New cemetery fees incorporated into adoption of Cemeteries Handbook 2019
Queenstown Lakes District Council’s (QLDC) Community and Services Committee has adopted the Cemeteries Handbook 2019,
incorporating new cemetery fees consulted on as part of the Community Facilities Funding Policy (CFFP) review undertaken
in December 2018.
The Cemeteries Handbook 2019 will be implemented from 1 August 2019 and includes changes to make headstones and
monuments more robust, promote good Health and Safety practices for sextons and contractors, and reduce the number of
non-compliant headstones.
Fee changes will also take effect from 1 August 2019, including a simpler structure and price list, and the inclusion of
maintenance fees with internment fees.
QLDC General Manager Community Services, Thunes Cloete said the changes strike a fair balance between reflecting
national benchmarks and delivering specific requirements for the district’s communities.
“While I acknowledge there have been some increases in fees, this allows us to future proof a key community service and
improve cemetery processes,” Dr Cloete said.
“In contrast, some services remain as they were. Most notably, we felt it was important that fees for baby and
children’s burials and ash internments remain unchanged, and continue to be well below nationally benchmarked levels.”
Specific changes implemented in the Cemeteries Handbook 2019 are as follows:
· Only Monumental Masons may install headstones and cemetery monuments in cemeteries, and they must hold a New Zealand
certificate in Stonemasonry (Level 4) and/or be a part of the New Zealand Master Monumental Masons (NZMMM).
· Headstones and monuments must comply with the New Zealand Standard Headstones and Cemetery Monuments (NZ4242:2018).
· Operating hours are now specific to summer and winter hours to ensure good health and safety practices for sextons.
ENDS.