By his own telling, French-Australian Bertrand Cadart has led "an incredible" life.

Key points: Former regional Tasmanian mayor Betrand Cadart takes comfort from keeping his own coffin in his loungeroom

Former regional Tasmanian mayor Betrand Cadart takes comfort from keeping his own coffin in his loungeroom The 71-year-old organised a living wake and his own burial plot after a terminal cancer diagnosis

The 71-year-old organised a living wake and his own burial plot after a terminal cancer diagnosis Advocates for better community discussions around death have applauded his approach

The motorbike enthusiast served as a mayor on Tasmania's east coast, worked for the ABC's Radio Australia, and even had a bit-part in the original Mad Max film alongside Mel Gibson.

Now, following a terminal cancer diagnosis, Mr Cadart has installed a large red coffin at his home in the Sunshine Coast hinterland.

"It's not because I was morbid or anything like that," he said.

"It was more about my children. I thought, 'OK, I am lucky enough to at least have an idea of when I'm going to die', so I have no excuse not to try to make it as easy as possible for my two children.

"Especially with the mechanics of it all. Funerals are incredibly stressful, very expensive, and it has to be done very quickly, because you can't say, 'Oh well, we'll take six months to bury Father' — Jesus, pee-eew!"

Mr Cadart's coffin is made of cardboard and painted the exact pantone colour of a red Ferrari.

"I bought a cardboard coffin because I wanted something that would dissolve quickly," he said.

"I never wanted to be cremated. You know; earth to earth, dust to dust. I like that."

Bertrand Cadart said he arranged his coffin well before his death because he wanted to take pressure off his children. ( ABC News: Jacqui Street )

The 71-year-old said he liked the idea that the coffin would take about nine months to break down in the earth.

"I think it's good that you come from nothingness and then one day you end up being a shrimp in some female womb, and you take months before [becoming] a little person," he said.

"And I figured out it should take about the same time for when you've done your dash to go back to nothingness."

Mr Cadart said seeing the coffin in his home actually helped him remain positive about his illness, by reminding him that he was still alive.

"Sometimes I watch TV and I walk by my coffin and I tap it on my way to the dunny and I say, 'Not quite yet, mate, not quite yet!'" he said.

A living wake

The self-described flamboyant Frenchman has gone further than just living with his coffin — he has arranged a headstone, a plaque, and a burial plot near his Mapleton home.

"I organised all the legal stuff for my kids so it's all done, signed and delivered," Mr Cadart said.

"I bought my plot, paid for [it and] picked it at the graveyard. All we have to do now is dig it.

"I've got the gravestone ready and I've got the plaque to go on the gravestone ready."

Bertrand Cadart says he wanted to celebrate his 'intense and interesting life' with friends in a living wake. ( Supplied: P4 Production Company, France )

Mr Cadart said he agreed to hold a living wake in his garden, after his daughter mentioned the growing popularity of living ceremonies in the United States.

"We got two musicians — a fiddler and a guitarist," he said.

"It was not like a big music band or rock and roll, but we didn't want this to end up being a sad thing.

"We wanted this to sort of say, 'Well look, you know, I had an intense and incredibly challenging and interesting life and let's have a drink about it'."

Mr Cadart said it was "uncharted territory" because neither he nor the guests had ever attended a live wake.

"So some of my guests confessed after, [they only] came to see what this would be like, because it is so unusual," he said.

"When we left, we offered coffee next to my tombstone, we offered people to sign my coffin — when I was not there.

"Many people said it was a great idea. I think it was an eye-opener. A great adventure and a great experience."

Facing death without being 'too scared'

Bertrand Cadart organised a plaque for his gravesite, which he hoped would entertain others at the cemetery. ( ABC News: Jacqui Street )

Mr Cadart said he lost his Catholic faith at 18 and it never returned, so he had "made his bed with atheism and now had to lie in it".

He said he took comfort from his colourful life.

As Glamorgan Spring Bay mayor, Mr Cadart made headlines for refusing a mayoral car — opting instead for a scooter.

In 2014 he courted controversy when he was quoted describing some inhabitants of the town of Triabunna as "the most bogan of bogans".

Mr Cadart said he also had a run for State and Federal Parliament.

"This life of mine has been so intense, I'm not saying easy, but intense, so that really it appears that it's not that difficult to go," he said.

His approach to embrace the end of his life and get organised had put death into perspective.

"To try to not be too scared, not be too depressed, not be too panicking," Mr Cadart said.

"At least I'll go with a bang."

'He's a role model'

Mr Cadart's approach has been applauded by Gillian Hall, founder of Compassionate Communities Sunshine Coast, an organisation trying to promote positive community discussions around death and funerals.

"Let's have more people like that," Ms Hall said.

"That's really such a healthy way of looking at it, because one thing we know for sure is that we're all going to die.

"We don't know whether it's going to be sooner or later, but it's really great to see somebody who is spending their time thinking about what they would really like, bringing people together, and showing us that we really can do it."

Bertrand Cadart had a non-speaking role of 'Clunk' in the original Mad Max film. ( Supplied: Bertrand Cadart )

Ms Hall said Mr Cadart was helping his family and friends with the grieving process, by making clear plans and discussing them openly.

"As much as there's going to be sadness and whatever, I think there's probably going to be a great joy at being part of that process," she said.

"So he's a great leader, a role model for us to think about."

Ms Hall said coffin clubs and events such as 'Dying to Know Day' showed there was a "hunger" in many Australian communities for alternative approaches to funerals, such as live wakes.

"When it comes to funerals, we probably have just accepted for a long time that the way we do it is through larger funeral homes and that sort of thing," Ms Hall said.

"But I hear a lot about people concerned about sustainability and eco choices.

"People are starting to look at what's being offered, and to help people understand that something meaningful doesn't necessarily mean spending a lot of money."

Ms Hall praised Mr Cadart for sharing his plans, and hoped it would encourage others.

"People often quietly say 'Well, actually, their loved one didn't have a funeral in the sense of what everyone sort of does', but they still have in some way done something to come together, but we don't hear those stories," she said.

"So I'd love to think that we have an opportunity to share some of those stories.