Institutional Burials (Amendment) Bill 2022

Public bill · Private Member · Introduced

The proposed law would broaden the powers under the 2022 Institutional Burials Act so investigations can go ahead even when the exact burial place is unknown, if there is reasonable evidence that improper burials likely took place in an institutional setting. It would also let relatives who believe their family member may be buried on the main burial land say they prefer an excavation, and it removes a rule that could block that process. It matters because it could help uncover the truth about hidden or poorly recorded burials and give families a clearer role in what happens next.

Formal long title

Bill entitled an Act to amend the Institutional Burials Act 2022 to enable the Director of Authorised Intervention to engage in cases where precise burial places cannot be identified but where inappropriate burials are likely to have taken place in an institutional setting, to provide for cases where persons who consider that they are related to persons thought to be buried on principal burial land indicate that an excavation of the land is their preference, and to provide for related matters.

Last updated 26 February 2026