A group of Wānaka locals has approached Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) with a proposition to look at ‘greener’ ways to farewell loved ones.

There are 17 grounds for natural burial around New Zealand and the Wānaka Natural Burials (WNB) group is looking into local site options and sharing its findings with the community.

“For many farewelling this world, their last act is detrimental to the environment,” WNB founder Su Hoskin said. 

“We are exploring ways to offer alternative options.”

In a natural burial, the interment of the body in the soil is done in a manner that allows the body to recycle naturally without any inhibitors to decomposition.

It offers an option “where only natural, eco materials are part of the burial process, and native trees are planted to mark the area of a family or neighbourhood, or group of friends,” WNB member Lynne Christie said.

Approximately 70 percent of New Zealanders are cremated, but that process expels 160kg of carbon into the environment, and one of natural burials’ advantages is it offers a more environmentally friendly option.

WNB co-founder Liz Maluschnig said the group would love Upper Clutha people to have access to this burial option.

Initial conversations with QLDC have been promising, WNB said.

QLDC parks officer for cemeteries and heritage Tarsy Koentges has helped the group explore how this type of burial option could be managed in Wānaka Cemetery, Su said, and she has confirmed there is an area in the Wānaka Cemetery that has been previously earmarked for natural burials.

However, ground radar imaging has indicated potentially unmarked historical graves on the site which will require further investigation, and local heritage professionals and stakeholders and the wider community will need to be consulted before natural burials can proceed.

Su, Liz and members of WNB will be at the Pohutukawa Tent at Matariki on July 14 at the Wānaka Dinosaur Park where they can share more information.

PHOTO: Wānaka App