Burial at sea

Disposing of an uncremated body at sea is regulated under federal law: the Sea Dumping Act. An application on a prescribed form must be made to Environment Australia. Although the act states that a fee of $1000 must be lodged with the application, the Minister has the power to waive the fee, and while the number of sea burials in Australia is only 3 or 4 per year, this is normal practice.

Bodies for burial at sea must be prepared in accordance with the Ship Captain's Medical Guide. This involves weighting the body and sewing it into a strong shroud with several openings to allow putrefaction gases and trapped air to escape.

The site of the burial must be arranged with Environment Australia, who will confirm the location with other agencies including, NSW Fisheries, NSW Department of Transport, NSW Environmental Protection Agency, Commonwealth Fisheries, Commonwealth Hydrographer and Commonwealth Maritime Safety Officer.

Environment Australia will try to grant a permit within a few days, but it is helpful if contact is made with the Department prior to the death.

The main criteria in determining a site for sea burial are that the body will not be carried inshore by currents, or be retrieved by fishing activities. This means that the body must be submerged in water of depth greater than 1000 m, which around Sydney, dictates that the burial will be more than 60 km off the mainland.