Town hosts burial the natural way

The first natural burial has been held in the Whakata¯ne District, six months after they were made legal.

Whakata¯ne District Council general manager community experience Georgina Fletcher said council staff felt privileged to be able to facilitate the first burial at the Hillcrest Cemetery Natural Burial Grove.

The central principle of natural burials is to return the body to the earth for the benefit of the environment without the introduction of anything which would interfere with or pollute environmental processes.

When buried naturally, a body is placed in a shallow plot, in an environmentally friendly coffin made of soft, untreated wood or cardboard or a shroud. Compost is placed with the body and a native tree planted on top.

Eventually the cemetery becomes native bush and a permanent living memorial to those buried there.

Natural burials are considered better for the environment because they aid rapid decomposition and an uptake in nutrient release, whereas traditional post-death disposition practices are resource-heavy and can damage the environment through chemicals from processes such as embalming.