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 Lebanese Republic, the airspace above it and its territorial waters, from 1 January 1978 up to and including 30 September 2024, to be operational service for the purposes of the Act.

2. I declare that the declaration for service in the Lebanese Republic will supersede the declaration for:

• Service in the Lebanese Republic, the airspace above it and its territorial waters, from 1 January 1978 up to and including 30 September 2022, made on 18 August 2020 by the Honourable Ron Mark, Minister for Veterans.

3. 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 His Majesty’s Forces that have undertaken operational service; and
• the spouses, civil union partners, and de facto partners of members of His 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. As required by the Act, consultation occurred prior to the making of this declaration.

Dated this 7th day of December 2022.

Hon MEKA WHAITIRI, Minister for Veterans.