(1) In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires,—
body means a dead human body and includes the body of a stillborn child
burial ground means a denominational burial ground or a private burial ground; but does not include a Maori burial ground
cemetery means any land held, taken, purchased, acquired, set apart, dedicated, or reserved, under the provisions of any Act or before the commencement of this Act, exclusively for the burial of the dead generally, and, where the context so permits, includes a closed cemetery
closed cemetery means a cemetery which has been closed by a closing order and closed burial ground has a corresponding meaning
closing order means an order made under paragraph (a) of subsection (1) of section 41 before 1 January 1969, or a notice published under that paragraph after that date, or an Order in Council made under any corresponding former provision
coroner's authorisation, in relation to a body, means an authorisation by a coroner under section 42 of the Coroners Act 2006 for the release of the body
corporation, in relation to a local authority, means that local authority as constituted a body corporate by section 12 of the Local Government Act 2002
cremation means the reduction to ashes of dead bodies by burning
crematorium means appliances and machinery and furnaces for effecting cremation, and includes any building in which any such appliances, machinery, or furnaces are fixed
dead foetus has the meaning given to it in section 2 of the Births, Deaths, Marriages, and Relationships Registration Act 1995
denominational burial ground means any land, outside the boundaries of a cemetery, held, purchased, acquired, set apart, or dedicated, under the provisions of any Act or before the commencement of this Act, for the burial of the dead belonging to 1 or more religious denominations
disposal includes burial and cremation
doctor means a health practitioner who is, or is deemed to be, registered with the Medical Council of New Zealand continued by section 114(1)(a) of the Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Act 2003 as a practitioner of the profession of medicine
doctor's certificate, in relation to a death or a body, means a doctor's certificate referred to in section 46B or 46C relating to the cause of death or, as the case may require, the cause of death of the person whose body it is
funeral director means a person whose business is or includes disposing of bodies
give a doctor's certificate, in relation to a person's death, means complete and sign a doctor's certificate and give it to the person having charge of the person's body
guardian means a person appointed to be a guardian under section 14
manager means the manager of a denominational burial ground
Maori burial ground means any land set apart for the purposes of a burial ground under section 439 of the Maori Affairs Act 1953 or any corresponding former provision
midwife means a health practitioner who is, or is deemed to be, registered with the Midwifery Council established by section 114(3) of the Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Act 2003 as a practitioner of the profession of midwifery
Minister means the Minister of Health
monument includes any tombstone, headstone, memorial, kerbing, or other erection
private burial ground means a parcel of land declared to be a private burial ground under the provisions of the Cemeteries Amendment Act 1912
religious denomination means the adherents of any religion and includes any church, sect, or other subdivision of such adherents
stillborn child has the same meaning as in section 2 of the Births, Deaths, Marriages, and Relationships Registration Act 1995
trustees means the trustees of a cemetery or of a private burial ground, as the case may require, and, for all the purposes of this Act in relation to the rights, powers, and duties conferred or imposed on managers by this Act, includes managers
unavailable means dead, unknown, missing, of unsound mind, or unable to act by virtue of a medical condition.
(2) Notwithstanding the definitions of cemetery and denominational burial ground in subsection (1) no parcel of land shall be deemed not to be a cemetery or a denominational burial ground only because a crematorium has been erected or is proposed to be erected within its boundaries.
Compare: 1908 No 19 s 2; 1926 No 23 s 2
Section 2(1) closing order: amended, on 1 January 1969, by section 2 of the Burial and Cremation Amendment Act 1968 (1968 No 71).
Section 2(1) coroner's authorisation: inserted, on 24 January 2009, by section 47 of the Births, Deaths, Marriages, and Relationships Registration Amendment Act 2008 (2008 No 48).
Section 2(1) corporation: substituted, on 1 July 2003, by section 262 of the Local Government Act 2002 (2002 No 84).
Section 2(1) dead foetus: inserted, on 24 January 2009, by section 47 of the Births, Deaths, Marriages, and Relationships Registration Amendment Act 2008 (2008 No 48).
Section 2(1) disposal: inserted, on 24 January 2009, by section 47 of the Births, Deaths, Marriages, and Relationships Registration Amendment Act 2008 (2008 No 48).
Section 2(1) doctor: inserted, on 18 September 2004, by section 175(1) of the Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Act 2003 (2003 No 48).
Section 2(1) doctor's certificate: inserted, on 24 January 2009, by section 47 of the Births, Deaths, Marriages, and Relationships Registration Amendment Act 2008 (2008 No 48).
Section 2(1) funeral director: inserted, on 24 January 2009, by section 47 of the Births, Deaths, Marriages, and Relationships Registration Amendment Act 2008 (2008 No 48).
Section 2(1) give a doctor's certificate: inserted, on 24 January 2009, by section 47 of the Births, Deaths, Marriages, and Relationships Registration Amendment Act 2008 (2008 No 48).
Section 2(1) local authority: substituted, on 1 July 2003, by section 262 of the Local Government Act 2002 (2002 No 84).
Section 2(1) midwife: inserted, on 18 September 2004, by section 175(1) of the Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Act 2003 (2003 No 48).
Section 2(1) stillborn child: substituted, on 28 July 1997, by section 2 of the Burial and Cremation Amendment Act 1997 (1997 No 36).
Section 2(1) stillborn child: amended, on 24 January 2009, by section 47 of the Births, Deaths, Marriages, and Relationships Registration Amendment Act 2008 (2008 No 48).
Section 2(1) unavailable: added, on 24 January 2009, by section 47 of the Births, Deaths, Marriages, and Relationships Registration Amendment Act 2008 (2008 No 48).