Mark Belton Spokesperson for Restore Christ Church Cathedral Campaign generously provided the text of their submission.

Christchurch City Three Year Plan Submission

Subject: Request to Council for provision to assist funding of restoration of Christchurch Cathedral

Submitter: Mark Belton (on behalf of Restore Christchurch Cathedral Campaign)

Submission:

The feasibility of fully restoring Christ Church Cathedral to the highest code requirement for a public building is now accepted by all parties.

Council has in the past always supported the cathedral, and a year ago voted for a pause to demolition so that restoration could be considered.

 

Council has a duty of care to protect and maintain our city’s major cultural and historical assets. The cathedral without any question is the most potent symbol of our city’s historical roots. It is the city’s greatest historic and spiritual treasure. Consequently as our city considers how it provides for its recovery from the quakes it behoves us to make provision to assist with the cost of restoration.

 

It is therefore requested that Council make provision in its Three Year Plan to provide financial assistance toward the Cathedral’s restoration.

Our suggestion is Council make provision for up to $10M over a 10 year period, or $1M per annum. In the context of the Three Year Plan this would equate to $3M.

We consider that this is a realistic level of funding, given the range of cost estimates between the GCBT’s estimate of $67M and the CPT’s. $100M.

A number of considerations give us confidence that the actual cost is likely to be at the lower end of the $67m-$100M range, notably GCBT’s offer to fully fund an immediate start on the make safe, and stabilisation work, and its commitment to help raise required funds above the cathedral’s $39M insurance payout (absent costly fund raiser fees), and offers of discounted and pro bono services.

We believe a conservative assessment of full restoration cost (including base isolation) is $75M. After insurance this would leave $36M to cover. A Council offer of initial support of $3M initially, and provision for $1M per year up to $10M cap (if this level were required) would in our view be an appropriate showing of support for the city’s single most important restoration project.

We would lobby for and expect central government to match Council’s level of support.

It is noted that existing pledges in support of restoration exceed $5M and GCBT and RCCC are highly confident that with their assistance the balance of required funds will be raised.

In summary, in the Three Year Plan it is requested provision is made for $3M funding of cathedral restoration work, with provision for up to $10M  or $1m per year over a 10 year period.

 

Mark Belton

Spokesperson

Restore Christ Church Cathedral Campaign Group.