The Bishop of Christchurch encourages us to speak up in support of funding to reopen our Cathedral.
Speak Up: Help reopen Christ Church Cathedral
Dear Friends,
I am writing to ask you to make a submission to the Christchurch City Council’s draft annual plan for 2026-27 which supports the City Council prioritising funding for the reinstatement of Christ Church Cathedral. We need you to speak up for the Cathedral in this regard. There will be voices speaking up for other heritage projects in the city in this submission process and it will be vital that we have many voices speaking up for the priority of the cathedral being funded.
You can find out more at the Cathedral Reinstatement website here https://christchurchcathedral.org.nz/support-us/speak-up/ and make a submission via that site.
Or, you can make a submission directly to Council here: Our Draft Annual Plan 2026/27 | Kōrero mai | Let’s talk
You can also read the full Council plan concerning four iconic heritage buildings in the city here Restoring our iconic buildings | Our Draft Annual Plan 2026/27 | Kōrero mai | Let’s talk.
In essence, the City Council seeks your views on potential future investment in the restoration of these four iconic buildings. The Council estimates there is a funding gap across all four iconic heritage projects of $290m and thus it wishes to understand community views on what investment might be made in the completion of the four heritage projects.
The first question the Council asks is: “How important is completing the restoration of these four heritage buildings to Christchurch’s future?” and we are invited to make one of six responses, from “Critical – these are essential to our city’s identity and economy” down to “Don’t know”.
Then the Council invites us to make comments “about the Council investing in the restoration of these buildings” and this is a golden opportunity to make a comment about theimportance and priority of re-opening the Cathedral.
I ask each resident of Christchurch receiving this letter to make a submission in support of the Cathedral’s reinstatement receiving further City Council support and encourage friends and families to do the same. Possible themes for your written submission are:
The Cathedral as the heart & soul of our community.
A place of spiritual nourishment & reflection
A place of refuge.
A place where all are welcome.
A quiet space away from the busy world.
A symbol of hope.
Your support via this submission process will make a difference to the future decision making of the Christchurch City Council in respect of the priority of Christ Church Cathedral among the four major heritage projects of this city. The deadline for submissions is Friday 27 March 2026.
Thank you for your action on this vital step in securing the funding which will enable us to re-open our cathedral.
Arohanui,
+Peter.
By Andrew Butcher