Funeral industry welcomes Law Commission’s recommendations

28 October 2015

Recommendations that funeral directors be registered and that more emphasis be put on accountability across the industry have been welcomed by the Funeral Directors Association.

The Law Commission’s recommendations are what the industry has been seeking, says Funeral Directors Association (FDANZ) Chief Executive Katrina Shanks.

“We’re delighted with this. We support the review’s recommendations.

“This is all about taking care of families when they are at their most vulnerable, which is exactly what FDANZ stands for.

“New Zealand funeral directors are renowned around the world as having the highest standards of professionalism and training, but there are some non-FDANZ members who could do a lot better and have no qualification nor do they belong to a professional body which requires high standards from its members. That’s why we welcome the recommendation that every person carrying out the business of providing funeral services must either be registered or placed under the supervision of a registered person.

“It’s essential that not only are behaviours and standards in our industry second-to-none but they are seen to be second-to-none – that’s what the public expects and deserves.

“It’s the importance of knowing that someone qualified will be taking care of their loved one or that someone qualified will be overseeing that work.

“We welcome the recommendations around the transparency of the costs of funerals, we will continue to ensure that the needs of families are met in this area.”

Mrs Shanks said we know first-hand of how issues arise when families have to make burial decisions, anything that makes such issues clearer at a time when grieving families are facing confusion is vital.

“These changes would make the whole process of determining who can make decisions about funeral arrangements, disposing of the body or dealing with remains easier for families, so they are essential.

“We’re also delighted at the recommendation that the process for establishing a crematorium go through the ordinary planning and resource consent process and not through additional process under the burial and cremation legislation.

“Too often, members have faced long, expensive delays on an application because of the red tape involved in it. If adopted, this will make a huge difference and allow members to get on and provide the public with convenient state-of-the-art facilities.”

ENDS

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