People wanting to scatter their loved one's ashes on Mt Taranaki must consult with the Department of Conservation or local iwi before doing so.

Mountaineer Ian McAlpine said he has seen at least five piles of human ashes tipped out near the summit or beside the tracks on the mountain's lower walkways over the last 18 months.

"I don't have a problem with them doing it, they just need to be more discreet about where they are placing them," he said.

"They are definitely human ashes. If you've seen human ashes before it can't be anything other than that.

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"It's just not a good look when people are walking past there all the time.

"The bylaw says that they should consult iwi before scattering any ashes," McApline said.

Liana Poutu of Te Atiawa iwi – one of eight iwi in Taranaki with interests in the mountain – said the first point of call for anyone wanting to dispose of ashes on the mountain would be the DOC management team for the park.

Poutu said there were strong guidelines in DOC's management plan about engaging with tangata whenua before scattering any ashes.

"The scattering of ashes conflicts with our cultural values on the mountain.

"For Maori when someone passes away there's a level of tapu placed over them.

"Everything to do with that deceased person has certain cultural practices which need to be adhered to.

"In terms of scattering of ashes, why it would conflict is because you can't be sure where those ashes would turn up.

"They could end up in food sources or waterways which are places we wouldn't expect to have to apply cultural practices for the deceased," Poutu said.

Rob needs of Taranaki mountain guiding company Top Guides said while he had never seen any scattered human ash on the mountain he had heard of people doing it.

"It's something you know is happening out there," he said.

"I agree that there needs to a consultation with iwi and I think they would be quite alarmed to find out people have been doing it without consent.

"If Top Guides received a request to assist someone with disposal of ashes we wouldn't undertake that without the consent of iwi."

Needs said the summit was probably the most obvious place for people to scatter ashes but there were places all over the mountain which held specific importance to individuals.

"I think people understand it's a controversial thing to do so they are unlikely to make it known that that's what they're doing," he said.

Jill Fearn of Park View Funeral Home in New Plymouth, said the cost of burial plots at a graveyards were rising.

"I would say the cost of a plot has risen 75 per cent in the last 5 years, it now costs $3430 for the plot alone and another $1800 for the actual internment," she said.

"We are seeing that more people opt to cremate their loved ones because the price of burial is too expensive.

She said they did not have any guidelines for people wanting to scatter their ashes.

"I think that's up to the people themselves," she said.