From 2012 to 2018, many of us watched from the sidelines as heritage advocates and Church dignitaries argued about what would happen to the Christ Church Cathedral following the devastating damage incurred during the 2010 and 2011 earthquakes. The tower and spire had collapsed, and the west elevation was so severely damaged that it caused the entire collapse of the iconic rose window. The cathedral lay ruined.
Limited safety access was allowed on the perimeter and the cathedral was deconsecrated to allow ‘make safe’ work to begin. However, it wasn’t until September 2017 that the Synod endorsed an agreed solution to enable as much of the cathedral’s significance to be retained and reinstated. The government contributed $25 million and Christchurch City Council committed to funding $10 million, and in May 2020 work finally commenced.
I met with Keith Paterson and Ainsley Walter
