The Funeral Directors Association of New Zealand says the
systems New Zealand relies on when somebody dies haven’t
kept up with the country we have become and is calling on
the next Government to make changes to give families greater
dignity, choice and security at death.
President
Bradley Shaw, says that as New Zealand ages, and becomes
more culturally diverse and as families navigate economic
pressures, Government needs to support funerals as a part of
how communities care for people through grief.
“Our
research shows that nearly 80% of people say a funeral or
tangihanga makes a positive difference to grief,” says Mr
Shaw.
“But more than that, funerals and the work
funeral directors do, provides essential support to
communities. We answer the phone in the middle of the night,
we work alongside first responders, we care for people who
die who don’t have anyone else to care for them, and we
often quietly absorb costs to support our local
families.”
Mr Shaw says the Association is calling
on Government to support their work in three
ways:
- Make funeral support fit for today – for
example by increasing the $10,000 pre-paid funeral asset
exemption and substantially increasing the Work and Income
Funeral Grant to reflect the real cost of a basic, dignified
funeral. - Modernise New Zealand’s death-care laws,
bringing the 1964 Act up-to-date to accommodate new methods
such as water cremation, legislate family decision and
dispute-resolution mechanisms and ensure all funeral
providers clearly disclose costs. - Protect families
through trusted funeral care, noting despite funeral
directors working with families at the moment of greatest
vulnerability there is no regulatory
mechanism.
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“We believe these are fixable
problems but they are problems that must finally be
addressed. We’re approaching a period of significantly
higher numbers of deaths so maintaining resilient, trust
local death-care services is becoming even more
important,” says Mr Shaw.
“Election 2026 is an
opportunity to make the systems around death fairer, more
modern and more humane. Every New Zealander deserves dignity
at
death.”
