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:
   • Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and the airspace above it on or after 1 December 2001 to be operational service for the purposes of the Act until declared otherwise.
2. This entitles any member of 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.
3. 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.
4. 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 15th day of December 2016.

Hon CRAIG FOSS, Minister of Veterans’ Affairs.