |
| Children (up to 10 years) 2nd interment (Adult section only) | $605.00 |
| Out of District Children’s Plot Fee – surcharge in addition to plot fee | $320.00 |
| Stillborn and Baby (under 2 year) – plot and interment | $315.00 |
| Description | Fee |
|---|---|
| Ashes, Monumental and Garden plots | $995.00 |
| Ashes Lawn plot | $605.00 |
| Ashes interment fee – all plots | $125.00 |
| Out of District ashes plot – surcharge in addition to plot fee | $235.00 |
| Scattering of ashes in native bush at Whenua Tapu | $73.00 |
| Ashes Disinterment | $209.00 |
| Description | Fee |
|---|---|
| Adult cremations (11 years and over). Medical fee included | $602.60 |
| Children 2 – 10 years (rimu urn included) | $314.20 |
| Stillborn and children under 2 years (rimu urn included) | $108.20 |
| Cremation with Wooden urn included | $721.00 |
| Cremation with Wooden urn and ½ hr service. | $772.50 |
| Cremation with Committal | $659.20 |
| Weekday Express Ashes (pickup within 24 hours) | $123.60 |
| Cremation Viewing | $72.10 |
| Wooden Urn | $144.20 |
| Description | Fees |
|---|---|
| Adult and child burials – funerals requiring staff onsite after 4pm (one payment). | $235.00 |
|
Adult and child burials – surcharge for Saturday burials, in addition to all other burial fees (one payment). |
$795.00 |
| Afterhours Cremations/Services (weekdays after 4pm and Saturdays from 8am – 1pm | $265.00 |
| Early / Late arrival fee (in excess of 30 minutes) | $105.00 |
| Description | Fee |
|---|---|
| 30 minutes only | $95.00 |
| Kitchenette fee | $50.00 |
| Service livestream and recording (please enquire) | $105.00 |
| Cleaning fee (for unreasonable cleaning of chapel) | $105.00 |
| Description | Fee |
|---|---|
| Memorial Permit | $80.00 |
| Memorial walk Post and plaque | $850.00 |
| Monumental Non-compliance | $105.00 |
| Bronze Memorial wall plaque (150mm x 100mm) | $375.00 |
| Extra inscription fee | $25.00 |
