If you have any questions talk to us. Our cemetery staff are available to assist.

As a general rule, when you need to make arrangements for someone who has died you should contact a funeral director of choice. They will guide you through the steps that need to be taken to arrange a cremation or burial service. Memorials can be arranged at the time of a funeral or in advance.

 

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Perpetual Interment Right and Pre-need
Interment
Scattering of Ashes Guidelines
Burial on private land

Perpetual Interment Right and Pre-need

Purchase of an interment right at a Blue Mountains cemetery is available only to families at time of need. An interment right entitles the person/s to whom it is granted an exclusive entitlement to bury the remains of a deceased person at the interment site/burial plot. All interment rights are sold in perpetuity

Pre-need: The family of a deceased person can purchase one adjoining plot, if available, when acquiring an interment right from Council at the time of need. If an interment has not occurred within 25 years, the pre-need interment right can be renewed for a further 25 years within 12 months prior of the expiration date.

Interment

Council Booking Officers work with the Funeral Director and Cemetery Staff to set a time of day that best meets the wishes of the family for a funeral. Funeral services are usually held between 10am and 2pm. Additional fees and charges apply for funeral services commencing or exceeding past 2pm, weekdays. Surcharges apply for weekends/public holidays.

Single/Double Depth Graves - Cemetery Staff are responsible for grave preparation and back filling of the grave once the funeral service has finished.

Double depth graves are encouraged where possible to allow two interments and/or up to 10 set of ashes in a single plot. However, due to varying soil conditions in Blue Mountains cemeteries, double depth is not always guaranteed. 

Ashes Reservations and Placement - Blue Mountains City Council provides ashes placements in columbarium/niche walls, ashes gardens and bush ashes walk. 

Ashes reservations can be purchased at any quantity and in any time.

Ashes placement is conducted by Council Staff only. Council will also attach the plaque for families. Placement of any memorial item, flowers-artificial or not, are prohibitied in the ashes gardens or ashes walk. 
 

Scattering of Ashes Guidelines

No interment right is required for the scattering of cremated remains in a cemetery. However, there are a few things to think about if you wish to scatter ashes on public land. Council have prohibited the scattering of ashes in certain locations including:

  • Into a water body.
  • On a footpath, walking track, playing field or near a picnic table.
  • At high tourism sites, such as district parks and prominent lookouts.
  • Above where rockclimbers and / or bushwalkers visit.
  • In places where people harvest plants for consumption

    No permanent or temporary memorial items shall be placed where ashes are scattered. Any such items will be removed by Council.

Burial on private land

Legislated approvals are in place for burial on private property that impact on timeliness and costs. Key is that the property must be at least 5 hectares, with the plot located away from any area that would likely contaminate waterways. A restriction on the title of the land will be required.

In planning ahead allow at least 6 months for approvals. As a first step, you need to apply for development consent.