In accordance with section 15 of the Burial and Cremation Act 1964 (“Act”), I hereby give the following notice.

Notice

1. I declare service in the:

   • Arabian Sea and the territorial waters of states bordering the Arabian Sea between 1 March 2003 and 31 July 2003 (inclusive), between 1 April 2004 and 31 August 2004 (inclusive) and between 1 May 2008 and 31 August 2008 (inclusive) to be operational service for the purposes of the Act;

   • Kingdom of Bahrain and its territorial waters between 1 March 2003 and 31 August 2004 (inclusive) and between 1 May 2008 and 31 August 2008 (inclusive) to be operational service for the purposes of the Act;

   • Gulf of Aden and the territorial waters of states bordering the Gulf of Aden between 1 April 2004 and 31 August 2004 (inclusive) to be operational service for the purposes of the Act;

   • Gulf of Oman and the territorial waters of states bordering the Gulf of Oman between 1 March 2003 and 31 July 2003 (inclusive) to be operational service for the purposes of the Act;

   • states in the Horn of Africa, their territorial waters and the waters off the Horn of Africa between 1 April 2004 and 31 August 2004 (inclusive) to be operational service for the purposes of the Act;

   • Persian Gulf and the territorial waters of states bordering the Persian Gulf between 1 May 2008 and 31 August 2008 (inclusive) to be operational service for the purposes of the Act;

   • Red Sea and the territorial waters of states bordering the Red Sea and between 1 April 2004 and 31 August 2004 (inclusive) to be operational service for the purposes of the Act;

   • Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and its territorial waters between 1 April 2004 and 31 August 2004 (inclusive) to be operational service for the purposes of the Act;

   • United Arab Emirates and its territorial waters between 1 March 2003 and 30 September 2008 (inclusive) to be operational service for the purposes of the Act; and

   • Republic of Yemen and its territorial waters between 1 April 2004 and 31 August 2004 (inclusive) to be operational service for the purposes of the Act.

2. This declaration covers flight operations by helicopters aboard Royal New Zealand Navy vessels in these geographic areas during the prescribed periods of time.
3. This entitles any member of the New Zealand Armed Forces or the New Zealand Defence Force covered by this declaration (and their spouse, civil union partner or de facto partner) to have their remains buried in the part of any cemetery set aside by a local authority for the burial of:
   • members of Her Majesty’s Forces that have undertaken operational service; and
   • the spouses, civil union partners and de facto partners of members of Her Majesty’s Forces that have undertaken operational service.
4. Members of other Commonwealth Forces who have undertaken the same operational service and their spouses, civil union partners and de facto partners may also be interred.
5. The Minister of Defence and the Royal New Zealand Returned and Services’ Association were consulted prior to the making of this declaration, as required by the Act.

Dated this 10th day of November 2016.

Hon CRAIG FOSS, Minister of Veterans’ Affairs.