Scattering ashes — the dos and don'ts of releasing cremated human remains

At some point, you've probably thought about what you would like your loved ones to do with your body after you die. The Melbourne Cricket Ground has previously warned cricket and AFL fans against scattering ashes on the turf, after employees found piles of ashes on the playing surface following a public open day. "The most important message for anyone who wants to do this is to understand that over time their loved one's ashes will actually be removed from the MCG and discarded into waste, because we replace the turf quite regularly as part of our maintenance program," a Melbourne Cricket Club spokesperson said after that event. "You'd have to question why you wanted to scatter ashes at a sacred site of someone's culture," Ms Lyons said. Permits aren't required for scattering ashes in Australian waters or oceans, but Ms Lyons suggests the following considerations to be taken into account: If you're somewhere like a beach, make sure you're aware of your surroundings and be mindful of people nearby Make sure you scatter close to the water in case of wind, and so the remains don't blow back onto land Unless you're using a biodegradable urn, empty the container into the sea.