The Queensland Government has waived a ban on large funeral gatherings to allow up to 80 people to mourn the death of a "very significant" Indigenous leader in north Queensland.

Key points: Queensland Health gives permission for family to have 80 people at a Mackay funeral

Queensland Health gives permission for family to have 80 people at a Mackay funeral The funeral was for a man who was described as a "very significant" Indigenous elder

The funeral was for a man who was described as a "very significant" Indigenous elder Health Minister flags changing funeral rules to allow 10 mourners, not 10 people

The funeral was held in a Mackay cemetery this morning as the State Government announced it would make changes to allow at least 10 mourners at every funeral, a coronavirus rule that Health Minister Steven Miles said had been "the hardest, the most heartbreaking" to enforce.

Queensland's Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young said the funeral was for "a very significant elder for that community who has died and normally they would expect many, many hundreds if not thousands of people to attend".

Dr Young said the ban on large funerals had been "particularly hard". ( AAP: Glenn Hunt )

Dr Young said the local health service worked with the family and the local disaster management group on safeguards, including that it was held outside, that social distancing was maintained and that some of the attendees would remain in their cars.

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She said it also involved "making sure that no-one who attended is sick, limiting some of the people who are more vulnerable, limiting people from certain parts of Queensland attending — a whole range of strategies.

"A lot of work has been put in place to provide that assistance so that the funeral can go ahead."

Mayor 'gobsmacked' by decision

Mackay Mayor and Local Disaster Management Group chairman Greg Williamson said they were notified two days before the funeral was due to take place.

"To say we were gobsmacked was an understatement," he said.

Police cordoned off the cemetery and enforced social distancing. ( ABC News: Tim Shepherd )

"We've done everything we can possibly do, having been dealt this by the Chief Health Officer of Queensland."

Councillor Williamson said the funeral was fully attended and additional mourners had to be turned away.

About half a dozen police cordoned off the funeral, they blocked the road into the cemetery, enforced social distancing and made sure guest left immediately.

Mackay Mayor Greg Williamson says the family did everything right, but believes others in the community will want the same treatment. ( ABC News: Angel Parsons )

Community policing people were also there, as well as about six health officials who took temperatures of the attendees and handed out masks.

Councillor Williams said the family went through the right channels to get approval for the funeral but hoped it did not set a precedent for other funerals of a similar size to go ahead, adding that it was "a huge ask on resources".

"We know the gravity of the whole situation, it was an Indigenous elder and it was probably going to be a big funeral regardless," he said.

"Unfortunately for anyone who is going to bury their [loved one] in the next couple of weeks, they're going to be wanting to say 'well what about me?'".

Deputy Opposition Leader Tim Mander said the decision to grant the exemption was "wrong".

Mr Mander says the exemption is not fair on other families who are suffering. ( ABC News: Josh Bavas )

"It's important that the rules are applied equally and consistently to everybody in Queensland," he said.

"To grant 60 or 70 extra people at a funeral flies in the face of every message that's been communicated to Queenslanders over the last couple of weeks."

Queensland to bring funeral laws in line with other states

Under state public health directions, funerals can have no more than 10 people attend, unless granted an exemption by the Chief Health Officer.

Dr Young said of all the decisions around social restrictions she has made, the ban on large funerals had been "particularly hard".

The funeral at a cemetery in Mackay was at capacity, with many turned away. ( ABC News: Tim Shephard )

"Especially some of the funerals that have been so tragic, of young children who were run over by accident and then there's a family with parents, and grandparents," she said.

Mr Miles said the Government had "carefully considered" a number of other funeral exemption requests.

He said the Government would soon change its rules around funerals from 10 people to 10 mourners — not including funeral directors or others officiating — in line with other states.

"We really are trying to be as understanding as we possibly can but funerals are high risk events," he said.