Project status: Closed

How you had YourSay:

Thank you to everyone who provided feedback on the review of the Cemeteries and Crematoria Act 2003.

The Cemeteries and Crematoria Act 2003 sets out the legislative framework for burials and cremations in the ACT. An inquiry into the management of ACT cemeteries in 2017 recommended, among other things, that the Act be reviewed and that the ACT Government continue to monitor community preferences.

We sought feedback from the wider community to ensure that the management of cemeteries and crematoria in the ACT is contemporary, sustainable, flexible, and meets the needs of all Canberrans.

What we looked at:

We sought to find out if the current burial and cremation services in the ACT meet the needs of all religious and culturally diverse backgrounds and if they are interested in alternative burial and cremation practices.

The review also looked at the sustainability of cemeteries and crematoria in the ACT and the option of renewable tenure.

We know there’s increasing preference for cremations over burials and there is increased interest in alternative and more environmentally friendly options, such as natural burials. There are also a number of new and emerging technologies which are likely to become more widely available in the near future.

We used your views to:

Your views helped to identify what regulatory changes were needed to the Cemeteries and Crematoria Act 2003.

Your feedback will also help us create a contemporary, sustainable and flexible model to ensure a diverse range of burial, cremation and similar services, meeting the needs of all Canberrans now and into the future.