End of life planning

How does planning ahead help?

We want to help you effectively plan your end of life options and select a resting place where your loved ones will want to come visit.

We are passionate about providing sensitive and personalised customer service and the relevant information you need to navigate these difficult decisions. We are here to support you to make informed decisions about how you want your life honoured and celebrated.

As caretakers of Canberra Memorial Parks and the ACT’s first and only public crematorium, we strive to educate the community about current cremation processes, traditional and emerging burial choices, like natural burials, and how we can facilitate your family, cultural and religious traditions.

There are many ways in which planning ahead can benefit you and those around you, including:

• reducing the emotional and financial burden on your family by making the arrangements yourself.
• deciding how you want your life to be celebrated, memorialised and where you would like your loved ones to visit in the future.
• creating peace of mind that your arrangements will be taken care of, so your family can have the time they need to mourn and celebrate your life.

What can I plan in advance?

By planning in advance you can personalise your memorialisation and ensure that your loved ones have less to think about while they are coming to terms with your passing. Questions that we commonly assist people with include:

• Do I want to be buried or cremated?
• Where and how would I like to be buried?
• Do I want a funeral service and/or wake? If so, where would I like it held?
• Do I want religious, cultural or family traditions observed?
• Where would I like my family and friends to visit/pay their respects when I am gone?
• Can I prepay my allotment or cremation to reduce expenses for my family or to secure my place of rest?

For more information see the End of life planning brochure (PDF 2.6MB).