Bill paves the way for funeral cost transparency

The Residential Tenancies and Funerals Amendment Bill 2024 will require providers to display a price list for all goods and services on their online business website and in a prominent position at their business premises. Funeral providers will also be required to publish and display a coffin price list in the same place.

“ ‘We know the provision of information is critical to Victorians exercising their rights and driving compliance with consumer laws.’ ”

Mary-Anne Thomas, Minister for Health

In her second reading speech Minister for Health Mary-Anne Thomas said the measure would bring Victoria into line with the law in other jurisdictions that have already enacted funeral pricing transparency reforms, including New South Wales, Western Australia and Queensland.

“ ‘When people come in we know they are at their most vulnerable and are upset.' ”

Tim McCurdy , Member for Ovens Valley

‘We know the provision of information is critical to Victorians exercising their rights and driving compliance with consumer laws,’ she said.

Member for Ovens Valley, Tim McCurdy said the reform had the support of the the Australian Funeral Directors Association had already implemented many of the measure in the legislation.

‘When people come in we know they are at their most vulnerable and are upset. We want to make sure that price lists and everything that is included are easily accessible, either on the web or in their office,’ he said.

Katie Hall, Member for Footscray said from her experience ‘when you are in the depths of grief there is often not enough emotional bandwidth to deal with some of the extraordinary costs associated with planning a funeral’.

‘I remember when my dear old Dad passed away, my brother and I were at the funeral home and we just thought, ‘Mum’s not going to be able to pay for this.’ The pricing and the range of choices we had were baffling,’ she said.

Member for Berwick Brad Battin said the recent experience of a friend whose wife died after a prolonged illness highlighted the pressure people are put under to make a quick decision.

‘Basically the hospital said to him straight after she passed, ‘Which funeral company are you going with?’, he said.

Anthony Cianflone, Member for Pascoe Vale said that consumer choice and transparency were important since the $1.6 billion funeral industry is a big business.

‘According to the ACCC, costs on average for funerals can range anywhere from $4000 or thereabouts for a simple, no-cremation service, right through to in excess of $20,000 for a full service and burial,’ he said.

The bill also includes a range of protections for residents of residential parks. 

Both the morning session and afternoon session of the debate are available to read in Hansard.