Upright Burials Launches Melbourne Business
Upright Burials provide a simple, natural, and economical burial, in which a deceased person is collected, prepared and then transported to the Kurweeton Road Cemetery in the Corangamite Shire of Victoria’s Western Districts.
The burial involves wrapping the deceased in a biodegradable body bag (rather than using a coffin) and then burying the body in a vertical position.
The cemetery is purposefully kept in a natural state, without the use of headstones. “Numerous people have expressed interest in using Upright Burials over the years, and we’ve been working diligently to make it a reality. The interest simply reflects that this natural approach to burial has captured people’s imagination, and that for many this type of burial represents a strong fit with their values,” says Upright Burials’ Managing Director, Tony Dupleix.
Mr. Dupleix observes that as opposed to a decade ago, public attitudes have changed due to social, urban, and environmental pressures to the point where the offer of an alternative form of burial is now being met with open minds and interest.
“This is a very forward thinking concept that’s entering the market at the right time. The Upright Burials business is very much a quality process, and getting that right is critical. We’re fortunate that the very negative opinions we received when we first started developing this business have given way to the recognition of the sensible solution this provides to problems such as urban land pressure and preserving the natural environment,“ he says.
Burying the body in an upright position is one of the keys to delivering an economical alternative to conventional horizontal burial. “From the outset, we questioned the need to bury people horizontally,” says Mr. Dupleix.
“Our concept involves a far simpler and safer approach to burial that removes the OH&S issues and labour involved in digging traditional graves, and it meets all EPA and statutory government requirements. There’s a saving associated with this approach and we pass that on to the client.“
There are further savings in using a rural cemetery, where land values are lower.
“The four hectare cemetery is part of a setting located within sight of Mt. Elephant. For any person who likes the notion of a peaceful, pastoral setting as their final resting place, this cemetery is a superb location,” says Mr. Dupleix.
For the benefit of relatives, a GPS location is recorded to mark the exact location of each grave. A memorial wall commemorating the people buried at the cemetery will also be present.
Upright Burials has created a simple online process for registering intent and ordering a burial. Clients can go to www.uprightburials.com.au to follow the steps to order and pay online. The collection staff are on-call at all times.
In providing an alternative to conventional funeral and cremation services, Upright Burials is distinctive in a number of ways:
- Secure each individual site is secure forever, with no additional fees payable
- Environmentally friendly and ecologically sustainable non-energy intensive, the process leaves the lightest carbon footprint possible
- Energy used in the collection, storage, and delivery of the body to the cemetery is partially offset via the planting of a tree at Mt. Elephant for each person buried
- The Upright Burials facility uses green power positive land use natural setting with no ongoing maintenance, taking pressure off urban land sites.
- Surrounding land used for grazing
- Economic – a single one-time fee includes collection from anywhere in the Melbourne metropolitan area.
Mr. Dupleix says that the Upright Burials’ board is pleased that the original investment group of 20 individuals who have strong connections with the agricultural industry of Victoria’s western districts have been able to see the vision of their original investment become a reality.
“This is a terrific group, a very pragmatic group. They had the vision from the start to see that this was a bold concept worth pursuing and were willing to back it,” he says. “We’re people of the land who became passionate about providing a sensible, simple alternative to burial that embodies our values of simplicity, nature, and economy.”