Planning has begun for one of the country’s first ever eco-friendly cemeteries.

The project is set to breathe new life into metropolitan Queensland’s death industry, with the Gold Coast Council committing over $80,000 to plans over three years.

Burial is a sensitive yet futuristic process at a green cemetery, with the deceased buried in biodegradable, cardboard coffins absent a traditional headstone. Instead, GPS is used to track and locate the interred.

A site has not yet been officially announced, but it will most likely be in the suburb of Mudgeeraba, local funeral director Terry Hobson welcomes the idea: “I have been assured that it is on the cards and we are feeling positive,” he said, “Gold Coast residents wanting green burial are currently shipped to Lismore after death so this will keep the money here which is good for the economy and will also be a selling point for the region... the Gold Coast will have Australia's third green cemetery and I am looking forward to seeing what it will mean for us.”

The Gold Coast Council hopes to open the new site next year.