View our current bylaws, including the Cemeteries and Crematoria Bylaw.

We've reviewed the Cemeteries and Crematoria Bylaw 2018 as a result of a request for natural burials to be allowed in the Whakatāne District.

We're now seeking your views on the Draft Cemeteries and Crematoria Bylaw 2020.

Reasons for the Proposal

Under sections 158 to 160 of the Act, the Council is required to review all bylaws within five years of their adoption and every ten years thereafter. However, a Council may review a bylaw at any time if it deems it appropriate.

The Council has received a request that natural burials be allowed within the Whakatāne District. As a result of this request, Council staff have reviewed the Cemeteries and Crematoria Bylaw 2018 and consider that overall, the bylaw is fit for purpose.

The key changes are:

• The addition of a section relating to natural burial areas including associated definitions.
• The extension of the days on which a burial may take place to include Sundays.
• Clarification of the requirement for Council approval for memorials prior to installation.
• Minor grammatical changes to improve the clarity of the bylaw.

More information on the proposal is available in the documents below.

• Proposed Cemeteries and Crematoria Bylaw 2020 - (PDF, 885 KB)
• Statement of Proposal Cemeteries and Crematoria Bylaw 2020 - (PDF, 772 KB)

Thank you for your interest, consultation has now closed.

Findings of this consultation will be reported to the Strategy and Policy Committee meeting in September.

Visit koreromai.whakatane.govt.nz to find out more and have your say online »