A topical subject at the moment that I'd been thinking about for a while but have no answers, so to the Seabreeze brains trust...
Here in WA I believe that the funeral industry is essentially a duopoly and probably price fixed, so for the families suffering financial hardships, or unattached citizens who pass away, or whomever really, what are the options for dealing with the deceased here in Australia, or state by state if you know?
Applications are in to create eco burial/ conservation burial grounds. What about our oceans? Can we not go all crayfisherman mafia style where we wrap in chicken wire, weigh and dump remains?

The place I'd like to see built is a solar crematorium. Just a few sqm of tracking mirrors focusing on a platform or a tube where the body is laid to be barbecued away.
A trial project was built in India a few years ago.
You could do something similar with wind power. An electric furnace running off a small part of the output of just one turbine would do.

I googled this a while ago. According to my search, once you get the death certificate the laws regarding the disposal of the body are sparse and you're free to use it for backyard fertilizer. I vaguely remember a distance from shore required for sea burials.

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Buster fin said..
A topical subject at the moment that I'd been thinking about for a while but have no answers, so to the Seabreeze brains trust...
Here in WA I believe that the funeral industry is essentially a duopoly and probably price fixed, so for the families suffering financial hardships, or unattached citizens who pass away, or whomever really, what are the options for dealing with the deceased here in Australia, or state by state if you know?
Applications are in to create eco burial/ conservation burial grounds. What about our oceans? Can we not go all crayfisherman mafia style where we wrap in chicken wire, weigh and dump remains?

This is an ugly monopolized funeral industry owned by a select few. Our experience showed, although the name on the business changed, most are owned by major corporate groups. Very hard to find an independent operator now days as they have been squeezed out of business.
One idea floated and I cant recall who advised us. The option to deliver the deceased directly to crematorium from hospital/home or wherever, along with registered death certificate, circumnavigates funeral directors process.
Then next in line are the metropolitan cemetery trust. These are in for their kick as well
Very expensive process that plies on peoples sadness and sense of loss and wanting to do the right thing by the deceased.

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Mr Milk said..
>>Just a few sqm of tracking mirrors focusing on a platform or a tube where the body is laid to be barbecued away.
A trial project was built in India a few years ago.
You could do something similar with wind power. An electric furnace running off a small part of the output of just one turbine would do.

That's the way I want to go, so hopefully you have a few years to get it organised.

I'm onto it
ceramicartsnetwork.org/daily/firing-techniques/electric-kiln-firing/introduction-electric-pottery-kilns/
Kilns are quite cheap in small sizes, but you'd have to do a bit of butchery on the body to get it into one, piece by piece

Very good business to be in as it's a service very few going to avoid! Guaranteed customers!

It's not something that has occupied my thoughts that much but there's a local business in Nambucca which has it's premises at the shopping center with a window facing the benches where a lot of old folk gather. Apparently there's a special for $1850. Now that my Ross River is abating I've ceased to take much notice.

It's a travesty that even in death you don't have the freedom to have your vacant carcass disposed on in the manner you wish but if you look at the bright side the last insult which the system throws at you falls on completely deaf ears and you literally cannot give a f^ck.

Had a pre-paid funeral (cremation) this week for MIL and it cost her $8,000 in 2014. Good and basic cost wise but def no hassle for us to organise - just a couple of phone calls.
Prob 10-15K now.

Our western culture has once again outsourced & commodified something most are afraid of or don't want to deal with, physically or psychologically. All geared towards denying we are finite.

Told the family to donate my remains to science if they'll accept, I like the idea of someone learning something from my me in death.

My wife reminds me about these people
www.tenderfunerals.org/about-tender-funerals/what-is-tender
Not for profit community based organisation.

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psychojoe said..
I googled this a while ago. According to my search, once you get the death certificate the laws regarding the disposal of the body are sparse and you're free to use it for backyard fertilizer. I vaguely remember a distance from shore required for sea burials.

Curiosity got the better of me, Google says quite the opposite, Cremation Act 1929 and the regs prohibit you cooking granny in an Ebay pottery kiln, then you've got the Cemeteries Act 1986 and its regs, the Health Act to cover public and private morgues, then you've got the Metropolitan Cemeteries board by-laws.

But good news, you can DIY the funeral except the cremation if you're willing to do all the paperwork and have somewhere approved to bury granny.

co incidentally this was on ABC news this morning, centered more around the sensitive eastern nanny states though,

www.abc.net.au/news/2020-06-07/eco-burial-grounds-and-home-funeral-options-on-the-rise/12262436

Donated to science has a few options, the obvious one is to be frozen & medico students get to hone the nessasary skills. an interesting one I heard of recently is referred to as a corpse farm where corpses are left to decay in various situations and are forensicly studied. A deferent take on laying around in the sun !

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Chris6791 said..

psychojoe said..
I googled this a while ago. According to my search, once you get the death certificate the laws regarding the disposal of the body are sparse and you're free to use it for backyard fertilizer. I vaguely remember a distance from shore required for sea burials.

