00:00:00
Speaker 1: Now ready. There's a debate going on around an option for you when you die. It is human composting and whether it should be legalized in Australia. I don't know where your mind goes when I think of human composting, but the visuals aren't aren't amazing, but it is a growing trend. It is a genuine option that some people are really interested in, obviously, you know, giving back to the earth and sort of being useful I guess your body being useful after you die and nourishing continue to nourish the earth. And it is a really interesting debate on whether that should be legal if it's an option that Australia should be considering.
00:00:43
Speaker 2: Well, we'd love to get your thoughts, folks, and we'll give away a beer and barbecue festival double pass. What would you like to happen once you leave this earth? Would you like to be buried, cremated, or perhaps human composting or any other ideas? Eight double two to three double o double ow is the number? Otherwise send us a text on zero double four eight zero eight thirteen ninety five. It's not something I've thought about, probably enough to be honest, Kate, But one thing I didn't realize, for example, is you have to keep paying for your plot if you've been buried well after you die. So what happens, for example.
00:01:15
Speaker 1: If you can continues, the rent continues the kids exactly, the.
00:01:20
Speaker 2: Kids stop paying for example.
00:01:22
Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, it can get really tricky. But to bring us in on the conversation a little bit more is Ben Kelly from Australian Cemeteries and Crematory Association. Good morning to.
00:01:31
Speaker 3: You, Ben, Good morning to you both. Thank you for having me on.
00:01:34
Speaker 1: Well, first of all, you need to tell us exactly what is human Compostingy's.
00:01:40
Speaker 3: Probably interesting topic for Breakfast Radio. Yeah. Human composting essentially, or natural organic reduction is essentially fast forwarding sort of the process that happened naturally. So in the States it's legal at the moment, and they're placing you into a vessel along with woodship straw and loosen and then over a period of around thirty to ninety days, you know, the microbes in your body break down the organic matter and then they keep processing it and then eventually, sort of after that ninety days, you're left with about a cubic meter of soil compost. I guess that can be used. So it's just essentially fast tracking what would happen in natural burial. Instead of over multiple years, it's happening over a couple of months.
00:02:25
Speaker 1: And where is this practice already being done around the world?
00:02:30
Speaker 3: So at the moment, it's legal in a number of states in the US, and there's more sort of looking at it, and then Germany as well it's legal, and then there's a couple other countries around the world, including Australia and New Zealand kind of looking and saying is this a viable option? Is this something that we should add to the mix?
00:02:46
Speaker 2: I guess, And so it needs the legislation to support this, Ben and I guess. One of the other questions is why would people go down this path? Is it more cost effective or is it something that they just want to do as a matter of choice.
00:03:02
Speaker 3: People are becoming a bit more aware and sort of wanting to do something different than your traditional We're talking about death and saying, well what do I do when I pass away? And options like this alcoali hydrolysis, You know, people look at it and go, I want to do something different. Maybe they've got that more environmental element to it. Saying they want to give back or I just like the idea. It's a more in their minds, a more peaceful sort of gentle way to go. And to give back, as you're saying earlier, you know, give back is to leave that legacy, you help regenerate a forest or plant out an area. So it's just a different option. And some people you also just don't like the idea of that traditional kind of burial or cremation.
00:03:40
Speaker 1: And I gain I guess that was my next question. I mean, would I be ending up on somebody's rose garden or where does one go when they've become compost?
00:03:49
Speaker 3: Yeah, and that's I guess the importance of legislation and why you know we're working with a like to Feel in Australia to make sure that your legislation is done properly, because you're going to make sure things like what happens with the stall is included in those that legislation. Some places restricted and state the stool can only go to certain detonated parks or nature areas. Others are saying, or you can take it home, so you know it's unlikely. You don't want man to spread on the tomatoes type thing, but that you know, that's what we're trying to make sure that it's done properly and that you know, it's in controlled environment, so people are aware that if you are going to the park, you kind of know what's in the soil if your dog's rolling around it.
00:04:28
Speaker 2: And how seriously is the government considering passing legislation to the spend and I guess what timeline would it take for it to be passed if it does get introduced. So at the.
00:04:38
Speaker 3: Moments only in New South Wales Parliament there are members. Bill was raised just on Thursday, so they're just investigating it now and right into it. You know what we what we've been saying, we say, alongside with our industry partners in Australias, do not rush it, take the time to work with the industry, don't do a knee jerk reaction because unfortunately, if you don't put proper things in place, you run the risk that you're going to get some rogue operators and people not doing it ethically. So we want to make sure it's done properly and that it meets the needs of everyone.
