Cardboard Coffins Now Permitted in Canberra

Along with energy/water efficient technologies, and building/transport options at the Canberra home and leisure show last October were cardboard coffins. But the ACT Government did not permit cremation in them (burying was okay). Janine Toscan from Toscan Dinn Funerals had a petition asking for the rules to be changed.

The rules were changed 24 April 2007 to allow cardboard coffins:

The new Code removes any legislative impediment to the use of cardboard coffins, although such coffins (like all other coffins) must satisfy the requirements of the Cemeteries and Crematoria Regulation 2003 and the Cemeteries and Crematoria (Containers for Burial) Approval 2004 (No 1) NI2004-332 and the Cemeteries and Crematoria (Containers for Cremation) Approval 2004 (No 1) NI2004-333. ...

The provision removes the requirements of the previous code that effectively stopped the use of cardboard coffins for cremation. ...

From: Cemeteries and Crematoria (Code of Practice) Approval 2007, Disallowable instrument DI2007–100, made under the Cemeteries and Crematoria Act 2003, section 6 (Codes of Practice), ACT Parliamentary Counsel