Auckland Council cemetery plot and interment fees
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Auckland Council charges two separate amounts for a burial: the exclusive right of burial for the plot, and the interment fee for the burial itself. At Manukau Memorial Gardens, North Shore Memorial Park and Waikumete Cemetery an adult lawn plot is $5,360 in most open areas and a single-depth burial is $1,410, a total of $6,770. Cremation at the council's crematoria is $750. The page prints no fee year.
An exclusive right of burial is the purchase of the right to bury in a particular plot; interment is the digging, burial and closing of the grave. Council fees are only part of a funeral bill. A funeral director's professional fee, a casket, a celebrant and a headstone are paid separately, and our Auckland funeral cost page puts those beside the council figures. The prices here are GST inclusive and copied from Auckland Council's cemetery fees and charges as printed on 20 October 2026. The council's page does not state the year the fees apply to, so treat the table as "as published on 20 October 2026" and confirm before you pay.
How the fee schedule is laid out
The council groups fees by site: Manukau Memorial Gardens, North Shore Memorial Park, Waikumete Cemetery, the smaller (satellite) cemeteries, and Aotea Great Barrier Island Cemetery. Auckland Council runs crematoria at Waikumete, North Shore and Manukau (Auckland Council: how cremation works). The same adult plot price of $5,360 appears in many areas, but some areas cost more and others are marked "sold out", which means the plots there are at capacity. The council adds that an unused plot handed back could become available again at the price that applies at the time.
Adult plots and interment
| Site or area | Adult burial right | Adult interment (single depth) |
|---|---|---|
| Manukau, lawn area | $5,360 | $1,410 |
| Manukau, Muslim area and Sections 17, 18, 18 extension | $5,980 | $1,410 |
| Manukau, Section 7 | $6,210 | $1,410 |
| Manukau, Sections 15 extension, 19 to 22 | $7,010 | $1,410 |
| North Shore, Central and Northern Divisions (open areas) | $5,360 to $6,210 | $1,410 |
| North Shore, Lucas View | $7,010 to $10,200 | $1,410 |
| Waikumete, Hebrew areas and natural burial area | $5,360 | $1,410 |
| Waikumete, mausoleum site (land only) | $39,180 | $1,410 |
| Smaller cemeteries (not Waikaraka or Warkworth) | $3,300 | $1,990 |
Double depth, which allows a second burial later, is $1,545 at the three main sites and $2,165 at the smaller ones. Several Waikumete areas (Chapel view, Waitakere view, West Lawn C, the Urupā) are marked sold out.
Worked totals (plot plus single-depth interment, from the table above, our arithmetic): $6,770 for a standard lawn plot at a main site, $5,290 at a smaller cemetery ($3,300 + $1,990), and $11,610 at the top Lucas View price ($10,200 + $1,410). FDANZ's July 2025 total for Auckland Council cemeteries was $6,570 on its own sample basis (FDANZ 2026 Industry Trends Report), so a year-on-year change cannot be read from these two figures.
Children and babies cost less. A child aged 1 to 12 has a burial right of $1,340 and a burial fee of $775 at the main sites; a neonatal or baby up to a year has a $545 right and a $350 burial fee. Our guide on funeral costs for infants and children covers other help.
Cremation fees
| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| Cremation, adult | $750 |
| Cremation, child 1 to 12 | $410 |
| Cremation, neonatal and baby under 1 | $0 |
| Viewing the casket being charged into the cremator | $360 |
| Delivery after 4pm Monday to Saturday | $590 |
| Sunday or public-holiday cremation (Manukau list) | $1,235 or $2,060 |
| Ash separation | $52 |
These apply at Waikumete, North Shore and Manukau, though only Manukau prints the Sunday and public-holiday cremation lines. Families who want to view the charging must tell the council by midday the day before (Auckland Council: how cremation works). A private crematorium or a funeral director's package may charge differently, as our direct cremation page shows.
Ashes: plots, burial and scattering
- Ash burial, adult or child: $390 at the main sites ($410 at smaller cemeteries); neonatal and baby $195.
- Scattering of ashes: $105. Ash wall burial: $105 at the main sites.
- Ash plot rights at Waikumete start at $1,650 (cremation lawn, ash lawn and Chapel view); Manukau ash lawn is $2,780; a four-urn columbarium vault is $2,800 at Waikumete and North Shore.
- Larger ash rows that hold 8 or 16 urns run from $5,360 to $10,200.
For the choices around the urn itself see urns for ashes.
Out-of-hours, extras and other charges
- Burial starting after 3.30pm: $585 ($590 at Great Barrier Island).
- Saturday burial $515, Sunday $1,235, public holiday $2,060 (printed for Manukau and the smaller cemeteries; the Waikumete and North Shore tables printed on 20 October list only the after-3.30pm fee).
- Arrival 30 minutes after the booked time: $155. Same-day cancellation: $205. Larger plot: $360.
- Disinterment: adult $6,800, child $3,500, ashes $390.
- Monumental permit for a headstone or plaque: $205. Burial rights transfer: $52. Lease renewal for an expired exclusive right of burial: $2,895.
- Chapel hire: $590 an hour at Manukau and North Shore, $500 an hour at Waikumete's chapel.
- Returned Services areas show a $0 right of burial.
We found no out-of-district or non-resident surcharge on the Auckland page. Other councils differ: Nelson, for example, charges non-residents extra, which its council fees page sets out, and Hamilton's page is a reminder that some council pages go stale.
How to arrange and pay
Contact the council at least 24 hours before a burial to choose a plot, and pay straight away or show that Work and Income or ACC will pay (Community Law: burials). Auckland Council's cemetery phone line is 0800 4 CEMETERY (09 301 0101) (Auckland Council: scattering of ashes). Most families go through a funeral director, who passes the council fee on in the bill.
Help with council fees
Work and Income's Funeral Grant is up to $2,697.43 as at 1 April 2026, which is less than half the standard burial total above. ACC's funeral grant, for deaths from a covered injury, is up to $8,236.40 (Work and Income; ACC). Other help, including prepaid funeral cover, can affect the grant; see the Funeral Grant guide and our burial cost guide.
Funeral insurance can add to the money available, but it is a fixed benefit, not a payment of the bill. Momentum Life's Funeral Insurance pays only for accidental death in the first 24 months, and premiums over many years can exceed the benefit. Momentum Life is rated B (Fair) by A.M. Best (financial strength). Read what funeral insurance is; the buttons on this page lead to Momentum's online application. Back to funeral costs.
Adviser's view
Auckland Council's fees are split into the right to bury and the cost of the burial itself, and the first is the larger. At the three main cemeteries a standard adult lawn burial adds up to $6,770 before a funeral director, a casket or a headstone. The page prints no fee year, so check the council's schedule on the day you book.
Talk to a licensed adviser about funeral cover · free, no obligation.
Cite this page QuoteHub NZ (2026). Auckland Council Cemetery Fees: Plots and Interment. www.quotehub.co.nz/funeral-costs/auckland-council-fees-nz. Updated 2026-10-20.
References
- Auckland Council: Cemetery fees and charges
- Auckland Council: How cremation works
- Auckland Council: Scattering of ashes
- FDANZ: 2026 New Zealand Funeral Industry Trends Report (PDF)
- Community Law: Burials, legal requirements
- Work and Income: Funeral Grant
- ACC: Financial support after a death
- Momentum Life: Financial strength
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