It was reported last week that funeral directors had written to the Launceston City Council asking that it reconsider the significant jump on burial fees as proposed in the 2015-16 draft budget for Carr Villa and Lilydale cemeteries.

T. M. Foley Funerals director Nick Lee addressed aldermen at Monday's meeting, stating he had three main concerns with the proposal:

● The significant impact on burial plots with a double depth plot increasing by 322 per cent with compound interest over four years, from $1342 to $4002.

● It will cause severe hardship on grieving families and funeral directors.

● It would "absolutely sever" the Australia-wide contract on pre-paid funeral arrangements.

"... this mooted increase in fees, as I see it, is immoral, unethical and unacceptable," he said.

Former deputy mayor Frank Nott questioned if aldermen were seriously considering the impact on families, raised cultural and religious concerns of those that would only want to be buried and why a burial had increased by 15 per cent [in 2014-15], yet a cremation only rose in line with CPI.

Aldermen Robin McKendrick moved an amendment to separate other council fees from Carr Villa and Lilydale cemetery costs and then modelling be done for over a six-year period to prevent price shock.

This was lost before Alderman Darren Alexander sought an amendment for the modelling to be done over five years.

This was passed as the final motion, 10 to 2, with aldermen Hugh McKenzie and Ted Sands voting against.