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

Notice

1. I declare service during Operation Grapple:
   • on Malden Island between 15 May 1957 and 25 June 1957 (inclusive) to be operational service for the purposes of the Act;
   • on Christmas Island between 8 November 1957 and 16 November 1957 (inclusive) to be operational service for the purposes of the Act;
   • on Christmas Island between 28 April 1958 and 24 September 1958 (inclusive) to be operational service for the purposes of the Act;
   • within 281 kilometres of surface zero at Malden Island on 15 May 1957, 31 May 1957 and 19 June 1957 when nuclear weapons tests were conducted at Malden Island in 1957 to be operational service for the purposes of the Act; and
   • within 281 kilometres of surface zero at Christmas Island on 8 November 1957, 28 April 1958, 22 August 1958, 2 September 1958, 11 September 1958 and 23 September 1958 when nuclear weapons tests were conducted at Christmas Island to be operational service for the purposes of the Act.
2. I declare that the declaration for service during Operation Grapple as set out above supersede the declaration for service for Operation Grapple that was made by the Honourable Mark Burton on 6 September 2000.
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.