
'Irresponsible': Tauranga fee hikes increase the cost of dying
Tauranga City Council is increasing most of its burial and cremation fees as of July 1.
The fees are a new $200 fee for same-day cremations, a $1030 non-resident burial fee for anyone from outside of Tauranga to be buried in a Tauranga cemetery, a new $293 fee for families who want to fill part of a grave themselves, and increasing the public holiday surcharge to $1000.
The council would also remove the 10% discount for funeral homes that paid their bills on time.
Hope Family Funerals general manager Oliver Marriner said the sector was appalled the new and increased charges were being introduced without any clear data presented to justify them.
ADVERTISEMENT
Hope Family Funerals, Legacy Funerals and four other funeral directors made a joint submission to the council's 2025/26 Annual Plan expressing their concerns about the fee increases.
When that failed to move the council, they wrote asking it to pause the increases until it had engaged with Tauranga funeral homes and had detailed information about the costs involved, Marriner said.
The council acknowledged their email, but had not made any 'meaningful contact', he said.
'Implementing new charges without the data to support them is simply irresponsible.'
Hope Family Funerals general manager Oliver Marriner. (Source: Supplied)
Funerals were already expensive, and increased costs had to be passed on to families, he said.
'At a time when they're already struggling financially, to then be charged all these extra things – it can really add up.'
ADVERTISEMENT
It could also add to a family's grief if they were unable to honour a loved one's wishes because of the financial burden, Marriner said.
'We work hard to try and keep prices as a funeral home as affordable as we can. It just feels like the cemetery's working against us on that.
'Instead of being a council service, it feels like it's almost a greedy business.'
The removal of the discount for funeral homes could mean they needed to increase their fees or have the council invoice families directly, he said.
'It's an additional complicating factor for families who are already under a lot of pressure.'
The funeral homes carried the cost and debt of burials or cremations until families paid, and often they were waiting for the money coming from an estate, Marriner said.
He wanted clarification from the council to justify the fees so they could explain this to their clients and the community, he said.
ADVERTISEMENT
The council didn't see the grief of families facing the 'large costs', Marriner said.
'It would be nice to have that acknowledgement from them [council] that they want to work with funeral homes and by doing so, they're really working with the community.'
Hope Family Funerals funeral director Eva Wolf said the non-resident burial fee did not make sense.
Someone living in Pyes Pā might be just outside the Tauranga border and would need to pay even though they lived a few hundred metres away from the Pyes Pā Memorial Park cemetery, she said.
Legacy Funerals general manager Kiri Randall said they understood fees needed to go up to reflect inflation and investments in assets.
Tauranga Legacy Funerals general manager Kiri Randall. (Source: Supplied)
'We are extremely disappointed that the council has chosen to move ahead with these specific, poorly considered increases without engaging with the funeral sector.'
ADVERTISEMENT
'Significant loss in revenue'
Coffin at a funeral. (Source: istock.com)
Tauranga City Council spaces and places manager Alison Law said the council decided to remove the discount for funeral directors because of a 'significant loss in revenue'.
The council lost nearly $15,000 from providing the discount in March alone, she said.
'We understand that this change may create some cash flow challenges for funeral directors, and we're committed to working with them individually to find solutions that meet their needs.'
The pricing adjustments reflected growing costs of maintaining cemetery facilities, infrastructure, and essential services, Law said. She said the changes were necessary to ensure the council could continue to deliver high standards of care.
The non-resident burial fee ensured Pyes Pā Cemetery served Tauranga residents as required by law, Law said. Law said the council could choose to waive the fee in some cases such as if the person lived near the cemetery.
ADVERTISEMENT
But the council was seeing more requests from places like Ōmokoroa, which were further away, she said.
'We remain committed to supporting families and funeral directors during these times and are open to discussing individual circumstances.
'Where possible, we aim to find compassionate, case-by-case solutions to help families honour their loved ones in a meaningful and respectful way.'
The council's 2025/26 Annual Plan, including the fees and charges, would be adopted at a meeting tomorrow.
LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Scoop
4 days ago
- Scoop
TEL Off-ramp To Pāpāmoa East Opening Early
Tauranga City Council is pleased to be opening the off-ramp from the Tauranga Eastern Link (TEL) to Pāpāmoa East at the end of August, months ahead of schedule. The Council has worked with the project contractor, Minister for Transport Chris Bishop, the New Zealand Transport Agency and local MP Tom Rutherford to make this a reality. The Pāpāmoa East Interchange is key to improving network connectivity for existing residents and will also enable ongoing residential and commercial development. "The opening of the Pāpāmoa East Interchange off-ramp by the end of August, which is nine months ahead of plan, is a great outcome for our people and will help ease traffic issues," says Mayor Mahé Drysdale. Meanwhile, Councillor Steve Morris adds that the rest of the interchange will be open and ready to use in early-2026, which will have 'a significant impact on improving traffic flows and ease of accessing the TEL from Pāpāmoa East". 'Mayor Drysdale worked with Minister Bishop to facilitate the early opening and I approached Tom Rutherford to ask for his help,' Steve says, 'and between us all, we've managed to get a great result for the community." "By working together, we have achieved a good, pragmatic outcome for our community, and I thank everyone for saying yes and getting this done," says Mahé. The Council's Programme Director: Major Transport Projects, Chris Barton, says construction is progressing well, with costs also forecast to be within budget. More information is available on the Lets Talk Tauranga website: .


