Cemeteries & Crematoria NSW (CCNSW) is a statutory agency created in 2014 under the NSW Cemeteries and Crematoria Act 2013. We support and regulate cemetery and crematorium operators and provide information on burial and cremation options to the public. The agency was created in response to the need for a coordinated, strategic approach to providing interment services across NSW.
One of our main objectives is to ensure everyone in NSW has the right to a dignified burial or cremation that respects religious and cultural beliefs.
We:
- Make sure the services offered by cemetery and crematorium operators meet community expectations
- Provide information to the public and interment (burial and cremation) industry on relevant legislation and make sure the operators obey the laws.
- Assess the burial and cremation needs of the state’s growing population and develop planning strategies to ensure there is enough affordable and accessible cemetery space
While the Act commenced in 2014, the regulation functions and powers continue to evolve to address emerging issues.
Our vision
Our vision is that all people in NSW have access to sustainable and affordable burial and cremation services that are respectful of culture and faith and provided in a consistent, transparent and accountable manner.
How we are governed
As an independent regulatory agency, CCNSW is led by a skills-based board appointed by, and responsible to the Hon. Stephen Kamper MP, Minister for Small Business, Minister for Lands and Property, Minister for Multiculturalism, and Minister for Sport.
The board seeks input from industry and the community via 2 consultative groups which provide valuable insight and advice.
How we work
We regulate and support cemetery and crematorium operators to ensure the people of our rich and diverse state have access to affordable and dignified burial and cremation services that respect culture and faith.
In October 2022, we introduced the Interment Industry Scheme following extensive consultation with operators and the community.
Partnerships are crucial to our success. We are committed to working with our partners to develop practical and efficient solutions to current challenges. Our close partnerships with faith-based and other community groups help us to understand community needs for interment services, ensuring service providers respect religious practices within the confines of the law and relevant regulations.
Our regulatory framework provides the flexibility for this collaborative approach to ensure a well- regulated, sustainable interment industry that protects the public’s right to a dignified and affordable interment.
Our roles
Our Act has nine key objectives which guide what we do and can be divided into 3 categories:
We:
- oversee a consistent system of interment rights across NSW
- develop and maintain a regulatory framework to address trends and emerging issues for the interment industry
- ensure that cemetery and crematorium operators demonstrate accountability, transparency and integrity
- ensure that cemeteries on public land are managed sustainably and in accordance with best practice.
We:
- ensure the interment practices and beliefs of all religious and cultural groups are respected
- promote affordable and accessible interment practices and help the community understand and compare the costs and service levels of burial and cremation services.
We:
- hold an up-to-date register of all cemeteries and crematoria in NSW
- provide analysis about cemetery capacity and demand to ensure enough land is acquired and allocated to meet cemetery needs
- promote the environmental sustainability of the interment industry.
