Cremations at the Canterbury
Memorial Gardens

An Application for Cremation form must be completed by the executor or next of kin. Your funeral director will assist you to complete this.

For a cremation to take place a medical practitioner or nurse practitioner must complete all three forms:

1. A Medical Certificate of Cause of Death.
2. A Certificate of Medical Practitioner.
3. A Certificate in relation to pacemakers and other biomechanical aids.

A ‘Permission to Cremate’ certificate authorised by a medical referee is also needed.

Your funeral director will arrange all these documents on your behalf.

Once your loved one has been cremated, your funeral director will complete the ‘Notification of Death for Registration’ to notify Births, Deaths and Marriages at the Department of Internal Affairs of your loved one’s death.

You will then receive their New Zealand Death Certificate within 7-10 working days.

We don’t have the facilities at the crematorium to care for your loved one’s body. A funeral director will take your loved one’s body into their care, place them in a casket suitable for cremation, and help you with paperwork.

They can also arrange for you and your family to visit your loved one’s body, and help you organise a funeral gathering or a memorial service if you would like to celebrate your loved one’s life.

We have three excellent local funeral directors for you to choose from below. We regularly work with these locations. Each has high quality services and are all members of FDANZ.

• John Rhind Funeral Directors
• Academy Funeral Directors
• Simplicity Christchurch

A small funeral gathering can help you come to terms with your loved one’s death and celebrate their life. However, if you would prefer not to host a funeral gathering, funeral directors offer simple cremation packages.

You may be eligible for a funeral grant from WINZ or ACC. If your loved one was a military veteran you may also be able to apply for a contribution to funeral expenses from Veterans’ Affairs. Your funeral director will be able to advise you and help you apply for a funeral grant if you’re eligible.

After the funeral, your loved one’s casket will be transferred to the crematorium located behind the memorial garden chapel. Their casket will be placed into an individual cremator where the cremation process uses intense heat to reduce their body to bone ash. Our crematorium facilities meet stringent emission standards.

Your loved one’s ashes are then carefully placed in an urn and returned to you, or interred, following your wishes. We’re happy to hold ashes in our care for a short period to allow you time to choose your loved one’s final resting place. Every step of this process is conducted with care and respect for the dignity of your loved one.

Costs for cremation and use of our facilities is included in the funeral package you select with your funeral director.

We can courier ashes within New Zealand. Fees apply.

It is important to check each country’s customs restrictions.

If you obtain permission to take ashes through border control, we will seal the urn in an approved manner, which demonstrates to customs there has been no tampering. And we can provide documentation to confirm only the ashes of the deceased are contained in the urn.

We recommend you carry the ashes in your hand luggage so you can present them to customs in person, and to avoid any risk of loss.

Your funeral director can advise you regarding an international courier for your loved one’s ashes if required.

Yes. We offer a wide range of interment and memorial options. Look at the memorial options or call us on 03 389 6282 to discuss your wishes.