00:05:08
Speaker 2: Using it and be as it stands. What do you find in terms of percentage, it might be difficult to weigh up. But in terms of people that are buried as opposed to being cremated, where does it sit currently, How popular is one against the other.
00:05:21
Speaker 3: So the moment you're roughly looking around Australia around seventy five to eighty percent cremation. That varies depending on where in Australia are and people's access to a cremator. So and it has been so steadily increasing, you know some places, for example, I'm in Southeast Queensland at the moment and it's around eighty five percent areas here. So people do prefer their cremation a number of reasons. You know, cost can be a factor some people, you know, we're very we like to move around. People don't want to be sort of locked down to one place and want to potentially take the ashes with them and then simple ease as well. It can be relatively quick and simple process to arrange and then you have the ashes you all placed to the memorial garden.
00:06:02
Speaker 1: Because as oppose the cost of you know, we were saying before the cost of having a funeral plot and the ongoing costs of that over time, you know, it would be a huge consideration for people.
00:06:12
Speaker 3: It definitely is. And also you know, as a country, we need to start looking at where our cemeteries. Our cemeteries a lot of them are filling up, and then we need to invest in putting new cemeteries in. And that's quite a lot of land used. And there is that argument around your forever home versus you know, homes for the living and making sure because make sure there's land available for everyone. And that's the advantage of cremations all processes like this where you're not taking out valuable land that you can use it to you know, have options and do things differently as a post it to having those sort of old cemetriies around. They got to be cared for well.
00:06:48
Speaker 2: But it's a fascinating discussion and one that I think all people clearly need to have. So thanks for enlightening us and letting us know where it all sits at the moment, and I'm sure food for thought for a lot of people moving forward.
00:06:59
Speaker 3: Thanks much your time, Thank you very much for having me.
00:07:02
Speaker 1: We'd love to know what you would like to do when you pass, when you move on leave the mortal coil?
00:07:08
Speaker 3: Is that?
00:07:08
Speaker 2: What is that? Yeah, that's right. Yeah exactly, but.
00:07:12
Speaker 1: Look there's options out there, so we'd love to hear from you. Eight double two three double O A double O
Speaker 1: Now ready. There's a debate going on around an option for you when you die. It is human composting and whether it should be legalized in Australia. I don't know where your mind goes when I think of human composting, but the visuals aren't aren't amazing, but it is a growing trend. It is a genuine option that some people are really interested in, obviously, you know, giving back to the earth and sort of being useful I guess your body being useful after you die and nourishing continue to nourish the earth. And it is a really interesting debate on whether that should be legal if it's an option that Australia should be considering.
00:00:43
Speaker 2: Well, we'd love to get your thoughts, folks, and we'll give away a beer and barbecue festival double pass. What would you like to happen once you leave this earth? Would you like to be buried, cremated, or perhaps human composting or any other ideas? Eight double two to three double o double ow is the number? Otherwise send us a text on zero double four eight zero eight thirteen ninety five. It's not something I've thought about, probably enough to be honest, Kate, But one thing I didn't realize, for example, is you have to keep paying for your plot if you've been buried well after you die. So what happens, for example.
00:01:15
Speaker 1: If you can continues, the rent continues the kids exactly, the.
00:01:20
Speaker 2: Kids stop paying for example.
00:01:22
Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, it can get really tricky. But to bring us in on the conversation a little bit more is Ben Kelly from Australian Cemeteries and Crematory Association. Good morning to.
00:01:31
Speaker 3: You, Ben, Good morning to you both. Thank you for having me on.
00:01:34
Speaker 1: Well, first of all, you need to tell us exactly what is human Compostingy's.
00:01:40
Speaker 3: Probably interesting topic for Breakfast Radio. Yeah. Human composting essentially, or natural organic reduction is essentially fast forwarding sort of the process that happened naturally. So in the States it's legal at the moment, and they're placing you into a vessel along with woodship straw and loosen and then over a period of around thirty to ninety days, you know, the microbes in your body break down the organic matter and then they keep processing it and then eventually, sort of after that ninety days, you're left with about a cubic meter of soil compost. I guess that can be used. So it's just essentially fast tracking what would happen in natural burial. Instead of over multiple years, it's happening over a couple of months.
00:02:25
Speaker 1: And where is this practice already being done around the world?
