Auckland Council continues to fail grieving families, say funeral directors

8 January 2016

Auckland Council is failing grieving families in three out of six key areas of service in regard to the management of cemeteries and fees, says the Funeral Directors Association.

“The council has lost sight of the fact cemeteries are part of its core business,” says Funeral Directors Association Chief Executive Katrina Shanks.

“There is no longer equality for Aucklanders who need to access cemeteries and services. The council has a statutory obligation to ensure cemeteries are accessible to all of their communities but this is not happening.”

Mrs Shanks today released a review by the association of the council’s ‘harmonisation’ changes to cemeteries and crematoria that came into effect across the Auckland region last July.

The review looked at six elements to determine if families’ needs are being met. While the council delivered on some elements it failed the council on quality, affordability, and timeliness of services. It was unable to determine if there is adequate planning for the future.

• Quality of service meets diverse need of Aucklanders: fail
“Funeral directors encounter a substantial paper war to use council cemeteries. Compared to cemeteries in other regions, this process is vast and complicated. The ability for the public to access these services without assistance is limited. This is an example of unnecessarily complicated processes and paperwork. There are up to 11 forms that have to be completed to use council cemeteries.”

• The cost is within reach of all: fail
“The affordability of cemeteries has become a significant issue since the harmonisation of burial costs. Plots increased by up to 15%, interment fees by up to 667%. Burial and interment in an adult lawn area now costs $4,410. Adult plot and interment costs restrict the options available to families due to financial constraints, forcing families to choose cremation instead. This has meant that access to burial plots is no longer fair and equitable to all socioeconomic demographics. There have been significant cost increases for the use of ash plot gardens and lawns. Interment of ashes now costs $1,129. For those families forced by financial constraints to choose cremation over burial the options have been further limited by the council’s exorbitant hike in ash plot fees.”

• Services are being delivered in a timely manner: fail
“Auckland is represented by many ethnic groups that require a range of timeframes for saying goodbye to their deceased. The council does not meet the varying access needs of these different ethnic groups. The booking system is not flexible enough to allow for ethnic groups that require burials to take place at short notice or in particular places within the cemetery, such as on single berms or in areas where decoration is allowed.”

The report is also critical of the financial model the council uses to charge for its cemetery services.

“The 10-year plan reflects the position that cemeteries obtain 100% of their funding from external sources to operate – 99% from sales of services and 1% from veterans. Overall, the cemeteries are operating at a surplus while struggling grieving families are subsidising general council funds by approximately $1.7 million a year. This amounts to a cross subsidisation of other council services at a cost to grieving families.”

The report also echoes concerns from many families around cemetery maintenance, “with plots dropping and not being rebuilt, gardens and lawns not being maintained and grieving families feeling unsafe to visit due to the general state of the cemeteries”.

Mrs Shanks said the harmonisation process has put significant stress on middle- to low-income families when they access public cemeteries.

“It’s clear from this review the harmonisation of cemetery services across the region have failed to take the different socioeconomic and demographic elements into account.

“It’s exactly as we predicted when these changes were proposed. The price rises are unfair. Councillors ignored our pleas to take into account the effect they would have on low-income families and on some cultures.
“Raising the cost of burials is forcing families to consider cremation for their loved ones where in many cases that’s not what people want. So now there is pressure on many families to cremate instead of burying. It is insensitive of the council to push these groups towards cremation alternatives.

“But the council has also raised the cost of ash burials, so that’s limiting families’ options yet again. Not only are many being forced into choosing an option they don’t want, now that only option comes with a price increase, further limiting places available for them to grieve.

“We believe an unintended consequence of the council price increases is that they are forcing families to not inter ashes or have a place for memorialisation. Some are being forced to bury loved ones far from where their families live due to the cost, while others are having to borrow money from more expensive sources.”

Mrs Shanks says the basis of the council’s cemetery fee charges should be remodelled so they can be understood and justified.

“Core services, such as cemeteries, have become a vehicle for cross subsidisation of non-core services, such as events. These cemetery costs are being unfairly imposed on those that can least afford it.

“The council has stated previously that the WINZ funeral grant is a justification to allow the fee rises, but there has been no increase in the WINZ funeral grant since 2003.

“Auckland Council is required by law to provide facilities and services that are affordable to everyone but these increases have taken affordability out of the reach of many.”

ENDS

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