NSW Conservation Cemetery Offers Green Burials by Trees

When Cristina Giusti needed to find a final resting place for her son Adam, she lay down on a hillside overlooking the Tuross River to make sure it felt right.

Adam had told her years earlier what he wanted: to be buried in nature, with a tree planted on his grave. "From a young boy, he loved being out in the bush in the country," Giusti said.

Now a southern mahogany sapling marks where Adam rests at Walawaani Way, one of Australia's largest conservation burial grounds that opened last December in Bodalla on the NSW south coast. Bodies are buried in shallow graves using only biodegradable materials like wicker coffins, cardboard caskets, or simple cloth shrouds made from cotton or silk.

Instead of marble headstones, families choose native trees to plant over their loved ones. The bodies decompose naturally, feeding the saplings that grow above them.

Six people have been buried at Walawaani Way so far, with 93 plots already sold. Founder Fiona McCuiag says families want simpler, greener farewells that help rather than harm the environment.

"They don't want to have all the fuss," McCuiag explained. "They're feeling really good about going somewhere beautiful that's going to actually improve the environment."

The cost matches traditional council cemetery fees, though McCuiag hopes to eventually lower prices to match cremation. Families can decorate graves with mulch, topsoil, and native flowers, staying involved in creating a meaningful goodbye.

The Ripple Effect

Natural burial sites across Australia have more than doubled since 2020, growing from 14 to 31 locations. The movement turns individual grief into collective environmental action, creating wildlife habitat and regenerating native ecosystems one burial at a time.

At Walawaani Way, casuarinas, southern mahoganies, and black she-oaks are transforming a former cattle paddock into thriving bushland. Each tree planted represents both a life remembered and new life taking root.

The main barrier remains planning regulations. McCuiag spent nearly 10 years navigating government requirements to make Walawaani Way possible.

Industry experts note that many families discover natural burial options too late, after a loved one has passed and they're grieving with only days to make arrangements. But as awareness grows, more Australians are planning ahead to ensure their final act nurtures the earth they loved.

For Giusti, visiting Adam's grave brings peace rather than sorrow. She knows exactly what he would have wanted: to return to the bush, feeding a tree that will stand for generations on a hillside he would have loved.