Dying proves to be a costly undertaking

It may not be the cheapest place to live, but South Wairarapa is by far the cheapest place to die compared to its neighbouring districts.

It cost $1825 for a plot and to be buried in South Wairarapa, the council’s 2025-26 list of fees and charges shows.

This was just 5% more than it cost last triennium in the 2022-23 year.

In neighbouring Carterton, it cost $2400 – a 30% increase on last triennium. In Masterton, it cost $3340 – a 36% increase.

Funeral Directors Association chief executive Gillian Boyes said councils’ annual increases in burial and cremation fees were a significant driver of funeral costs.

“This impacts everyone and especially those who are struggling financially who may be eligible for support through the WINZ Funeral Grant but find that it barely covers these basic council costs,” Boyes said.

The WINZ Funeral Grant of $2616.12 would not cover council fees for burials in most regions across New Zealand, where those fees can be as high as $7000 in New Plymouth, she said.

The nationwide average was more than $4000.

“The sad reality is that at a time when a very low-income family is hurting and grieving and just wants to remember their loved one, they are going to be faced with the added pain of a big bill with fixed basic costs that just keep going up,” Boyes said.

She said the current WINZ Funeral Grant no longer reflected the true cost of even a basic farewell, “especially where council fees are significant”.

“We urgently need a review to ensure fair support for grieving families and to prevent funeral providers from carrying the reputational cost of a system that’s no longer fit for purpose.”

She called on the Government to commit to increasing the WINZ Funeral Grant to match the average increase in council fees for burials and cremation, rather than just CPI.

The Association took a sample of 23 cemeteries and found Makara in Wellington had the lowest burial costs ($1823).

This did not include a maintenance fee of $664.

New Plymouth had the highest at $7207.

In Wairarapa, cremation remained the cheapest charge at $240 for ashes to be buried at South Wairarapa cemeteries at $315 for a cremation plot.

It cost $385 for a cremation berm in Carterton and $400 for a cremation berm in Masterton.

A service offered at Carterton, but not its neighbouring districts, was natural burial, which cost $4387. This included the costs of the plot, burial, compost, and tree to be planted.

It was one of about a dozen certified natural burial locations in New Zealand.

Charges apply to those who live outside the district they wish to be buried at.

LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.