Media release: Grieving families to bear brunt of new council charges

Tauranga, Friday 20 June 2025

Funeral directors across Tauranga have expressed deep disappointment and are calling for a pause following Tauranga City Council’s decision to adopt a series of cemetery and cremation-related fee increases, despite significant concerns raised in a collective sector submission.

In their joint submission to Council’s Draft Annual Plan, local funeral homes urged the Council to reconsider several proposed charges due to the potential financial and emotional impact on grieving families. However, these concerns appear to have been disregarded in the final decision that Council made in the Annual Plan Deliberations on 26 May.

At a next Council hearing on 26 June, Council is expected to formally adopt all User Fees and Charges, but the sector hopes to pause the fee increases until meaningful engagement occurs and data is collected to justify them.  

“We understand that fees need to go up to reflect inflation and investments in assets, but we are extremely disappointed that the Council has chosen to move ahead with these specific, poorly considered increases without engaging with the funeral sector,” said Kiri Randall, General Manager at Legacy Funerals.

The funeral sector outlined five key concerns in their submission:

• Removal of the 10% discount for funeral homes, which acknowledged the financial risk and administrative burden placed on funeral directors who pay Council fees up front. Without it, Council may need to begin invoicing families directly, which is an additional complication during a time of grief.

• A new $200 fee for same-day cremations, which is unjustified and places unnecessary pressure on families who may be acting out of cultural, religious or financial necessity.

• A $1,030 non-resident burial fee, which applies even to residents of the neighbouring Western Bay of Plenty, despite their regular use of and contribution to Tauranga facilities.

• A $293 backfilling fee, which the sector believes is operationally unnecessary.

• An unclear and excessive public holiday fee, introduced without clarification on whether services would now be available on those days.

The sector is also appalled by the fact that these new and increased charges are being introduced without any clear data to justify them. Council staff confirmed during the deliberations that they had not collected detailed information on service demand or resourcing needs to support the new fee structures and will only begin gathering that data now, after the fees have been approved.

“Implementing new charges without the data to support them is simply irresponsible,” said Oliver Marriner, General Manager of Hope Family Funerals. “In what other area of Council business would decisions be made first and measured later?”

Funeral directors are calling on the Council to pause the changes until data backs them up and until meaningful engagement has been sought with the sector.

 “We want to work together to find a path forward that balances operational realities with the dignity and wellbeing of those we serve,” said Oliver.

ENDS

For media enquiries, please contact: Eva Wolf Hope Family Funerals 07 543 3151 eva@hopefunerals.co.nz