Christ Church Cathedral may be closed for a long time because the Government will not help pay for its repairs. Mark Stewart, the chair of Christ Church Cathedral Reinstatement Ltd, said they were told on Friday that no more government money would be provided.
Stewart said this news is “incredibly sad and disappointing.” He explained that with the Government’s decision, finishing the project will take much longer. The board will meet on August 19 to discuss what to do next, and the Anglican Synod will meet in early September.
Recently, CCRL asked the Government for more financial support. They managed to reduce the project’s budget shortfall from $114 million to between $75 million and $85 million after the church synod, led by the bishop, agreed to cut costs. This brought the total project cost down from $248 million to between $209 million and $219 million.
Stewart mentioned they will inform the city council to hold on to $7 million in a grant that was already promised. So far, the project has received $25 million from taxpayers, $3 million from the Christchurch City Council, $33 million from the church’s insurance payout, and $24 million from donations, reaching a target of $50 million.
