Green Burial NZ: Natural Burial Options and What They Cost

Natural burial is legal and growing in New Zealand. The core principle is simple: the body is buried without embalming, in a biodegradable casket or shroud, in a designated area that's managed as a conservation reserve rather than a traditional cemetery.

How Natural Burial Works in NZ

A natural burial skips several elements of traditional burial:

• No embalming. The body is refrigerated rather than chemically preserved. This means burial typically happens within a few days of death.
• Biodegradable containers only. Untreated timber caskets, wicker caskets, cardboard caskets, or simple shrouds. No metal, lacquer, or synthetic materials.
• No headstones. Graves are marked with a native tree or shrub, a simple plaque, or GPS coordinates. The site is intended to return to native bush over time.
• Native planting. The burial area is actively managed as a native restoration project. Families may participate in planting.

New Zealand has dedicated natural burial sections in several council cemeteries, including Makara Cemetery (Wellington), Waikumete Cemetery (Auckland), and Memorial Park Cemetery (Christchurch). Some private land has also been approved for natural burial.

Costs Compared to Traditional Burial

Natural burial is generally cheaper than a conventional burial because it eliminates several expensive components:

These figures are for the burial itself, excluding funeral director fees, service costs, and other arrangements. A natural burial with a simple ceremony can keep total funeral costs under $5,000, but the maximum WINZ funeral grant is $2,697.43; the ACC funeral grant ($8,236.40) can cover the cost for accidental deaths.

Legal Requirements

Natural burial follows the same legal framework as any burial in New Zealand:

• Medical certificate of cause of death must be issued before burial
• Death must be registered with Births, Deaths and Marriages within 3 working days of the burial
• Burial must be in an approved location — either a council cemetery with a natural burial section or a property with specific local authority approval

There's no legal requirement to use a funeral director. Families can manage a natural burial themselves, including transporting the body, provided they handle the paperwork correctly. In practice, many families use a funeral director for the logistical support while specifying natural burial preferences.

Planning Ahead

If natural burial is what you want, document it clearly. Your funeral wishes in your will are advisory — the executor has legal authority over burial decisions under Takamore v Clarke. A separate letter of wishes, shared with your executor and family, carries more practical weight than a clause buried in a will.

Things to specify:

• Your preference for natural burial over conventional burial or cremation
• Which natural burial cemetery you'd prefer (availability varies by region)
• Whether you want a biodegradable casket, shroud, or other container
• Planting preferences for the grave marker
• Whether you want a ceremony at the graveside, at a separate venue, or no formal service

Our New Zealand End-of-Life Planning Guide includes funeral preference worksheets where you can document these choices in detail — and a family conversation guide that helps you share them with the people who'll need to carry them out.

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