New South Wales passes Australia's first human composting law
Parliament has approved terramation as another option after death, but regulations and specialised facilities are needed before it can begin.
New South Wales parliament passed Australia's first law allowing human composting on Wednesday, 21 October, giving people a third legal option alongside burial and cremation. The practice, also called terramation or natural organic reduction, cannot begin until regulations are made and specialised facilities are available.
The Sydney Morning Herald reported that the private member's bill, put forward by independent Sydney MP Alex Greenwich, cleared parliament's upper house on Wednesday. The law stipulates that a person cannot be composted against their wishes, the Herald reported.
How terramation would work in NSW
The Herald described a process in which a body is placed in a vessel with plant material such as hay, sawdust and lucerne. Heat helps break down the contents over several weeks. Bones and medical implants are removed; the bones are ground down and returned to the mixture before a further resting period.
The resulting material could be given to families to scatter around trees or donated to parks and landcare projects, according to the Herald. Those uses help explain why lawmakers debated how the soil should be handled: Liberal MP Susan Carter did not oppose the legislation but raised concerns about respectful treatment and the soil's eventual use.
When human composting could begin
The Guardian reported that the NSW government has 18 months to make regulations governing the practice, which would be confined to specialised facilities. The Herald described authorities spending the next two years developing regulations and said specially designed facilities could begin operating from 2028. Both accounts place implementation after the legislation's passage, rather than immediately.
Several MPs said during the debate that they would consider the option for themselves. The Herald named Labor's Cameron Murphy, Greens MP Amanda Cohn and Libertarian MP John Ruddick among those expressing that preference. Ruddick said he was ‘pretty sure’ he would put a wish to be terramated in his will, according to the Guardian. Their statements describe present intentions, while the legislation leaves the choice to each person.
Nationals MP Sarah Mitchell acknowledged that some people would be uncomfortable with the practice but called it a matter of personal choice, the Herald reported. Greenwich had travelled to Germany and the United States to examine the practice before introducing his bill, according to the Guardian.
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Sources and context
- NSW passes ‘human compost’ laws with several MPs saying they will utilise practice after they dieThe Guardian (Nino Bucci)
- ‘Human composting’ laws pass parliament in Australian firstThe Sydney Morning Herald (Bevan Shields)
AI-assisted article checked against the listed sources. NewsJaws did not conduct interviews or attend the reported events.