Scoop
17-07-2025
- Scoop
Auckland Chamber Welcomes Advanced Technology Institute In Auckland
The Auckland Business Chamber and Auckland Tech Council are welcoming today's announcement that the Government will base the New Zealand Institute for Advanced Technology in Auckland — a move that follows clear calls from the business community to supercharge the city's tech future. 'In April, we put a vision on the table for Auckland to become a serious global tech hub,' says Simon Bridges, CEO of the Auckland Business Chamber. 'We made the case — and now the Government is listening.' While the Institute will initially be incubated within the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, today's announcement confirms that Auckland will be its central base. The Chamber and Tech Council had earlier identified Auckland's Newmarket innovation precinct as the natural home for cutting-edge research and commercialisation — with the scale and connectivity to anchor a nationally significant tech hub. 'Newmarket offers the full package — advanced R&D, space to scale, and commercial potential,' says Bridges. 'I certainly hope the Institute will be based at Newmarket, it is the right place for it. But regardless of the precise final location, Auckland is the right launchpad for a national push into advanced tech.' The city is uniquely positioned to connect research, business, and investment. With world-leading AI and quantum researchers already based at the University of Auckland, Auckland can serve as a critical link between academia, startups, and global partners. The Chamber's recent tech report, developed in partnership with leading businesses and institutions, laid out a clear roadmap — calling for major investment, a regulatory sandbox for MedTech, and urgent action to close the capital and skills gaps. 'Today's announcement is proof that when business leads with a clear, ambitious plan, Government can move too,' says Bridges. 'This is just the start. We now need to double down on digital skills, commercial investment, and putting our startups on the global map.' 'With the private sector already stepping up, this gives Auckland a real shot at becoming a magnet for talent, capital, and world-class innovation.' Note: A copy of the Time for Growth: The Plan Auckland Needs to Be a Global Tech Hub report is available here: Key recommendations from the report include: Levelling up the technology district opportunity – Newmarket Innovation Precinct The front door to a new Advanced Technology Public Research Organisation An Auckland Technology and Innovation Alliance Technology trade mission Develop a regional innovation strategy Tech and Innovation job development accord Build a series of regulatory sandboxes (with a focus on MedTech) Increase the diversity of funds investing in Auckland ventures Leveraging partnerships with peer tech and innovation cities for mutual gain Increasing PhD enrolment and empowering PhD students to start businesses in NZ Investing in grassroots initiatives to foster entrepreneurship in areas outside of science, starting at the high school level.


NZ Herald
17-07-2025
- NZ Herald
Letters: Cameron Rd position clarified, traffic flow is faster
While I do sincerely acknowledge that some businesses have issues with customer access since the Cameron Rd upgrade, we do not. Tauranga City Council provided me with a 24-hour, 15-minute loading zone. Pivotal to my business, it enables vehicles, including those with trailers, to drop off and collect goods, regardless of operating bus lanes. From the vantage point of my shop, it is clearly obvious that traffic flow is faster and smoother both ways along Cameron Rd, than prior to the changes. In time, I feel there will be a very positive outcome for all. Howard Jones Naismith & Jones Cameron Rd Cancer treatment The Bay of Plenty Times article regarding decline in the use of low-dose rate brachytherapy to treat prostate cancer was timely and thought-provoking. As a prostate cancer survivor who was treated with brachytherapy in 2008, I can attest to its convenience and effectiveness. As I say in my book Blasted By Seeds (published in 2015), I was in hospital for a night after the procedure on a Thursday afternoon, discharged the next day and back at work the following Tuesday. While I was on medication for several months to control post-treatment symptoms, I kept working fulltime and took minimal sick leave. I was also able to avoid disclosing what had happened to me - which was important in a workplace where there was the possibility of restructuring and downsizing. I doubt my quick return to work would have been possible if I'd undergone prostatectomy - and subsequent hospitalisation. Given the prevalence of prostate cancer, it would be a pity to lose brachytherapy as a treatment option, particularly for men who are diagnosed with early-stage disease and are still working full time. Tom McGrath Karori, Wellington Shoplifting doesn't pay Green MP Tamatha Paul has suggested that people with no money to buy food could turn to shoplifting. Is this suggestion part of the Greens' bold new economic policy? I guess in Tamatha Paul's world, it is only natural that people turn to crime when short of a dollar or two. However, does she not know that food banks exist? Also, if people are short of clothes, then charities exist to help in these circumstances as well. While it is not an ideal situation to rely on charity, one would hope that Paul realises that the crime of shoplifting does not pay. Does she not remember that one of her former colleagues was found guilty of shoplifting even while earning a salary of over $170,000 a year? That's a pretty high pay ceiling to reach while considering whether or not to engage in crime. Bernard Walker Mount Maunganui The Bay of Plenty Times welcomes letters from readers. Please note the following: Letters should not exceed 200 words. They should be opinion, based on facts or current events. If possible, please email. No noms-de-plume. Letters will be published with names and suburb/city. Please include full name, address and contact details for our records only. Local letter writers are given preference. Rejected letters are not normally acknowledged. Letters may be edited, abridged, or rejected at the Editor's discretion. The Editor's decision on publication is final. No correspondence will be entered into. Email editor@