The site has reopened after a $4 million renovation that drew on the changing desires of families in the region, said Sue Wright, regional manager south coast at Invocare, the parent company of Hansen & Cole.

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"Families need and want more from funeral services and we wanted to provide that for them," she said.

The reopening follows seven months of work on the Kembla Grange site, turning it at 1100 square metres into the largest funeral homes on the NSW South Coast.

The facility is the culmination vision of longtime funeral director and former regional manager for Hansen & Cole, Warwick Hansen who retired in mid 2021.

"Warwick and I have worked together for over 21 years and over the last few years we have spent many hours speaking about where Kembla Grange needs to be and how to make it even better than what the offering was previously," said Ms Wright.

The new building provides for a range of ceremonies and services, with a chapel for up to 350 people and an intimate 70-seat chapel.

The space maximises views towards the escarpment and includes light-filled spaces throughout, including in the arrangement rooms.

The chapels open to outdoor spaces where guests can commemorate and reminisce in comfort.

Ms Wright said that the experience of the past two years had led to a change in the way that people chose to mark the lives of loved ones.

"COVID has given us a couple of different views on funeral services. Families have a lot more choices and a lot more freedom."

While present before the arrival of the pandemic, COVID restrictions have necessitated live streaming services and Hansen & Cole Kembla Grange has the latest technology to facilitate fast and smooth connections to guests attending remotely.

The business is also planning to incorporate interactive technology to further support connections between those in and out of the room.

Another new option for families and friends is the option of holding a funeral at dusk.

"I've thought a lot about this in my 21 years in the funeral industry. Not everyone can be available between the hours of nine and five, for a funeral service. So what we can offer families is a beautiful environment to have a funeral service large or small, after hours," said Ms Wright.

Along with a number of personalisation services, the new funeral home has the option for caterers to include a favourite family recipe in the service.

"The caterers also accommodate different funerals for different cultures as well, " said Ms Wright.

To open the new funeral home, Hansen & Cole held an opening ceremony on Tuesday, March 22 hosted by Wollongong City Council Lord Mayor Gordon Bradbery.

The ceremony included a welcome to country and smoking ceremony by Ngaran Ngaran and a blessing by Wollongong Vicar General Bernard Gordon.

"Part of that is an acknowledgement of the work of Warwick Hansen, without whom Hansen & Cole would not exist," said Ms Wright.

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