Malcolm Dixon: Crematorium questions need clarifying

Hastings District councillor Malcolm Dixon says there needs to be an increase in crematorium fees to meet ongoing maintenance and the equipment replacement costs. Photo / File

As the chairman of the HB Crematorium Joint Committee (Napier, Hastings, CHB)
I believe it is essential that residents actually get all of the information.

The crematorium in Hastings is run on a cost recovery basis and any shortfall needs to be met by the ratepayers. There has been no increase in fees since 2012 and it is quite clear that there needs to be an increase in fees to meet ongoing maintenance and the equipment replacement costs.

At the joint committee meeting held on December 5 a number of points were explained to the committee.
•There was an increase in the number of cremations with around 770 per year.
• Large caskets take up to five hours, recently one very large casket took over six hours and it was only possible because of the cool down time required to carry out one per day. This is creating a backlog and placing pressure on the refrigerated storage facilities.
• There is a continual increase in the number of very large caskets coming because of those requiring it. Our cremator has the size and ability to cater for these requirements.
• An average size casket takes around two and half hours and it is possible to carry out up to three cremations per day.
• Some ethnic groups require a cremation to take place within 24 hours so it is now necessary to carry these out during the weekend, ie. after hours.
• The cremator requires additional maintenance work and will need to be replaced within three–five years.

Council officers were asked to carry out some research and find out what was happening in other areas, their charges and how they based their charges. This report was supposed to come back to the Joint Committee for discussion and approval prior to recommendations going the Hastings District Council for final approval.

The following information was gathered from other councils

• Our current charges are amongst the lowest.
• Some councils have a flat rate with an annual increase that is indexed to the cost of living.
• Like funeral directors some councils charge on the size of the casket that is delivered to their crematorium. We are all aware that funeral directors have a range of prices for caskets and one of the factors is the size of the casket required. I was told a large casket can cost upwards of $500 more.
• There was an increase in the number of large caskets being used across New Zealand due to trends in population. People are both longer and larger than they used to be.
• Because of the costs connected to burial cremation was now the preferred option and up to 80 per cent were selecting this means as around 25 per cent in the 1960s. There has definitely been a generational change.
• Cremation charges only make a very small portion of the overall cost of a funeral.
• Some councils do not charge for stillborn or very young babies. No charge was one of the recommendations in the report but failed to get a mention.

All of the above are factors that the Joint Committee will consider.

On Thursday it was decided that the report must follow due process and go back to the Joint Committee for approval and any necessary adjustments made prior to be reported back to the Hastings District Council who manages the crematorium on behalf of the other councils.

Like all reports that go to council from officers, they contain recommendations and they are not finalised until they are voted on via the democratic council process.

This comment also applies to draft consultation documents. Public consultation takes place based on a draft report / plan. Submissions are invited from the public.
The council hears submissions at a public meeting. ( Raureka Parks submissions were heard on February 13.) Hearings take place if necessary. A final report is written and presented to council. Council either approves the report, adjusts the report or rejects it.

The Cornwall Park development submissions have just closed and are being heard on March 12.

Keirunga Tree Management plan is only at step two currently at the submission stage.

No decisions have been made in spite of what you are reading or hearing. If you have an opinion then I would encourage you to make a submission.

I trust that this clarifies a number of contentious issues that are out there at the moment.

* Malcolm Dixon is a Hastings District councillor and chairman of HB Crematorium Joint Committee.