Greens crossbencher Caroline Le Couteur says natural burials should be allowed at the site of a new cemetery at Tuggeranong to "bridge the interim period" after Woden Cemetery fills up.
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A site on Mugga Lane has been reserved for a new cemetery, dubbed the Southern Memorial Park, for about a decade but the project was put on the backburner in favour of an expansion at the Woden Cemetery.
A cloud now hangs over that expansion because of the second stage of the light rail project.
Land in the centre of Woden will increase in value when the tram connects Civic to the suburban centre.
However space at the Woden cemetery is due to run out next year, raising questions about whether south Canberra residents will be forced to bury their dead in Gungahlin.
A decision on whether the Woden expansion will go ahead will be made next year, but in a submission to an ACT Legislative Assembly committee inquiring into the cost effectiveness of existing maintenance of cemeteries, Ms Le Couteur said natural burials could be a cheaper and easier way to start burying people in Tuggeranong.
Natural burials have been an option at the Gungahlin cemetery since 2015 and is about returning the body "as naturally as possible to the earth", with all materials involved in the burial, including the shroud or casket, being biodegradable.
There are no permanent markers or plaques but GPS technology will enable relatives to find the final resting place of their loved ones.
"As a former Cemeteries Authority Board member, I am aware of the concerns associated with financing the authority's 'in perpetuity' commitments for mowing and other care associated with burials," Ms Le Couteur said.
"Natural burials have a much-lower ongoing financial burden as they need much less maintenance.
"Natural burials, along with scattering of ashes, are compatible with bushland, as well as re-vegetation of degraded areas, and need much less construction.
"It may be possible for the government to deliver a non-traditional memorial park in southern Canberra that focuses on natural burials and ashes far more quickly than a traditional cemetery. The choice of sites available would also be far higher, given that bushland and open space may be suitable.
"Alternatively, a natural burial and ashes area may be able to be delivered as stage one of a new southside memorial park while other elements are being constructed. Either option would help to bridge the interim period after Woden Cemetery is full."
Submissions to the inquiry closed on Friday. The committee will deliver its findings to the Assembly by November at the latest.
