A spokesman from the NSW Coroners office said that the graves are dug deep with coffins effectively stacked on top of each other. With the economy the way it is they are predicting more to come.

Sad stories abound of families thrust into economic hardship by the cost of a funeral for a loved one. Many families are left with little option but to pay up to $10,000 – $15,000 for funeral related costs of burial or cremation.

Often pensioners have spent all their remaining savings on nursing home costs and have nothing left for funeral costs, and the responsibility falls to the family or eventually the government.

Typically a cremation costs around $4000, or $10,000 for a burial with ceremonial costs in addition to that.

Funeral Insurance is one way of protecting you and your family against the cost of a funeral and the burden on those you leave behind. Funeral Insurance offers cover of $5,000 – $15,000 towards the cost of a funeral, from a little as 36 cents a day.