Cemetery fees will increase from July 1 as a result of increasing costs the Queenstown Lakes District Council faces for burials.
A requirement of the cemetery bylaw is that the council review fees every 12 months. Last year's review showed the need for "further alignment" in fees to "cover actual direct cost of burials incurred by the council".
Rather than a large increase, the council has opted to carry out smaller increases.
Changes included the fee for monumental work increasing by $10 to $30, Saturday fees increasing by about $9, and burial fees for adults increasing by $10-$25.
There had been a "significant increase in the number of monumental permits for processing", which the council said needed to be addressed in the fee increases.
Parks manager Gordon Bailey said the processing took "some time", and sometimes consultation with contractors was necessary.
"People apply for a permit to erect a headstone and some of them are quite elaborate and we need to seek engineering advice."
Council has not increased plot purchase, maintenance and out-of-district fees for three years, and will review these once the new Lower Shotover cemetery opens next year.
