NSW parliament has passed Australian-first laws legalising human composting, clearing the way for bodies to be turned into soil in specially designed facilities from 2028. The private member's bill by independent Sydney MP Alex Greenwich passed the upper house on Wednesday, with several MPs revealing they want their own bodies composted after death.
Under the laws, the process will be legally known as terramation, after the Minns government insisted on a more palatable description than "natural organic reduction". The practice is currently legal in 14 US states and one part of Germany.
Techniques vary by provider, but the process generally involves a body being placed in a vessel packed with organic plant material such as lucerne, hay and sawdust. The temperature inside the vessel is raised for several days as the body and plant material break down. After at least one month, most of the body has been consumed and only bones and medical implants remain. The bones are removed, ground down in a cremulator and returned to the mix. After several more weeks of resting, the compost is packaged into bags or containers and given to families to scatter around trees, or donated to parks and landcare projects.
"Terramation has undergone extensive scientific testing to ensure it is safe for people and the environment, and I am thankful to my colleagues for their unanimous support for this historic reform," Greenwich said.
During the debate, Labor MP Cameron Murphy, Greens MP Amanda Cohn and Libertarian MP John Ruddick said they would want to be composted after death. Nationals MP Sarah Mitchell said: "We are conscious this won't be something that everybody will be happy about, but on balance we can see that this is a matter of personal choice."
Liberal MP Susan Carter did not oppose the laws but sounded a note of caution on how soil would be used post-terramation. "Life is a continuum and the respect we show for the human body is inextricably linked to the respect we show for the living," she said.
The bill stipulates that a person cannot be composted against their wishes. The NSW cremation rate has recently surged to 70 per cent in Sydney and 75 per cent in regional NSW amid land shortages and surging burial costs, and human composting is priced somewhere between cremation and burial. NSW authorities will spend the next two years finessing regulations before composting begins.
Analysis
Why This Matters
- NSW becomes the first Australian jurisdiction to offer human composting, adding a third option to burial and cremation for end-of-life arrangements.
- The reform arrives as cremation rates surge in the state amid land shortages and rising burial costs, pointing to pressure on existing practices.
- The next two years of regulation-writing will determine how the new industry operates and how composted soil is handled.
Background
Terramation is a relatively new addition to the death care industry worldwide. It is currently legal in 14 US states and one part of Germany, and has been the subject of debate about safety, environmental benefit and respect for the dead. The NSW government insisted the process be called terramation rather than "natural organic reduction", reflecting how sensitive the subject remains.
In NSW, the reform arrives at a time when cremation accounts for 70 per cent of funerals in Sydney and 75 per cent in regional NSW. The cost of terramation is expected to sit between cremation and burial.
Key Perspectives
Supporters of the reform: MPs from Labor, the Greens and the Libertarian Party said during the parliamentary debate that they would choose terramation themselves. Backers argue the process has been extensively scientifically tested and expands personal choice in how bodies are treated after death.
Moderate and cautious MPs: Nationals MP Sarah Mitchell acknowledged the practice will not suit everyone but said on balance it is a matter of personal choice. Liberal MP Susan Carter did not oppose the laws but cautioned about how soil would be used, arguing the value of a human body lies in the life lived, not its nutrients.
Families and the public: The laws give families the option to scatter composted remains around trees or donate them to parks and landcare projects, while a person cannot be composted against their wishes. How widely the option is taken up remains to be seen.
What to Watch
- The detailed regulations NSW authorities will develop over the next two years before terramation can begin.
- Whether facilities are operating by 2028 and how pricing compares with cremation and burial in practice.
- Community reaction to the first composted remains being returned to families, and whether other Australian states follow NSW's lead.