The Christchurch City Council has agreed to fulfil a commitment to pay $7 million for the restoration of the Christ Church Cathedral.
That’s despite the possibility that the project could be mothballed if more funds aren’t found by Christ Church Reinstatement Limited (CCRL), the trust responsible for the rebuild.
In December last year the Council paid $3 million of a $10 million grant to CCRL, pledged in 2017 to complete strengthening work.
The grant was to be paid for by residents via a targeted rate gathered over a 10 year period from 2018 to 2028.
Before today’s vote to receive the noting report informing the council of the upcoming payment, Councillor Melanie Coker urged the council to remain positive about the project.
”If we say we’re not sure about whether we will look at further funding for it or putting through the $7 million for this project we’ll have a broken building in the centre of our city for eternity, it will never be demolished, it will remain like that if it’s not fully funded to be repaired.
“Do we want that? I think no,” she said.
But Councillor Sarah Templeton was unsure whether the council should hand over $7 million when it’s not clear CCRL could secure an additional $30 million needed to avoid mothballing the project.
Acting Mayor Pauline Cotter, who was chairing today’s meeting as Mayor Phil Mauger was in China on a Sister City visit, said the Council had had to be ambassadors for the city.
“To me it’s not about whether you agree with the restoration or not, the decision has been made, this is a noting report to honour our agreement that we made in with the restoration team in 2018, so to me it’s a signal of good faith,” she said.
In late June, following a meeting of the Christchurch Anglican Diocesan Synod, the church said it had agreed to a recommendation by CCRL to remove some elements of the concept design.
It was aiming for a target cost in the range of $209 million to $219 million, with a funding gap at the time of up to $85m.
The church also agreed to provide further funds to the reinstatement project.
