Why was the question “Relationship to deceased?” removed from the Application for interment authorisation form? Can it be put back on the form?
The applicant’s relationship to the deceased on the Application for interment authorisation form was removed when the Regulations were reviewed in 2014. The removal of this information was proposed by the department during the review consultation process on the basis that this information is not required for the purposes of the application. There were no substantial objections made and the question was removed.
The question can be put back on the form but, as the form is prescribed, any alterations would necessitate a change to the Regulations. There would also need to be a clear justification as to why this information is pertinent to the application because it is not appropriate to require applicants to provide personal information unless the purpose has been clearly demonstrated and tested through consultation.
Would the department consider altering the Application for interment authorisation form and Application for approval to inter cremated human remains form to capture the deceased’s birth name and participation in military service for the purposes of family historical research?
The Application for interment authorisation form can be changed (through a change to the Regulations) but there needs to be a strong case justifying the collection of additional personal information in the context of the application.
The Application for approval to inter cremated human remains form can be changed by the department because it is not a prescribed form. However, this type of requests for personal information would not be mandatory so providing an answer would be optional for applicants. Additional considerations would include defining what constitutes military service and whether evidence of military service or birth names would be required.