Cemeteries at capacity: Auckland families face heartbreaking choices amid high burial costs

With cemeteries in West Auckland now full, a local couple fears they will be separated from the community they have always called home.

The concern echoes warnings from local board members who believe the lack of burial space has become a critical issue.

Die-hard Westies will need to find a new resting place as Waikumete Cemetery, New Zealand’s largest, has reached capacity.

With no new burial plots available until 2027, Oscar Kightley, Henderson-Massey Local Board member, says it’s disappointing that families can no longer say farewell to their loved ones in their own community. “It sucks.”

Having moved from Sāmoa and grown up in Te Atatū, Kightley considers himself a proud Westie.

"I grew up there. All my schooling was out there," he says. "You just hope that more land is found, but... we need land for housing.”

“That cemetery's been there for centuries. And there are large parts where people have been buried so long ago that even those who used to visit don't anymore.

“What do you do? You can't dig them up and move them. So, I think they'll have to find solutions, but I'm sure they're working on it."

Kightley is a well-known New Zealand playwright, actor, writer, and journalist, particularly recognised for his work in television and theatre, including the plays, "Dawn Raids" and "Sione's Wedding".

He says there is an urgent need for more burial space due to a growing and aging population.

“We've got an aging population and a growing population. We need somewhere to put our dead ones as well as our live people.”

Auckland Council stopped burials in Waikumete’s general on-need area in July 2024 after unstable ground made it unsafe to continue. Photo /Auckland Council

Jack and Jill*, a proud Westie couple who wish to remain anonymous, are aware that both Waikumete and Swanson cemeteries are full.

Jill worries about not being able to secure a burial plot at Waikumete so that she and her husband can rest together.

“It would have more meaning to be buried out West, close to my loved ones, friends and family,” Jill says.

Nikki Nelson, Auckland Council’s Manager of Cemetery Services, confirms that no burial plots are currently available at either Waikumete or Swanson.

“There are empty plots, but they have all been pre-purchased. The cemetery is not closed for burials, but we have no available plots to purchase,” she says of Swanson Cemetery.

In July 2024, the council stopped burials in Waikumete’s general on-need burial area due to unstable ground caused by rain.

“Burial plots at Waikumete Cemetery can no longer be pre-purchased. The cemetery has numerous pre-purchased plots that are yet to be used, and we will re-open burial plots for second burials when requested by the plot owner,” Nelson says.

A new block of 800 burial plots is expected to open in early 2027, depending on weather and other factors.

“These will be general burial plots and sold on need. They cannot be pre-purchased,” Nelson says.

A new block of 800 burial plots is expected to open at Waikumete Cemetery in 2027, but none will be available for pre-purchase. Photo /Auckland Council

“Auckland Council empathises with families who have sought to have their loved ones buried at Waikumete Cemetery but cannot, due to burial capacity at the cemetery.”

Fasitua Amosa, Whau Local Board deputy chair, says he was unaware both cemeteries were full, but he recognises the implications for West Auckland families.

“This is the first time that that's actually been put to me, because so many of my family are all buried out South at the Manukau Gardens,” Amosa says. “That would obviously be a thing for a lot of families.”

Apulu Reece Autagavaia, Ōtara-Papatoetoe Local Board Chair, says the issue reflects broader pressures on public space.

"I don't know too much about Waikumete in particular, but I do know land for cemeteries is quite tight in Auckland City. That's been around for a few years. They had a plan to try and get more land to either expand or [create] new cemeteries, so I'm not surprised that Waikumete is full.”

From left: Oscar Kightley, Henderson-Massey Local Board member; Fasitua Amosa, Whau Local Board Deputy Chair; and Apulu Reece Autagavaia, Ōtara-Papatoetoe Local Board Chair. Photo / Auckland Council

Apulu says these pressures could lead to cultural shifts in how Pacific families handle funerals.

"I've been quite open with my own family that I don't mind actually being cremated... it's largely driven by cost. I don't want to leave a burden on my own family.”

He says some Pacific families are already adapting because of the cost. A typical adult burial in Auckland costs between $6400 and $6500, including a $5068 plot and a burial fee of $1332 (single depth) or $1443 (double depth), according to Auckland Council.

"That's definitely something that our community needs [to] think about, but I know that a lot of people do not want to leave their families burdened with costs."

Taryn Crewe, General Manager of Parks and Community Facilities at Auckland Council, says a major new cemetery is being planned in the city’s rural northwest to meet long-term demand.

A site at 1080 State Highway 16 in Reweti has been identified as the most suitable location following assessments since 2019.

“We know we need more burial capacity than this in West Auckland, and that’s why we’re planning a major new cemetery further up in the northwest,” Crewe says.

The site is expected to provide 50 to 60 years of burial capacity.

“We are looking at emerging trends in global and local burial practices to look at how we can make the most out of the space we acquire for this critical kaupapa.”

LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.