Cremation
Funeral costs in the spotlight
Even funeral directors believe death could be done better, but how to achieve that is up for debate Audio
The rising cost of burials and cremations
The Funeral Directors' Association says council costs for burials and cremations are continuing to rise, and some smaller centres are experiencing very large increases. Audio
Cremation or burial
Cremation is becoming the preferred choice over burial according to registered funeral director and owner of Avenal Park Funeral Home, Nigel Edwards. Nigel joins Karyn to discuss other environmentally… Audio
Dig this: Composting of human bodies offered as green solution
Washington state may be poised to legalise turning a human body into compost - making it the first US state to allow it as a burial option.
Woman loses bid to exhume and cremate partner's body
A woman has lost her legal bid to have her late partner's body exhumed and cremated in accordance with what she said were his wishes.
The American Way of Death
The US writer Caitlin Doughty is a mortician who is keen to talk about how death can be a positive experience for the bereaved. Providing a fresh perspective on a topic made famous by Jessica Mitford… Audio
Caitlin Doughty: Lessons from the crematorium
Kim Hill talks to funeral director and mortician Caitlin Doughty, creator of the web series Ask a Mortician, founder of The Order of the Good Death, and author of the 2014 book Smoke Gets in Your… Audio
Christchurch considers ash-scattering guidelines
Christchurch mourners wanting to scatter the ashes of their dead in Christchurch may soon be directed to designated areas. The city council is considering guidelines after local rūnanga called for...
No Heartbeat - Clothing the Lost
Not every family that leaves a neonatal unit does so with joy. After losing seven babies one woman decided to help grieving families through their loss. Audio
Iwi want more say on scattered ashes
Iwi say people should have to consult with them about where they scatter ashes of the dead. Audio
Designing better places to die
Alison Killing is a British architect and urban designer, her studio Killing Architects is based in the Netherlands. She says architects must consider a range of social, political and economic issues… Audio
Aucklanders struggling with burial costs
Some Auckland families are being forced to choose cremation because the cost of burial is too high, the Funeral Directors Association says.
Urban Māori struggling with high burial costs
A Māori funeral director in Auckland is asking iwi to help shoulder the funeral costs of their tribal descendants.
Dearly Departed - Fancy or Frugal?
Changing funeral traditions - with Katrina Shanks from the Funeral Directors Association of New Zealand. Audio
