A district council proposal which would have required grieving families to get permission to deposit ashes has itself been scattered to the four winds.
The idea was perhaps the most controversial in the Kapiti Coast District Council's draft by-law as part of a wider review of legislation.
It caused outrage from the Funeral Directors Association, which said it would just add another layer of stress for families mourning their loved ones.
But residents can now rest at ease because on Wednesday night, the council voted to change the provision relating to ashes when it adopted the 2015/16 annual report.
Had the draft proposal been accepted, residents would need written permission to put human ashes in a cemetery, reserve, river or beach.
Mayor Ross Church says the council still thinks there are some places ashes shouldn't go and where others may find it offensive.
"But we have removed reference to people requiring the prior permission of the Council to scatter ashes in approved areas," he says.
"Many councillors believed was an unnecessary process step for families to navigate."
Instead, the by-law says people can deposit ashes on Council-approved areas of public land.
There will also be educational material with those approved locations available to the public including with funeral directors.
The Funeral Directors Association chief executive Katrina Shanks has welcomed the change of heart, but says the devil will be in the detail, particularly about where those approved areas might be.
"It's hard to know whether they'll go blanket and say no one can scatter ashes near any waterways or forests or any walkways, so it's hard to tell where they're going to put that line in place," she says.
Council Group Manager of Community Services Max Pedersen says those approved places are still being worked out
"What is a given is that there's some places would simply find unacceptable as a location to scatter ashes - such as a children's playground, that's unlikely to be thought of as being acceptable by anyone."
Mr Pedersen says the council's focus is on educating the community about the by-law and expects the public will take notice of the change and the feelings of others into account when scattering ashes.
Ms Shanks says the Association will be keeping an eye on which places are deemed acceptable for human ashes.
"We'll be watching with close eyes to make sure it's fair on grieving families and gets that balance right with areas which are culturally sensitive."
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