Funeral directors say Councils not adequately supporting dignity in death

Funeral directors say Councils not adequately supporting dignity in death

Nearly three quarters of funeral directors say Councils aren’t doing enough to ensure every New Zealander can be buried or cremated with dignity, regardless of their financial circumstances according to a Funeral Directors Association of New Zealand member survey.

The survey coincides with the Association’s latest review of Council burial and cremation costs. Increases to costs are announced on 1 July each year.

This year, most Councils have increased costs by only 2 – 4%. However, Marlborough has increased both burial and ash burial by 8% and Palmerston North has increased ash burial costs by nearly 10%.

An extreme exception is Tauranga City Council who have increased burial costs by 50% and ash burial by 200%. Local funeral directors in Tauranga have been engaging directly with Council on these rises but failed to turn around the dramatic increase.

Together the centres reviewed show an average burial cost of $4,359. The Work and Income Funeral Grant available to help struggling families currently sits at a maximum of $2,697.43.

Funeral directors are saying that even in areas where there are only CPI level increases, Council costs are seeing families having to make different choices for their loved ones’ farewells.

“Our member survey shows that nearly three-quarters of funeral homes are seeing families choose cremation over burial, reduce funeral services or seek financial assistance,” says Chief Executive of the Funeral Directors Association of New Zealand, Gillian Boyes.

“In some areas, such as Tauranga where burial costs are now disproportionately high compared with neighbouring Councils, we are concerned burials, a traditionally important end-of-life choice, is now limited to those with greater financial means,” says Ms Boyes.

The survey of members also showed that while many funeral homes have a good relationship with their local sexton, Council policies and procedures are negatively impacting families.

“Examples included inflexible or very limited times for burials, inability to get in touch through new phone or booking systems, and inconsistency in information between different staff,” says Ms Boyes.

“There were also errors that cause great stress to families such as reserved plots used for someone else, and plots dug by contractors that weren’t big enough for the casket.”

More broadly, funeral directors are concerned Councils don’t always consult with the public on fee increases and fail to engage with funeral directors when making changes to services or service provision.

“My members noted Council cemetery staff and funeral directors rely on each other to get it right for families, but there appears to be limited appetite to listen to feedback on what families need and what a funeral service involves,” says Ms Boyes.

Despite rising costs and service inadequacies, Councils expect prompt payment of their costs which in 90% of cases are charged via the funeral home. 80% of those surveyed said that they occasionally or regularly had to carry those costs as the Council bill is due before the family has paid.

“We are concerned that Councils are effectively relying on funeral directors to privately finance local government operations. Direct payment from families is typically discouraged by Councils, leaving funeral directors carrying the Council’s receivables risk,” points out Ms Boyes.

When asked what Councils could do to improve services for New Zealanders funeral directors most wanted them to be aware of the significant financial pressure on grieving families.

“In the Tauranga City Council submission, local funeral homes pointed out unlike many Council services, cemetery services are essential, not optional. Every family must face death and there needs to be a consideration of this when setting fees and services,” says Ms Boyes.

“Its clear central Government is unlikely to increase the Work and Income Funeral Grant enough to cover even the average burial cost, so as the monopoly provider of death care infrastructure in many centres, we think Councils should do more to support their communities. Every New Zealander deserves dignity in death.”

Read the Council Burial and Cremation Cost Comparison (2025–2026) and the Funeral Directors Association's July 2026 member survey, which provide the data and insights underpinning this media release.

ENDS

MEDIA CONTACT:

Gillian Boyes
CEO | Funeral Directors Association
M: +64 29 200 8985
E: gillian@funeraldirectors.co.nz