History & heritage  |  7 Aug 2024

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The second and final instalment of a $10 million grant to the Christ Church Cathedral Reinstatement Trust (CCRL) will be released for payment today.

The decision to support the Cathedral reinstatement was made in 2017, when the Council committed to providing a $10 million grant through a targeted rate over a 10-year period, commencing in 2018 through to 2028.

A Funding Agreement signed between the Council and CCRL in December last year provided for the grant of $10 million towards the capital cost of reinstatement, to be paid in two instalments: $3 million in December 2023 and $7 million in August 2024.

Following the first instalment of the grant being paid in December, CCRL have met all the conditions of the funding agreement – namely that satisfactory progress is being made on the project and all reporting requirements have been met. Given this, Council was provided with a report today noting that the final payment would be made.  

Acting Mayor Pauline Cotter says it is a signal of good faith that the Council honours its commitment.

“I think we need to be ambassadors for our city and the Cathedral is in our central city. It’s not about whether you agree with the restoration or not, a decision has been made and (with today’s report) we’re honouring an agreement that was made with the restoration team in 2018.

“The Cathedral looks a lot better than it did after the earthquake and it still would look like that now if they hadn’t begun the restoration. It’s really important that we get behind it, so let’s keep moving forward for the benefit of Christchurch.”

Update 9 August 2024: After the decision from the Government not to provide further funding, Christ Church Cathedral Reinstatement Limited has asked the Council to pause this funding until a decision has been made on the pathway to completion.