How to arrange a burial
Burials are usually arranged through a funeral director.
The funeral director will:
- confirm cemetery and plot availability
- complete the Apply for an interment form
- send the required documents to Council
- arrange the burial service time with Council.
All required documents must be with Council at least 24 hours before the service.
For cemetery-specific questions, contact the Sexton.
Where burials are available
Burials in the Kāpiti Coast District are available at:
- Ōtaki Cemetery
- Waikanae Cemetery
- Awa Tapu Cemetery.
At Paraparaumu Beach Cemetery, burials are only available as a second interment in an existing family plot.
Burial plots cannot be reserved in advance.
Burial service hours
Burial services are held:
- Monday to Friday, 9am to 3pm
- Saturday, 9am to 1pm.
Special arrangements may be possible outside these hours, including weekends and public holidays. Extra fees apply.
Burial fees
Burial plots can be single depth or double depth. The interment fee is the same for both.
Extra charges apply for:
- Saturday interments
- late interments
- services outside normal hours
- public holiday services.
See the current cemetery fees and charges for burial plot, interment and service fees.
On the day of the burial
Grave preparation
Only cemetery staff can dig graves and reinstate them after a burial.
You may help reinstate the grave if this is arranged before the service with the Sexton or funeral director.
Burial resources we provide
Council provides burial resources, including:
- grave mats
- lowering device
- boards, bearers and ropes
- soil urn with trowel.
Cemetery staff support
Cemetery staff do not attend the burial service unless requested.
Staff will be available on site to:
- greet and brief the funeral director
- help load and lower the casket, if needed
- help with technical issues
- oversee safety.
After the service
The funeral director supplies a temporary grave marker with the deceased person’s name.
Cemetery staff place the marker on the grave after the service.
Natural burials
Natural burials are available at Ōtaki Cemetery.
In a natural burial:
- the body is not embalmed
- a biodegradable casket is used
- natural decomposition is supported
- a native tree is planted at the head or base of the plot.
Natural burial plots cannot be reserved.
Natural burials must meet the requirements in the Cemeteries Bylaw 2016.
How to apply for a natural burial
Applications for natural burials must be made through an approved funeral director.
The funeral director will:
- confirm whether the burial meets natural burial requirements
- complete the Apply for an interment form
- send the required documents to Council.
All required documents must be with Council at least 24 hours before the service.
You can find a certified funeral director for natural burials.
Approved plants for natural burials
Approved plants include:
- lemonwood, Pittosporum eugenoides
- ngaio, Myoporum laetum
- mahoe, Melycitis simplex
- five finger, Pseudopanax arboreus
- kanuka, Kunzea ericoides
- red matipo, Myrsine australis
- karamu, Coprosma robusta.
The approved planting list may change.
Natural-burial planting is managed as part of the cemetery's overall planting and maintenance programme.
Memorial plaques and headstones
The owner of the Exclusive Right of Interment must approve a memorial plaque or headstone.
If that person has died, their immediate next of kin may give approval.
All memorial plaques and headstones must meet the standards in the Cemeteries Bylaw 2016. These standards help keep memorials safe, durable and consistent.
Maintenance and repairs
A monumental mason or another person approved by us must complete all work on a headstone.
The deceased person’s family, trustee or other responsible person must maintain and repair the memorial.
We do not normally repair, restore or maintain private memorials. We may take action if a memorial becomes damaged or unsafe.
Adding another inscription
Contact a monumental mason if you want to add an inscription to an existing memorial.
The monumental mason will arrange any required approval with us.
Grave decorations
You may place decorations on the headstone or memorial area.
Do not place decorations on the grass in front of or behind the plot. Our staff need access to these areas for mowing and maintenance.
We may remove items that are:
- broken or decayed
- unsafe
- excessive
- neglected.
We may store removed items for up to three months.
We will remove alcohol containers, weapons and offensive material straight away. We may hold these items for one month while we wait for instructions from the next of kin. We may then dispose of them.
Planting on graves
You must get approval from the Sexton before planting any tree, shrub or plant.
We will remove unauthorised planting.
Grave maintenance
Our cemetery staff maintain the cemetery grounds and gardens.
The deceased person’s family or trustee is responsible for maintaining memorial plaques and headstones.
Further burials in an existing grave
A subsequent interment is another burial in an existing grave.
This allows other family members to be buried in the same plot where space and burial rights allow.
Contact our cemetery team or your funeral director to check whether a further burial is possible.
Disinterment
Disinterment means removing human remains or ashes from a grave.
The remains may be:
- moved to another plot
- transferred to another cemetery
- removed from the cemetery
Contact the Sexton for information about disinterment requirements and approvals.
They will explain:
- what approvals are required
- what documents you need
- applicable fees
- how long the process is likely to take
- what happens next.
Contact us
Contact us if you need help with:
- arranging a burial
- cemetery availability
- an existing grave
- natural burials
- memorials or headstones
- grave decorations or planting
- further burials
- disinterment
- cemetery fees.
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 04 296 4700
Freephone and afterhours: 0800 486 486
For urgent burial arrangements, contact your funeral director and us as early as possible.