Curiosity got the better of me, Google says quite the opposite, Cremation Act 1929 and the regs prohibit you cooking granny in an Ebay pottery kiln, then you've got the Cemeteries Act 1986 and its regs, the Health Act to cover public and private morgues, then you've got the Metropolitan Cemeteries board by-laws.

But good news, you can DIY the funeral except the cremation if you're willing to do all the paperwork and have somewhere approved to bury granny.

Yeah... Most people are better at Google than me. Unfortunately now that I've read your post I can no longer claim ignorance

We just did a fairly simple funeral for around $6K. That included everything....use of funeral chapel, basic coffin, crematorium, body transport and storage, paper work.

if you wanted absolute minimum, with no service, it would have been about $500 for collection and storage of the body, then roughly another $500 for the crematorium....some admin costs, I think you could do it for under $1500, then you just need to dispose of the ashes.

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japie said..
Very good business to be in as it's a service very few going to avoid! Guaranteed customers!

It's not something that has occupied my thoughts that much but there's a local business in Nambucca which has it's premises at the shopping center with a window facing the benches where a lot of old folk gather. Apparently there's a special for $1850. Now that my Ross River is abating I've ceased to take much notice.

It's a travesty that even in death you don't have the freedom to have your vacant carcass disposed on in the manner you wish but if you look at the bright side the last insult which the system throws at you falls on completely deaf ears and you literally cannot give a f^ck.

empty funds from account and pay by credit card may give you the last laugh ...

When I die I want to be scattered at Disneyland.
i do not want to be cremated.

Behind Rotto there is a ship's graveyard, it has also had a couple of official "burials at sea" recorded as taking place there over the years.
I presume these are "old salts" who didn't like the idea of rotting in a regular grave - but feeding crayfish was ok....

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decrepit said..
My wife reminds me about these people
www.tenderfunerals.org/about-tender-funerals/what-is-tender
Not for profit community based organisation.

I hadn't heard of this group. Thanks for posting. That's worth looking into for those struggling to see past the big conglomerates
Only thing I'd avoid is probably "monthly death dinners" on the WA site advert.

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decrepit said..

Mr Milk said..
>>Just a few sqm of tracking mirrors focusing on a platform or a tube where the body is laid to be barbecued away.
A trial project was built in India a few years ago.
You could do something similar with wind power. An electric furnace running off a small part of the output of just one turbine would do.

That's the way I want to go, so hopefully you have a few years to get it organised.

I was thinking along the lines of a funeral pyre on the beach constructed from all my old windsurfing gear. Should burn for days

These tree pods look like a great idea: www.thelivingurn.com/blogs/news/the-living-urn-continues-its-international-expansion-by-launching-in-australia

For starters they'd look worlds better than grave yards which always look so bloody morbid! Less chance of being disinterred too I imagine. I saw something once about how you're only guaranteed x number of years in a traditional graveyard. You could create a veritable food forest of trees planted in bodies.

Lets go and pick some Mangos off Uncle Phill or Grandma is ripening up nicely!

You could just sail toward the horizon on your last legs and get lost at sea. That would save the family some dough.

From funeral homes to brothels , there's money in stiffs dead or alive.Morgan Bros have the right idea

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Harrow said..
You could just sail toward the horizon on your last legs and get lost at sea. That would save the family some dough.

Not counting the million dollar marine search

Thanks for the burial at sea idea, sn, the dept of Ag, water and the environment controls such things. But it still seems restrictive and expensive.
So, cheap arse cremation on the beach then scatter the ashes at the Point during a still offshore to make sure everyone gets a pasting of Aunty Gerbil.

Might be easier not to tell anyone you're dead and organise whatever burial/pure/disposal you like. Might even get to keep collecting pay cheque's for a while too.

I was under the impression that when you die that's it, end of contract. End of interaction. If you know something different I'd love to hear it.

Might explain all those ghostly chaps. Still collecting a pay check so cannot move to the next step up the ladder, wandering around like lost souls!

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Harrow said..
You could just sail toward the horizon on your last legs and get lost at sea. That would save the family some dough.

lost at sea, I think it would be 7 years before a death certificate is issued so that means 7 years before your will can be finalised.

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Wineman said..
Had a pre-paid funeral (cremation) this week for MIL and it cost her $8,000 in 2014. Good and basic cost wise but def no hassle for us to organise - just a couple of phone calls.
Prob 10-15K now.

I'm been thinking of doing this when someone pisses me off- prepay for their funeral and send a copy of the paid invoice with a pre-booked date for the ceremony. I reckon it would scare the crap out of someone to get in the mail with no explanation...

Choice did article .. Most states have discount (less expensive product). Used Value Cremations in April.. $1200.00 .. Got quotes from 3 svs.. These people coordinated process.. Still went to one of the other facilities for cremation.. There quote was $2800 more for??? their admin fees i suppose... At the time 1.5 people and a budgie allowed to attend... So no ceremony....
I was going to help brother with some maintenance had trailer hitched... When picked up ashes from young lady.. She could see vehicle.. I said "ohh is that all what did you do with the rest.. I have bought the trailer??" The response.. ... Wicked...

Cheers
AP