Cost of dying in Auckland continues to rise

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The cost of dying has gone up in Auckland, with increased fees for burial and ash plots and interments at council owned cemeteries.

The higher Auckland Council fees starting July are aimed at abolishing a ratepayer subsidy by recovering the full $4.5 million annual operating costs at council's 52 cemeteries across the region.

However, Funeral Directors' Association chief executive Katrina Shanks said they were an unfair burden on grieving families.

Fees for burial plots across the Auckland region increased by an average 22 per cent, fees for ash plots by 14 per cent, and internment fees by 132 per cent.

Mrs Shanks said that increasing plots by up to $1400 could not be justified and would put further pressure on those already struggling with the cost of funerals.

An example of the impact of the fees rise was at Manukau Memorial Gardens, where a burial plot cost had gone up 15 per cent from $3464 to $4000, plus interment fee of $1072.

A Papakura burial plot went up 19 per cent from $1678 to $2000 and interment went up by $857 to $1400 or a 158 per cent rise.

At Waikumete, a fee for the ash plot garden rose 48 per cent from $1708 to $2533 plus interment of $300.

Mrs Shanks said that Work and Income provides funeral grants of up to $2008 to cover burial, plot and cremation charges but this would not cover costs, she said.

The council was pricing people out of the market for burial plots and interments -- forcing them into the cheaper option of cremation.

However, Auckland Council cemeteries manager Catherine Moore said funeral costs, including the cost of burial or cremation, were a family's responsibility.

It should also be borne in mind that the council's obligation did not finish on the date of the burial.

There was an expectation that the council would maintain the plot at its expense.

The council inherited seven different charging systems from former councils in 2010 and some had a subsidy for cemeteries.

New fees aimed to get regional consistency in fees for burial or ash plots, interment (digging) and hire charges for chapels and lounges.

"All our prices reflect our costs across the region."

At the three main council cemeteries at North Shore Memorial Park, Waikumete and Manukau Memorial Gardens employed staff while at 30 other open cemeteries the council had contractors.

"Up to now, we have been losing money."

The council has earmarked $46.5 million to expand cemetery areas in the next 10 years in view of more than 70 per cent of people favouring burial over cremation.