Can You Choose Water Cremation (Aquamation) in Australia?

Detailed Explanation

Water cremation (usually called aquamation in Australia) uses warm water and alkali instead of flame, and returns ashes to the family just as flame cremation does. How the process works, and how it compares with flame cremation, is covered in what is water cremation (aquamation). This page covers the Australian side: where it's legal, how few places offer it, and what that means when you're making arrangements.

Which states allow it

There's no national rule. The disposal of bodies is a state and territory matter, so each jurisdiction's cremation law decides whether water cremation counts. As of 2026 it is regulated and offered in Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania and South Australia.

Two states show how it's been brought into existing law:

• New South Wales amended its public health regulations in 2011 so that "cremation" includes disposal of a body by alkaline hydrolysis. The ordinary cremation paperwork therefore applies.
• Tasmania's Burial and Cremation Regulations 2025 define alkaline hydrolysis and prescribe it as a means of cremation under the Burial and Cremation Act 2019. Tasmania's first facility, in Hobart, was reported by ABC News in June 2024.

In Western Australia, it has so far only been offered for pets. The ACT and Northern Territory have no local facility that we could identify, although providers based in NSW report serving ACT families.

How many places offer it

Very few. When the Hobart facility opened, ABC News reported it as one of only three water cremation facilities in Australia. A few more providers have appeared since, but it remains a small, specialist service. Most funeral homes can't perform it themselves; they arrange it through one of these facilities.

Part of the reason is practical rather than legal. Each facility needs approval to send the sterile liquid from the process to the wastewater system, and water authorities set their own conditions. That takes time and adds cost for new operators.

What it costs

There's no reliable national average yet. Where it's offered, aquamation is typically priced in the same range as flame cremation or somewhat above. Three things drive the difference:

• Distance to the facility. If the nearest facility is interstate or in another region, transporting the body can add significantly to the bill. See how much it costs to transport a body interstate for what's involved.
• The type of farewell. A direct, unattended aquamation costs far less than one with a full service beforehand, exactly as with flame cremation.
• The provider's own pricing. With so few operators, prices vary more than for flame cremation.

Treat any figure you see as time-sensitive and ask for an itemised quote. For how funeral costs break down generally, see how much a funeral costs in Australia.

Making arrangements

In practice, the steps look like any cremation:

1. Ask your funeral director directly whether they can arrange water cremation and which facility they use. If they can't, ask whether they'll work with a provider who can.
2. Check the distance and the timeline. Transport to a distant facility can add days as well as cost.
3. The usual cremation paperwork applies. In states that treat it as cremation, the same certificates and permits are needed. The funeral director or provider handles this.
4. Plan for the ashes as usual. Everything from interring to scattering ashes in Australia works the same way. Expect a slightly larger, paler quantity.

If what attracts you is a low-impact option generally, note that human composting is not legal anywhere in Australia as of 2026. Aquamation and natural burial are the two options you can actually arrange now.

Things to Consider

• Crossing a state border adds steps. The death is registered in the state where it happened, and the facility operates under its own state's cremation rules. An interstate facility may still be usable, but it takes more planning, and the funeral director will need to handle both sides.
• "Legal" and "nearby" are different questions. Even in states that regulate it, you may be a long drive from the only facility.
• A local alternative may meet the same wish. If the real wish was "the gentlest option available", a local flame cremation or a natural burial may honour it better than a costly transfer.
• Ask about the liquid if it's on anyone's mind. Providers are used to explaining how it's handled under their water authority approval.

Common Mistakes

• Assuming it's unavailable because the local funeral home doesn't offer it. Many can arrange it through a specialist provider; ask.
• Assuming every state treats it the same way. Cremation law is state-based, and availability differs even more than the law.
• Relying on an old price. With few providers and a changing market, quotes from a year or two ago may not hold.
• Leaving it unrecorded. If it's someone's wish, write it down with a fallback, because families rarely have time to track down a specialist provider in the first days after a death.