Napier City Council
Western Hills Cemetery
Napier
The council’s permit
A permit is required before a memorial is erected here. The council charges $75, and we pass it on at cost.
NCC Bylaw 2021 cl 7.5-7.8, Sch 5 General and Lawn
The sections
Cemeteries set different rules in different parts of the grounds. These are the areas here and what each one takes.
In-ground
Monumental
A burial plot that takes a full memorial, often with a base and kerbing.
You can have: Plaque · Headstone · Companion headstone
No new plots in this section. Memorials on existing graves only.
- Materials
- graniteNCC Bylaw 2021 cl 7.5-7.8, Sch 5 General and Lawn
Limited Headstone Area
Lawn
A burial plot with a mown lawn over it. Memorials sit at the head of the plot.
You can have: Plaque · Headstone · Companion headstone
- Largest headstone
- 900 × 900mmNCC Bylaw 2021 Sch 5, Western Hills Limited Headstone Areas
- Materials
- graniteNCC Bylaw 2021 Sch 5, Western Hills Limited Headstone Areas
- Colours
- grey, black, brown, blue, green, red, whiteNCC Bylaw 2021 Sch 5, Western Hills Limited Headstone Areas
New Zealand Native Plant Area
Other
No permanent memorial is allowed here.
- Materials
- graniteNCC Bylaw 2021 cl 7.5-7.8, Sch 5 General and Lawn
Plaque Beam Area
Lawn
A burial plot with a mown lawn over it. Memorials sit at the head of the plot.
You can have: Plaque
- Plaque sizes
- 600 × 650mmNCC Bylaw 2021 Sch 5, Western Hills Plaque Beam Area
- Materials
- graniteNCC Bylaw 2021 Sch 5, Western Hills Plaque Beam Area
- Colours
- grey, black, brown, blue, green, red, whiteNCC Bylaw 2021 Sch 5, Western Hills Plaque Beam Area
Rose Garden, Beds 1 to 14
Ashes plot
Ashes interred in the ground, with a memorial set flat above them.
You can have: Ashes memorial
- Plaque sizes
- 150 × 80mmNCC Bylaw 2021 Sch 5, Western Hills Rose Garden Beds 1-14
- Materials
- granite, bronzeNCC Bylaw 2021 Sch 5, Western Hills Rose Garden Beds 1-14
- Colours
- grey, blue, green, blackNCC Bylaw 2021 Sch 5, Western Hills Rose Garden Beds 1-14
Rose Garden, Beds 15 onward
Ashes plot
Ashes interred in the ground, with a memorial set flat above them.
You can have: Ashes memorial
- Plaque sizes
- 205 × 125mmNCC Bylaw 2021 Sch 5, Western Hills Rose Garden Beds 15 onward
- Materials
- graniteNCC Bylaw 2021 Sch 5, Western Hills Rose Garden Beds 15 onward
- Colours
- grey, blackNCC Bylaw 2021 Sch 5, Western Hills Rose Garden Beds 15 onward
Upright Cremation Area
Ashes plot
Ashes interred in the ground, with a memorial set flat above them.
You can have: Ashes memorial
- Largest headstone
- 600 × 550mmNCC Bylaw 2021 Sch 5, Western Hills Upright Cremation Area
- Materials
- graniteNCC Bylaw 2021 Sch 5, Western Hills Upright Cremation Area
- Colours
- grey, black, brown, blue, green, red, whiteNCC Bylaw 2021 Sch 5, Western Hills Upright Cremation Area
Where this comes from
Every figure on this page is taken from the council’s own rules, and checked against your design as you make it.
Read from the council’s published rules and last checked by us in August 2026.
- NCC Bylaw 2021 cl 7.5-7.8, Sch 5 General and Lawn
- NCC Bylaw 2021 Sch 5, Western Hills Limited Headstone Areas
- NCC Bylaw 2021 cl 3.17, Sch 5
- NCC Bylaw 2021 Sch 5, Western Hills Plaque Beam Area
- NCC Bylaw 2021 Sch 5, Western Hills Rose Garden Beds 1-14
- NCC Bylaw 2021 Sch 5, Western Hills Rose Garden Beds 15 onward
- NCC Bylaw 2021 Sch 5, Western Hills Upright Cremation Area