All four were badly damaged in the earthquakes, and the Council has been approached to consider financial support to help complete their restoration. With Christchurch continuing to grow and evolve, there is a view that leaving these buildings unfinished may limit cultural and economic opportunities for the city.
In the LTP, the Council has committed $20 million to the restoration of the Canterbury Provincial Chambers and $10 million, raised via a targeted rate we introduced in 2019, to the Christ Church Cathedral.
We have not currently committed additional funding to the restoration of these iconic buildings.
Our current estimate is that the total funding gap between the projected restoration costs and all confirmed contributions is approximately $290 million. Closing this gap would require funding from multiple sources, including central government. Any contribution the Council makes would also have an impact on rates increases.
This is a significant level of investment, and decisions of this scale sit appropriately within the Long Term Plan process. With our next LTP set to be developed in 2027, we want to understand community views now so that we can consider them alongside the national significance of the buildings, their economic and cultural value, and the potential for-co funding from other partners before forming any proposals.
We want to hear what you think
How important is completing the restoration of these four heritage buildings to Christchurch’s future?