00:02:30
Speaker 3: So at the moment, it's legal in a number of states in the US, and there's more sort of looking at it, and then Germany as well it's legal, and then there's a couple other countries around the world, including Australia and New Zealand kind of looking and saying is this a viable option? Is this something that we should add to the mix?
00:02:46
Speaker 2: I guess, And so it needs the legislation to support this, Ben and I guess. One of the other questions is why would people go down this path? Is it more cost effective or is it something that they just want to do as a matter of choice.
00:03:02
Speaker 3: People are becoming a bit more aware and sort of wanting to do something different than your traditional We're talking about death and saying, well what do I do when I pass away? And options like this alcoali hydrolysis, You know, people look at it and go, I want to do something different. Maybe they've got that more environmental element to it. Saying they want to give back or I just like the idea. It's a more in their minds, a more peaceful sort of gentle way to go. And to give back, as you're saying earlier, you know, give back is to leave that legacy, you help regenerate a forest or plant out an area. So it's just a different option. And some people you also just don't like the idea of that traditional kind of burial or cremation.
00:03:40
Speaker 1: And I gain I guess that was my next question. I mean, would I be ending up on somebody's rose garden or where does one go when they've become compost?
00:03:49
Speaker 3: Yeah, and that's I guess the importance of legislation and why you know we're working with a like to Feel in Australia to make sure that your legislation is done properly, because you're going to make sure things like what happens with the stall is included in those that legislation. Some places restricted and state the stool can only go to certain detonated parks or nature areas. Others are saying, or you can take it home, so you know it's unlikely. You don't want man to spread on the tomatoes type thing, but that you know, that's what we're trying to make sure that it's done properly and that you know, it's in controlled environment, so people are aware that if you are going to the park, you kind of know what's in the soil if your dog's rolling around it.
00:04:28
Speaker 2: And how seriously is the government considering passing legislation to the spend and I guess what timeline would it take for it to be passed if it does get introduced. So at the.
00:04:38
Speaker 3: Moments only in New South Wales Parliament there are members. Bill was raised just on Thursday, so they're just investigating it now and right into it. You know what we what we've been saying, we say, alongside with our industry partners in Australias, do not rush it, take the time to work with the industry, don't do a knee jerk reaction because unfortunately, if you don't put proper things in place, you run the risk that you're going to get some rogue operators and people not doing it ethically. So we want to make sure it's done properly and that it meets the needs of everyone.
00:05:08
Speaker 2: Using it and be as it stands. What do you find in terms of percentage, it might be difficult to weigh up. But in terms of people that are buried as opposed to being cremated, where does it sit currently, How popular is one against the other.
00:05:21
Speaker 3: So the moment you're roughly looking around Australia around seventy five to eighty percent cremation. That varies depending on where in Australia are and people's access to a cremator. So and it has been so steadily increasing, you know some places, for example, I'm in Southeast Queensland at the moment and it's around eighty five percent areas here. So people do prefer their cremation a number of reasons. You know, cost can be a factor some people, you know, we're very we like to move around. People don't want to be sort of locked down to one place and want to potentially take the ashes with them and then simple ease as well. It can be relatively quick and simple process to arrange and then you have the ashes you all placed to the memorial garden.
00:06:02
Speaker 1: Because as oppose the cost of you know, we were saying before the cost of having a funeral plot and the ongoing costs of that over time, you know, it would be a huge consideration for people.
00:06:12
Speaker 3: It definitely is. And also you know, as a country, we need to start looking at where our cemeteries. Our cemeteries a lot of them are filling up, and then we need to invest in putting new cemeteries in. And that's quite a lot of land used. And there is that argument around your forever home versus you know, homes for the living and making sure because make sure there's land available for everyone. And that's the advantage of cremations all processes like this where you're not taking out valuable land that you can use it to you know, have options and do things differently as a post it to having those sort of old cemetriies around. They got to be cared for well.
00:06:48
Speaker 2: But it's a fascinating discussion and one that I think all people clearly need to have. So thanks for enlightening us and letting us know where it all sits at the moment, and I'm sure food for thought for a lot of people moving forward.
00:06:59
Speaker 3: Thanks much your time, Thank you very much for having me.
00:07:02
Speaker 1: We'd love to know what you would like to do when you pass, when you move on leave the mortal coil?
00:07:08
Speaker 3: Is that?
00:07:08
Speaker 2: What is that? Yeah, that's right. Yeah exactly, but.
00:07:12
Speaker 1: Look there's options out there, so we'd love to hear from you. Eight double two three double O A double O
