The Australian Natural Burial Authority Inc.

The Australian Natural Burial Authority Inc. is a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting ecologically sustainable end-of-life services within Australia. Established to advance the model of natural burial, the Authority serves as a trustee for associated charitable trusts that work toward environmentally responsible burial practices.

History and Purpose

The organization’s mission builds upon foundational efforts dating back to the early 2000s, notably influenced by sustainability advocates and funeral industry consultants who sought to encourage natural burial methods across Australia. The establishment of supportive legislation in 2014 enabled renewed efforts to create and manage natural burial sites, such as the Aldinga Arts Eco-Village Natural Burial Ground, the first stand-alone natural burial facility in South Australia under the new legal framework.

The Authority’s work focuses on providing trustee services to associated trusts that implement projects promoting natural burial options that minimize environmental impact, encourage landscape-scale revegetation, and foster conservation of natural habitats. This includes the development of a national network of natural burial grounds and community mortuaries dedicated to ecological restoration.

Activities

Through its trustee role, the Australian Natural Burial Authority facilitates the administration and oversight of charitable trusts that develop and maintain natural burial sites. These activities support:

• The creation and management of burial grounds that forbid embalming and non-biodegradable materials, adhering to ecological standards.
• Promotion and support of landscape-scale revegetation programs that accompany natural burial practices.
• Advocacy and education about natural burial options that allow for natural decomposition and environmental conservation.

Context

Natural burial, as practiced and promoted by the Authority, involves interring bodies in a manner that does not inhibit decomposition and supports ecological sustainability. This approach aligns with global natural burial movements that emphasize conservation burial grounds, where burial sites double as preserved natural ecosystems.

Significance

The Australian Natural Burial Authority Inc. represents a key institutional effort in Australia to embed environmentally sustainable practices in funeral services, contributing to broader ecological and cultural shifts toward greener death care options. Its work supports the restoration of natural landscapes through burial practices that honor both the deceased and the environment.

This summary is based on information from the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission and related natural burial initiatives documented in Australia[1][2][3][4].

[1] https://www.acnc.gov.au/charity/charities/4a460f73-598b-ea11-a811-000d3ad1f29c/profile [2] https://www.acnc.gov.au/charity/charities/4a460f73-598b-ea11-a811-000d3ad1f29c/documents/f7d21358-47ba-ee11-9078-00224893bd39 [3] https://www.australiannaturalburialproject.org [4] https://www.australiannaturalburialproject.org/about_us [5] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural_burial