Work to begin on Christchurch cathedral restoration

An agreement between the New Zealand Government, the Anglican Church and heritage groups is likely to see work begin on the rebuilding of Christchurch’s cathedral in the coming weeks.

The future of the Christ Church cathedral - which has sat damaged and derelict since the 2011 Canterbury earthquake - has been the the subject of considerable debate over the past seven years.

However, with the Anglican Church’s Synod voting to restore the cathedral as of last September, a joint venture between the Church Properties Trust (CPT) and the New Zealand Government has been agreed.

The Government-brokered funding package to reinstate the cathedral is budgeted to cost $104 million, with funds sourced from Government and council grants and loans, and the church's $42m insurance proceeds.

Announcing the agreement, Minister for Greater Christchurch Regeneration Megan Woods stated "I think one of things the people of Christchurch are looking forward to is seeing momentum around that building.”

Christchurch-based investment banker Justin Murray has been appointed as the independent chair of the joint venture - Christchurch Cathedral Reinstatement Limited (CCRL).

Murray stated “the early works will be around site preparation, and as you can image it is not a small project, but we want to get under way with that

"I don't think there will be stonemasons on site for many months, because that preparation work needs to be done first.”

The decision to restore the cathedral has been described as a significant catalyst for the Christchurch economy by ChristchurchNZ General Manager of Destination and Attraction Loren Heaphy.

Stating that the announcement delivers long-awaited certainty for the city, Heaphy “this announcement provides greater clarity around the future of our Cathedral, which will have a knock-on effect on encouraging ongoing private sector investment in our city.

“In its current form, the cathedral continues to represent a broken Christchurch, which is inconsistent with our new and vibrant city centre.

“A restored cathedral will create vibrancy for our residents while attracting visitors and encouraging people to reconnect with our central city.”

Heaphy added “restoring this much-loved city symbol sends a message to the world that Christchurch is a city that embraces its history while at the same time championing modern, fit-for-purpose infrastructure and a high standard of living.” 

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