Buying a grave
Some families choose to buy the next in line plot which is the next available numbered grave space within the cemetery. Alternatively, families can arrange to meet on site with our Cemeteries team to select a plot in their preferred location in the cemetery.
Exclusive rights of burial
When buying the Exclusive Right of Burial (ERB) to a grave, you are not buying the land you are purchasing, but the lease to the deeds.
The deeds legally allow you to open the grave for burials to take place and to have a memorial erected on the grave.
The deeds cover a period of 50 years and must be valid (in date) if you want to open the grave to or for any memorial work to take place on the grave.
When the deeds are due to expire, the family have to opportunity to extend for a further 50 year period.
If the lease is not renewed, the family no longer have any rights to re-open the grave or have any memorial works carried out.
You can look at our fees for internments, exclusive rights of burial, memorials and grave maintenance.
Unpurchased graves
If you do not buy the ERB the grave is a common grave.
The burial can still take place, but we hold the deeds. This means you cannot open the grave cannot at a later date and you cannot erect a memorial on the grave.
However, the grave would be available for purchase by the deceased’s family at a future date if required.
We only dig common graves at single depth.
Normally, your funeral director will help make all the necessary arrangements but some people may want to make their own arrangements at the time of the funeral or even reserve a grave space that they do not intend to use for many years.
Full grave memorials
If you have bought the ERB, you can put a headstone and full kerb surround on the grave after a burial, with our permission.
Only some sections of the cemeteries allow full memorials.
You can find out where you can erect a full memorial by
- talking to our Cemeteries team
- looking at the information on memorial application permits
Any memorials you put on the grave must meet with our cemetery regulations.
You must erect a full memorials on a concrete base or landing. We will maintain the surrounding grass area at no expense to the grave owner.
You can look at our fees for internments, exclusive rights of burial, memorials and grave maintenance.
Lawn-section memorials
In lawn sections, you may have a lawn headstone only.
You may add to this a mini kerb set measuring 21 inches by 21 inches within which you may have plants or stone chippings. We will turf the rest of the area.
We will maintain the surrounding grassed areas, at no expense to the grave owner.
You can look at our fees for internments, exclusive rights of burial, memorials and grave maintenance.
