Nikenbah Natural Cemetery
- Phone: 1300 79 49 29
- Email: enquiry@frasercoast.qld.gov.au
Nikenbah Natural Cemetery is a dedicated natural burial ground on Chapel Road, Nikenbah, managed by Fraser Coast Regional Council.
It is designed for people who want a burial that allows the body or ashes to return to the earth with minimal impact on the surrounding ecosystem. Council describes the site as a native bushland setting, with maintenance limited to removing overgrowth so that native plants and wildlife can continue to thrive.
What makes it a natural burial ground?
Nikenbah has specific requirements intended to support natural decomposition and protect the surrounding environment.
Only biodegradable materials are permitted.
Shrouds must be made from 100% natural fibres such as wool, silk, bamboo, hemp, linen or cotton.
Coffins must be fully biodegradable, with Council giving examples including cardboard, wicker, seagrass, bamboo and untreated sustainably grown timber. Synthetic materials and treated timber are not permitted.
These requirements are consistent with many of the principles described in the Natural Burial entry, although Nikenbah is not an NDAN Natural Burial Ground member.
Burial plots
Nikenbah natural burial plots are 1.5 metres wide by 2.4 metres long.
Only a single burial of human remains is permitted in each plot. Council may allow ashes to be interred in an existing burial site, at its discretion.
Council will also try to accommodate requests for adjacent plots where suitable sites are available.
Graves are prepared using mechanical equipment.
Memorials
Individual headstones and grave markers are not permitted within the natural burial area.
Instead, Council provides a shared memorial at the entrance, where a standard-sized plaque can be installed.
This means the individual grave is intended to remain part of the natural landscape rather than becoming a conventional marked gravesite.
Flowers and planting
Planting trees or other vegetation on individual graves is not permitted.
Local native flowers may be placed on the grave on the day of burial. Council removes them after two weeks to help maintain the natural character of the site.
Family involvement
Nikenbah’s published information does not state that families may dig or backfill the grave themselves. Graves are prepared using mechanical equipment.
This is worth distinguishing from the Natural Burial principles promoted by the Natural Death Advocacy Network, whose Code of Conduct encourages member natural burial grounds to be open to family participation in digging and/or backfilling where possible and permitted by law.
Nikenbah therefore provides a useful example of why families should ask what a particular natural burial ground actually allows.
Arranging a burial
Council requires all burials at Nikenbah to be arranged through a recognised funeral director.
To reserve a natural burial site, Council asks families to contact it to arrange an on-site meeting with an authorised staff member.
For funeral service providers, Council’s Cemeteries Coordinator can be contacted to check availability and confirm the date, time and site. Once arrangements are confirmed, the completed Interment Booking Form is submitted to the Cemeteries office.
Burial rights and fees
Council’s 2025/26 Schedule of Fees and Charges lists the purchase of burial rights at Nikenbah Natural Cemetery at $1,500 per grave, for a single burial. The burial-rights fee does not include the interment fee.
The same schedule lists the first-burial interment fee at $2,970, while a subsequent burial or reopening fee does not apply to Nikenbah Natural Cemetery.
Council’s cemetery fee information also notes that a standard-sized plaque is included in the cost of the Nikenbah burial. Fees change, so the current Council schedule should always be checked before quoting a family.
Nikenbah and natural burial standards
Nikenbah is a useful example of why the words natural burial need some explanation.
The cemetery clearly incorporates many natural burial principles: biodegradable coffins and shrouds, single interments, no individual headstones, no planting on graves and management of the site as native bushland.
However, natural burial is not nationally legislated as one single standard in Australia. The Natural Death Advocacy Network has developed its own Natural Burial Standards and Code of Conduct, and Nikenbah is not an NDAN Natural Burial Ground member.
That does not mean Nikenbah is not a natural burial ground. It means that its particular rules and approach should be understood on their own terms.
Contact
Nikenbah Natural Cemetery
Chapel Road
Nikenbah QLD
Fraser Coast Regional Council
Phone: 1300 79 49 29
Email: enquiry@frasercoast.qld.gov.au
For funeral service providers, the Cemeteries Coordinator can be contacted on (07) 4190 5822 or 0409 897 012 to check availability and arrange a booking.