Hawke’s Bay cremation fees unaffordable for more

Hawke’s Bay cremation fees unaffordable for more, say funeral directors

Proposed fee hikes at the Council owned Hawke’s Bay Crematorium will make cremation unaffordable for more families, says the Funeral Directors Association of New Zealand.

Chief Executive Katrina Shanks says the 22% increase, which has been prompted by an upgrade of the earthquake-prone building, will make it even harder for struggling families.

“The council needs to look at this as a matter of urgency.

“It has an obligation under the law to ensure that cremations and burials are accessible to all, and to do that they have to be affordable to all. You can’t have one without the other.

“An increase of this size is likely to push cremations beyond the ability of many grieving families to pay.

“Many already choose cremation because it’s cheaper than burial, but this will put them in an invidious position because they have nowhere else to go.

“But it doesn’t end there. A new private crematorium due to be built in Hastings soon will likely take business away from the council facility, and that is estimated to push fees even higher – to $851, an increase from the present $600.

“That is getting out of control and the council must act.

“At this rate, cremations at Hawke’s Bay Crematorium will be one of the most expensive in the country.

“The council must be able to demonstrate that all residents can afford cremations in its facility, and they should now look at a financial model that ensures this service is adequately funded by ratepayers.

“They must take account of the demographics of the region and tailor their financial modelling accordingly.

“The base service has to be affordable.

“I’m not talking about nice-to-haves such as new chapels etc. I’m talking about the price of a basic cremation service. It has to be accessible and affordable, but this proposed increase will make it harder for struggling families.”

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