Burial and Cremation

The Health Protection Officers provide advice in regard to various activities associated with burial and cremation. The following are some of the key activities:

• Providing input for establishing new crematoria
• Advising on the international transportation of bodies between countries.
• Providing advice to applicants around the statutory obligations relating to the disinterment process
• We supervise the procedure and ensure that public health is protected.

Please download information related to disinterment:

Disinterment Guidelines Brochure
Disinterment Application Form and Sworn Statement Form

If you need further information please contact the On-Call Health Protection Officer at 09 - 430 4100

Civil Defence Emergency Management

The health goal is to minimise the health risk to communities and individuals in the event of a public health or other emergency.  It relates to public health incidents or events of potential public health consequence that occur within the Northland region and require an emergency response from the Public Health Service (PHS) of Northland District Health Board. Such incident or event may also require response from other agencies involved in the civil defence emergency management (CDEM).

The Northland PHS will function at an “operational level”.  It has a legislative and contractual relationship with the Ministry of Health and NDHB to provide public health services during all phases of an incident or emergency (reduction, readiness, response and recovery). 

Designated officers (Heath Protection Officers and the Medical Officer of Health) have specific powers in an emergency.  In some incidents the PHS may be the lead agency.

Early Childhood Centres

We inspect Early Childhood Centres for compliance with the Early Childhood Regulations in respect to licensing requirements with the Ministry of Education. Early childhood centre environments may present health risks to children, staff and other people who spend time at the centre. This in turn creates a risk to public health.

Our staff has a limited regulatory role and regularly assesses Early Childhood Centres (ECC) under the Education Early Childhood Centres Regulations. The inspection covers a range of factors including: drinking water, sewage disposal, food safety, building standards, playground safety and accident hazards. Public health services will be undertaking assessments of early childhood centres from two aspects: compliance with legislative requirements; and assessment of health risk.

We have a representation on the “Celebrating Northland’s Tamariki” conference committee.  This conference is held biannually for all staff and personnel involved in providing early childhood education services in Northland.

For further information please contact the Coordinator for Early Childhood Centres on 09-430 4100 Extn 7930.

Click here for information on Hazardous Substances and New Organisms, Quarantine & Biosecurity, Resource Management, and Waste Disposal