A recently released statutory review calls for a shake-up of the funeral industry in NSW. The report calls for significant changes to the funeral industry (note that the report is dated Aug 2020 but was withheld until recently).
SMH published an article on the report, specifically the recommendation and creation of OneCrown, a single government operator of the Crown cemeteries.
The NSW government announced it would act on this recommendation, but then backed away from this decision. This is likely due to significant pressure from the Catholic Church.
The report also made recommendations to:
- make natural burials more feasible and accessible in NSW
- change regulations to allow mortuaries to hold bodies for longer, so that people are not rushed to choose a funeral director
- introduce mandatory renewable interment rights as in WA and SA
- encourage the Crown to introduce vertically integrated customer offerings, so that they can provide affordable options to private sector operators like Invocare
The government has not yet announced its response to these recommendations.
I was interviewed on ABC Illawarra about this topic. You can hear my interview here.
Jackie Bailey is an independent, full-service Funeral Director. Jackie’s Funerals conducts funerals in Sydney, Wollongong, the Illawarra and Southern Highlands, South Coast of NSW and the Blue Mountains. Get in touch any time for a free, no-obligation quote and a chat about your needs. At any time of the day or night, 24/7, 365 days a year, we can arrange for your loved one to be transferred into our mortuary care.
Ph: 0428 576 372 Em: info@jackiesfunerals.com.au