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Auckland Council plans to introduce a new bylaw covering disposal of cremation ashes in public places have upset Maori and ethnic groups.
The council says it took into account the views of tangata whenua in formulating the new rules, which say that people need to gain council permission before scattering ashes in parks and other public places.
But it did not consult specifically with Maori, who in the past have objected to scattering of ashes on mountains such as Maungawhau and in coastal areas.
Multicultural New Zealand says it also failed to reach out to multicultural groups.
It says local authorities need to make other groups aware of the concerns of tangata whenua in relation to particular places including waterways, and they also need to make allowance for Hindu practices in relation to burials, cremation and the scattering of ashes.
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