Where can bodies be buried in New Zealand
Burial and Cremation Act 1964, s 46
Usually, a burial has to be in either:
a public cemetery (these are run by local councils)
a denominational burial ground (these are usually small church burial grounds that cater for a particular religion, such as Catholic or Anglican)
an urupā (Māori burial ground), or
a private burial ground.
The body can be buried somewhere else if there isn’t one of those cemeteries or burial grounds within 32 kilometers of where the death occurred or where the body is going to be buried. In that case, the nearest District Court has to be notified about the burial, including the cause of death. For contact details for the courts, go to: www.justice.govt.nz/courts/district-court.
