Cremations

Nelson City Council owns the crematorium at Wakapuaka cemetery and contracts its operation to Green by Nature. The facility includes two cremators and a chapel, which families are welcome to use for committal services. Most people choose to hold the main service in a church or funeral director’s chapel, but the option to use the onsite chapel is available.

Most families choose to work with a Funeral Director because cremations involve detailed paperwork, legal requirements, and careful coordination of transport and care of the deceased. However, some people prefer to make their own arrangements.

If you wish to organise a cremation yourself, please be aware that cremations are governed by the Cremation Regulations 1973 and require several documents to be completed and submitted to the Cremation Registrar at Nelson City Council.

The guidelines below explain the process. If you are unfamiliar with administrative or legal forms, you may find it helpful to seek support from a Funeral Director, solicitor, Citizens Advice Bureau, or another experienced professional.

For crematorium enquires please call 03 546 0200 or email cremation.registrar@ncc.govt.nz

Arranging a private cremation

Step 1 Complete Form A – Application for Cremation

Fill out Form A – Application for Cremation.

Use the full legal name of the deceased.
Complete all sections clearly and sign in front of a witness.

You may include your preferred date and time for the cremation. We’ll do our best to accommodate this and contact you if an alternative is needed.

📞 To check availability, call: (03) 546 0200 or email cremation.registrar@ncc.govt.nz
🕘 Business Hours: Mon–Fri, 8:30am–4:30pm (excluding public holidays)

🕒 Crematorium Hours:

Summer: Mon–Fri, 9:00am–3:30pm
Winter: Mon–Fri, 9:00am–2:00pm
Weekend cremations are available with operator approval only and will need to be booked prior to the day.

Step 2: Obtain medical documents

The attending medical practitioner must complete:

Step 3: Submit the forms

Email Form A, B, and AB to cremation.registrar@ncc.govt.nz
Or deliver in person to:
Customer Service Centre, Nelson City Council, 110 Trafalgar Street, Nelson
Inform Customer services that this is a time sensitive application.

✅ You’ll receive an email confirmation once your application is received.

Step 4: Approval

The cremation registrar will review your forms and forward them to the medical referee.

Once approved, you’ll receive Form F (Permission to Cremate) by email.
Form F must be shown to the Cremator operator at the crematorium before the cremation.

Step 5: Prepare for the Cremation

Presentation of the Deceased

If not embalmed, cremation should ideally occur within:

1–2 days in summer
2–3 days in cooler months
Use of icepacks or refrigeration is recommended helps to slow the degenerative process

If cremation is more than 24 hours after death, the casket must be lined with a waterproof liner (e.g., heavy-duty plastic or natural waterproof material but combustible). and should be firmly fixed in place to the bottom and sides of the casket to hold it in place.

Casket Requirements

Must be made of untreated wood or combustible material.
Must be flat-bottomed, smooth, and rigid.
Cardboard and wicker caskets are acceptable if sturdy and fitted with a rigid base.

No hazardous items (e.g., alcohol, aerosols, jewellery, or other personal effects that could cause a hazard.) may be placed inside.

Casket Size Guidelines

Maximum dimensions:
Length: 2200 mm
Width: 700 mm
Depth: 500 mm
Must be robust enough for safe handling and loading.

Oversized caskets may be accommodated with prior approval. Please inform the cremation administrator when submitting your application.

📞 Contact the cremator operator to confirm your casket meets requirement: (03) 546 0200

Chapel Hire (Optional)

Chapel available for committals (30 mins) or services (1 hour).
Equipped with sound system (connectable to laptop).
Seats up to 70 people.
Families may prepare the chapel 30 minutes before the service at no extra cost.
Additional fees apply for chapel hire and extended service times.
Nelson Crematorium reserves the right to charge extra for all services that exceed normal duration times or late arrivals.
Where the deceased has been embalmed a request can be made to the Cremator Operator for an open casket in the Chapel during a service.

Transport

Transporting the body to the crematorium is your responsibility.

You can use a private vehicle if suitable, or
Contact a funeral director that offers transport-only services and can also hire out cooling pads or refrigeration units.

Step 6: Arrive at the crematorium

Please arrive at the Nelson Crematorium, located at Wakapuaka Cemetery, 188A Atawhai Drive. Follow the driveway through the cemetery to reach the crematorium building.

On arrival, please park in front of the garage door. The Sexton will come out to meet you, assist with transferring the casket, and take it inside.

For health and safety reasons, only authorised staff are permitted inside the crematorium. Unless the chapel has been booked, this stage is a simple drop-off of the casket.

If you would like time to say goodbye to your loved one on site, you may choose to book the chapel. Please note that chapel bookings must be made in advance, as they require additional time allocation and need to be scheduled to avoid overlapping with other services.

Committal (up to 30 minutes): A private time for family to be with the casket and say their farewells.
Service (30 minutes to 2 hours): Suitable for larger gatherings wishing to hold a more formal service.

At the conclusion of a committal or service, the Sexton will return to collect the casket and wheel it through the curtains into the crematorium, where the cremation will begin shortly after.

Step 7: Payment

We will email out your invoice after the cremation has taken place.
Please refer to our fees and charges for current cremation costs.

Step 8: Collect the Ashes

The Cremator operator will let you know when ashes are ready for collection.

Ashes are held for up to 14 days free of charge. After that, they may be disposed of if no arrangements are made.

Urgent Cremations (Outside Business Hours)

For urgent cremations that need (b) to take place before the next business day:

1. Call Nelson Medical and Injury Centre: 📞 (03) 546 8881: ask for the on-duty medical referee. They will arrange for the on-duty referee to contact you to complete their part of the paperwork.

Call Nelson City Council (24/7): 📞 (03) 546 0200: ask for the duty cremation administrator who will make arrangements with you.

(a) The cremator operator is unable to accept application forms for cremation. They must be received by the cremation administrator, who will then instruct the cremator operator that they can proceed with the cremation.

(b) An urgent cremation is one that needs to take place urgently for the reasons of religious requirements, health risk or decomposition factors. The decision about whether an urgent cremation is required is made by the cremation administrator and cremator operator or delegated deputy.