Ashes interment options

Council offers a variety of options for ashes interments in our cemeteries.  Please note, council does not offer cremations - Please discuss cremation services with your funeral director or local crematorium.

After a cremation has taken place, council can assist families who are making the choice of the resting place of their loved one’s ashes.  Ashes interments can be arranged either directly through council or through your chosen funeral director.

Following are the available options for ashes in our cemeteries;

Ashes scattering

The scattering of ashes is permitted in all council cemeteries, however council do ask that ashes are scattered on grassed areas only, not over the top of any concrete, headstone or monument.  Should you wish to have the ashes scattering recorded in council’s database, an application will need to be made and the appropriate fee paid.  For further information on this please contact council on 1300 622 529 or email council@mackay.qld.gov.au

Ashes burials in new or existing plots

All plots have the provision for up to eight ashes burials.  Should you wish to have your loved ones’ ashes interred into a new or existing plot, you will need to complete a cemetery application form and lodge with council along with the prescribed fee.  If you are arranging ashes to be interred into an existing plot, the application must be signed by either the Deed Holder or by an authorised family representative.

For ashes burials into existing graves, please ensure you note on your application with whom you would like the ashes interred – if you require existing plot details, please contact council.

Our cemetery staff require a minimum three business days’ notice of your preferred date and time for the burial to take place to ensure effective scheduling around cemetery maintenance and other funeral services.

Should you wish to arrange an ashes burial in a new or existing plot, please complete a cemetery application form, or alternatively seek the services of a funeral director who can arrange this with council on your behalf.

Your completed application can be lodged along with your payment in person at any of our customer service centres in Mackay, Mirani or Sarina.  Alternatively, you can send your application in via email to council@mackay.qld.gov.au; in this instance, council will contact you to arrange a phone payment of your application. Please note, no arrangements or plaque orders will be made until payment has been received.

Brick columbarium walls (available at all cemeteries except Mackay Cemetery)

All council cemeteries except Mackay Cemetery have columbarium walls available for ashes interments.

A single or double niche can be purchased either at the time of interment, or pre-purchased and reserved for a future interment.  They can also be purchased as a memorial only.  The brick walls in Mirani and Walkerston are our only walls with double-sized niches which have the provision for two sets of ashes to be interred together. On all other walls, you can purchase two single niches side by side should you require.

Ashes are placed inside the niche in an urn or alternate box organised through the crematorium.  All niches are enclosed with a brass or brass-coloured plaque (see plaque options).

All plaques for our columbarium walls are ordered through council and can take up to six weeks to arrive. The cost of the plaque is included in the purchase price of the niche.

Brass plaques are available in a variety of colours and there is also a wide range of graphics available should you choose. There is the option to have a photo attached to a brass plaque. If you require a photo to be attached this must be indicated on your application form. You then need to engage a stone-mason to prepare your chosen photo.

Available colours and graphics can be found here.

In addition, there is the option of purchasing a columbarium wall vase. This is a small vase that is attached to the wall beside your niche to hold flowers. These vases are narrow but are able to hold one thick stemmed flower or a small bouquet of fresh or artificial flowers.

Granite columbarium wall (Walkerston Cemetery only)

Walkerston Cemetery is home to council’s first granite columbarium wall.  This is a two-sided wall with both east and west facing sides.  This particular wall has only single-sized niches but you are able to purchase two side by side.

As with our brick walls, niches can be purchased at the time of arranging an interment or pre-purchased and reserved for future use.

Niche’s on our granite wall are enclosed with a black granite-etched plaque.  Vases, graphics and colours available on brass plaques are not available on this particular wall.  For an extra fee, photos can be attached.  Should you wish to have a photo attached to a plaque on the granite wall, this must be arranged with our local granite plaque supplier Enduring Memorials.

There are set layouts available for Granite Wall Plaques which can be found here.

Should you wish to arrange the purchase of a columbarium wall niche, or arrange for the interment of ashes into an existing reserved niche, please complete a cemetery application form, or alternatively seek the services of a funeral director who can arrange this with council on your behalf.

Your completed application can be lodged along with your payment in person at any of our customer service centres in Mackay, Mirani or Sarina.  Alternatively, you can send your application in via email to council@mackay.qld.gov.au; in this instance, council will contact you to arrange a phone payment of your application. Please note, no arrangements or plaque orders will be made until payment has been received.

Columbarium wall costs

The purchase cost of a columbarium wall niche is all inclusive of the niche, plaque and ashes interment (be it now or in the future).  Please refer to cemetery fees and charges for current costs relating to columbarium walls

Garden of Memories (Mount Bassett Cemetery only)

Mount Bassett is council’s only cemetery with memorial gardens available called the Garden of Memories.  Sites in the Garden of Memories can be purchased as memorial only sites or, for an additional fee, ashes can be interred at the purchased site.  Most sites have the provision for two sets of ashes to be interred either separately or at the same time.

A site can be purchased either at the time of an interment or alternatively are able to be pre-purchased and reserved for future use.

The purchase of a Garden of Memories site includes a basic formica plaque.  The standard formica plaque does not have any colour choices, cannot have any graphics or photos and can contain a maximum five lines of text. The size of the plaque is 75mm x 50mm.

Upgrades to a brass or brass-coloured plaque for the Garden of Memories is available, and an additional charge applies. The plaque will be to a maximum size of 150mm x 200mm and can include a photo and up to eight lines of text.  Should you choose to upgrade to a brass plaque, the available graphics and colours can be found here.

Should you wish to arrange the purchase of a Garden of Memories site, or arrange for the burial of ashes into a reserved site, please complete a cemetery application form, or alternatively seek the services of a funeral director who can arrange this with council on your behalf.

Your completed application can be lodged along with your payment in person at any of our customer service centres in Mackay, Mirani or Sarina.  Alternatively, you can send your application in via email to council@mackay.qld.gov.au; in this instance, council will contact you to arrange a phone payment of your application. Please note, no arrangements or plaque orders will be made until payment has been received.

Useful links and forms