ISSUE
Friday, August 22, 2025
Volume 16 . Issue 73
Ever since the Canterbury earthquakes of 2010-11, the ruins of Christchurch Cathedral have been the constant reminder for the residents of the city about what went wrong with the recovery process. The limbo was best described by Minister supporting Greater Christchurch Regeneration Nicky Wagner when she noted last week, “About half of Christchurch wants to see the cathedral reinstated, the other half wants something new and more modern, but really, everyone just needs a decision.” She was speaking at the launch of the Cathedral Working Group Recommendation Report, which recommends reinstatement of the cathedral at an estimated cost of $105 million, to be funded by philanthropic and public donations, the Church’s insurance proceeds and support from central and local Government.
“As a resident of Christchurch, I understand and share the community’s frustration over the lack of tangible progress. I am committed to breaking the current deadlock and doing so quickly, which means not re-litigating the past. I firmly believe we need an agreed solution on the future of the cathedral, and we need it sooner rather than later. As the original negotiations around the Cathedral have now ceased, the Cathedral Working Group Recommendation Report can be released. An agreement is vital because any decision that ties everyone up in the courts for five to 10 years is no decision at all. Hence, I will continue to work closely with the Anglican Church, the Christchurch City Council and other key stakeholders to discuss all possible solutions,” she added.
For those interested, the Cathedral Working Group Recommendation Report is available at dpmc.govt.nz/cwg-report, which adds, “The cost of the recommended reinstatement plan is around $100 million in 'outturn dollars'. This is the budget required for the project over a seven to eight-year period, and we recommend the total project cost be capped at this amount. It may be possible to reduce this amount by fast-tracking design and consenting issues. However, at the same time, there are thresholds
Ever since the Canterbury earthquakes of 2010-11, the ruins of Christchurch Cathedral have been the constant reminder for the residents of the city about what went wrong with the recovery process. The limbo was best described by Minister supporting Greater Christchurch Regeneration Nicky Wagner...
Ever since the Canterbury earthquakes of 2010-11, the ruins of Christchurch Cathedral have been the constant reminder for the residents of the city about what went wrong with the recovery process. The limbo was best described by Minister supporting Greater Christchurch Regeneration Nicky Wagner when she noted last week, “About half of Christchurch wants to see the cathedral reinstated, the other half wants something new and more modern, but really, everyone just needs a decision.” She was speaking at the launch of the Cathedral Working Group Recommendation Report, which recommends reinstatement of the cathedral at an estimated cost of $105 million, to be funded by philanthropic and public donations, the Church’s insurance proceeds and support from central and local Government.
“As a resident of Christchurch, I understand and share the community’s frustration over the lack of tangible progress. I am committed to breaking the current deadlock and doing so quickly, which means not re-litigating the past. I firmly believe we need an agreed solution on the future of the cathedral, and we need it sooner rather than later. As the original negotiations around the Cathedral have now ceased, the Cathedral Working Group Recommendation Report can be released. An agreement is vital because any decision that ties everyone up in the courts for five to 10 years is no decision at all. Hence, I will continue to work closely with the Anglican Church, the Christchurch City Council and other key stakeholders to discuss all possible solutions,” she added.
For those interested, the Cathedral Working Group Recommendation Report is available at dpmc.govt.nz/cwg-report, which adds, “The cost of the recommended reinstatement plan is around $100 million in 'outturn dollars'. This is the budget required for the project over a seven to eight-year period, and we recommend the total project cost be capped at this amount. It may be possible to reduce this amount by fast-tracking design and consenting issues. However, at the same time, there are thresholds
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