Burial and cremation fees and charges

Here are the fees we charge for burial and cremation, including:

what it costs to purchase a plot in a Council cemetery or use the chapel
memorial permit fees for headstones and plaques
entries in the Book of Remembrance.

All fees and charges include GST. Effective 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2027.

Burial fees

Purchase of plot
Each plot is able to be used for two burials providing that, at the first interment, the cemetery administration officer is advised extra depth is required.
Double beam plot: Ashhurst, Bunnythorpe and Kelvin Grove	$2,535
Single beam plot: Kelvin Grove	$3,745
Children's section: Kelvin Grove (up to 13 years old)	$1,267
Services section: Ashhurst and Kelvin Grove	$634

Standard interment fees
Applicable Monday to Friday, 9am to 4pm
Adult (14 years or older, including Services Personnel)	$1,231
Child up to 13 years	$412
Child up to 12 months	$238
Extra depth surcharge	$271
"Fill your own" surcharge (clean up)	$311
Overtime surcharge: Applied if funeral activities at the cemetery have not concluded by 4pm on weekdays	$250 per hour or part thereof

Saturday interment fees
Applicable to interment, extra depth and "fill your own" fees.
Morning	Standard fee x 1.5
Afternoon (by arrangement with cemetery staff and subject to availability)	Standard fee x 2

Cremation and ash burial fees

Standard cremation fees
Applicable Monday to Friday, 9am to 4pm (cremation only)
Adult	$830
Child (one to 13 years)	$340
Child (up to 12 months)	$80
Medical referee's fee	$70

Standard chapel fees
Applicable Monday to Friday, 9am to 4pm
Committal service (one hour)	$145
Full service (two hours)	$200
Bond (for non-regular users)	$250
Cleaning fee (for unreasonable cleaning of the chapel)	$130

Saturday cremation and chapel fees
Morning	Standard fees x 1.5
Afternoon (by arrangement with cemetery staff and subject to availability)	Standard fees x 2

Purchase of ashes plot
Lawn Cemetery: Ashhurst, Bunnythorpe and Kelvin Grove	$882
Remembrance Garden Kerb and Memorial Gardens: Kelvin Grove	$882
Niche Wall: Ashhurst and Kelvin Grove	$882
Services section: Ashhurst and Kelvin Grove	$198
Children's section: Kelvin Grove	$644

Purchase of memorial plaque plot
Remembrance Garden Kerb (plaque only): Kelvin Grove	$680

Ash burial fees
For regular ash interment, the site is prepared for a ceremony. The hole is cut and tidied, soil left alongside with a shovel, and a container of sand provided. There is a reduced fee for ash interment by cemetery staff with no friends or family present, and no service.
Weekdays	$240
Saturday morning	$360
Reduced fee (see note above)	$166
Saturday afternoon (by arrangement with cemetery staff and subject to availability)	$480
Overtime surcharge: Applied if funeral activities at the crematorium have not concluded by 4pm on weekdays	$100 per hour or part thereof

Other charges

Fee type	Cost
Memorial permit fee for all headstones and plaques	$45
Plot cancellation fee	$100
Entry in Book of Remembrance	$100

Out of district surcharge
This surcharge applies to people normally resident outside of the Palmerston North city boundary, who do not pay rates to Palmerston North City Council. Exemptions apply to people who can provide evidence of residence in the city for at least 20 years or who have operated a rate-paying business in the city for at least 20 years.
Chapel and cremation charges	plus 10%
All other service charges	plus 30%

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