PHOTO: Christ Church Cathedral rebuild
The Government has announced it will no longer provide taxpayer funding for the Christ Church Cathedral rebuild. The group leading the project now indicates the site may be mothballed.
Earlier this week, the Christchurch City Council committed to pay $7 million for the restoration of the earthquake-damaged cathedral, even without a guarantee that the project would proceed.
Today, Finance Minister Nicola Willis stated that the Crown had already contributed $25 million and expedited consenting.
“The requested amount of at least $60 million more would have been a significant contribution for a project that is not publicly owned and where public use would be limited due to the Cathedral being a private, religious space,” she said.
“Since the 2011 earthquakes, the Government has made substantial investments in regeneration projects that create public spaces, including the Te Pae convention centre, the Otakaro Avon River Corridor Regeneration Plan, and the Te Kaha Multi-Use Stadium.
“We appreciate the progress made by Christ Church Cathedral Reinstatement Limited and the Christchurch Property Trust in stabilizing the Cathedral and their efforts to manage rising costs.
“We understand and regret that this may not be the news they were hoping for.”
Mark Stewart, chair of Christ Church Reinstatement Limited (CCRL), described the decision as “incredibly sad and disappointing.”
“With the government’s decision, the pathway to completion is much longer, and mothballing is now likely,” said Stewart.
“This is a sad day for Christchurch. With the final anchor projects being completed and significant private and civic investment, Christchurch is experiencing a renaissance as a modern and vibrant city.
“Completing the reinstatement of the city’s iconic cathedral in Cathedral Square would be a fitting capstone to this transformation.”
In June, the Christchurch Anglican Diocesan Synod agreed to a recommendation by CCRL to remove some elements of the concept design to keep the target cost between $209 and $219 million. This reduced the funding shortfall to $85 million.
At Wednesday’s Christchurch City Council meeting, councillor Sarah Templeton called for a delay in the release of the $7 million funding due to the project’s risk of being mothballed.
Following the government’s decision, Stewart said the council will be asked to “pause” its recently confirmed funding until the company has a clearer idea of how—or if—the project can proceed.
“We will meet as a board on August 19 to review all our options and will make further announcements on the future of the reinstatement that week.
“This week, the Christchurch City Council agreed to fulfill its commitment to release $7 million it had already collected from a targeted rate towards reinstatement. We have asked the council to pause this funding until a decision has been made on the pathway to completion.”
SOURCE: 1NEWS