Dear Friends,
I am delighted to be able to report to you some important progress on the possibility of central government funding contributing to the re:opening of Christ Church Cathedral.
This afternoon, NZ First leader Winston Peters visited the Cathedral and announced that any coalition government it is part of following the General Election in November would provide $15m to the Cathedral.
See The Press article (behind a paywall): Winston Peters promises $15m for Christ Church Cathedral rebuild | The Press
CCRL Chair Steve Wakefield, who is also deputy chair of the Church Property Trustees, said the announcement is a significant milestone in the journey to securing a viable pathway to completion for the Cathedral project.
“We are delighted by the announcement and wish to extend our heartfelt thanks to NZ First for recognising the importance of the Cathedral. Restoring the Cathedral means restoring the centrepiece of our city. It will also catalyse development in the wider Cathedral Square precinct and open up the Cathedral to a range of events, as well as local and international visitors.“
The announcement by Winston Peters is coherent with significant momentum across Christchurch civic leaders, its business sector and the wider community to see the Cathedral re:opened. With the other directors of CCRL, and as the Bishop of Christchurch, I am feeling very positive about our ability to deliver this project.
I remind readers of e-Life that the re-scoping of the Cathedral Reinstatement Project to what we now describe as the Re:Opening Project will restore the western façade of the Cathedral, including its tower and nave and iconic Rose Window.
With the nave completed we will be able to re:open for regular Sunday and week day services of worship. The tower will attract visitors and tours and generate operating revenue for the church.
Today is the last day for submissions about Council funding for the cathedral and I look forward to the impact our submissions will make on the Council’s decision-making.
Arohanui,
Bishop Peter.