A Christchurch company is looking into importing an environmentally-friendly body-dissolver from the United Kingdom. (Video published February 2019).

Water cremations – dissolving a body in a liquid, leaving just bone fragments – could become possible in New Zealand under proposed changes to the law.

On Friday, the Ministry of Health opened consultation on modernising New Zealand's laws around death, burial and funerals, looking at burial and cemetery management, the funeral industry and potential new methods of body disposal.

The review said there was an increasing demand for natural burials, "do-it-yourself" funerals or other non-traditional approaches.

LAWRENCE SMITH/STUFF New Zealand's death, funerals, burial and cremation laws are up for review (file photo).

One possibility outlined was water cremation, or alkaline hydrolysis – using rapidly heated alkaline solution to dissolve a body.

READ MORE:

* Kiwi firm wants to dissolve dead bodies, as an alternative to burial and cremation

* Waikumete Cemetery Open Day to demystify and educate about death

* Advocate laid to rest in natural burial

The move follows a Law Commission report which found the Burial and Cremation Act (1964) was "outdated", "overly specific" and not fit for modern New Zealand.

The wording of the current laws made it difficult to respond to trends in society impacting post-death decisions, such as differences in family relationships, gender and sexuality, the commission found in 2015.

Mytchall Bransgrove/Stuff Demand for natural burials and other non-traditional methods of body disposal are on the rise, but our laws are not fit for purpose, according to the Ministry of Health (file photo).

The public, industry and stakeholders are now able to have their say on the Government's response to the findings, including if they were aware of any methods of body disposal that could be made available in New Zealand.

Earlier this year, a Christchurch company announced plans to import a water cremation machine, touted as a more environmentally friendly and sustainable method than burial or cremation.

Water cremation was legal in Canada and the United States, but our law was unclear, the review said.

There were no systems to assess the safety of potential new body disposal methods, and no protections to preserve the dignity of the deceased, it said.

123rf The consultation document asks whether people should be told what funeral costs are upfront, to prevent dissatisfaction with services.

This raised questions about whether providers of new methods of body disposal could be liable for prosecution.

The ministry also proposed changes to the way the death certification process was carried out and the way the funeral services industry was regulated.

Under the current law there was "limited" protection or recourse available for people who were unhappy with the funeral service they received, the review said.

People were asked whether they thought funeral directors and embalmers should be registered and regulated by the government, and if it should be compulsory to inform consumers about the costs of funeral services.

Consultation would help develop "modern, fit-for-purpose legislation that meets the needs of people living and dying in New Zealand", the ministry's director of public health Dr Caroline McElnay said.

"Everyone will be affected by laws relating to death, funerals, burials and cremation, so it's really important people tell us what they think these laws should cover."

Consultation is open until February 28, 2020.