Order in Council approved to fast track reinstatement of Christ Church Cathedral

A proposed Order in Council to support the rebuild of the Christ Church Cathedral has been given the go ahead. It will provide greater certainty for the reinstatement of the Christ Church Cathedral, prevent lengthy delays of up to two years and keep costs down.

The Governor-General, Dame Patsy Reddy, approved the Order on 24 August 2020, following a recommendation from Associate Minister for Greater Christchurch Regeneration, Hon Poto Williams.

Ms Williams says the Order will modify the application process for future resource consents for the Cathedral.

The public were invited to make written comments on the proposed Order. Of the 68 comments received 36 supported the Order, 29 opposed and three partially supported the Order.

Ms Williams says all the written comments received together with feedback from an independent Review Panel, Parliament’s Regulations Review Committee and the Minister for the Environment, were taken into account in deciding to make her recommendation.

“I would like to thank everyone who provided their feedback. I took my time to consider that feedback and as a result I refined the Order and decreased its scope.”

 For example the Order now:

• takes a more conservative approach to the Citizens’ War Memorial and London Plane trees by placing further conditions on their removal; and
• limits reinstatement to ensure the Cathedral cannot be fully demolished and replaced with a new building.

Ms Williams acknowledges that there is a lot of public interest and strong views regarding the Cathedral and its future.

“An Order in Council is a significant legislative tool and one not to be used lightly. However, I believe the Order will support the city’s regeneration and also provide a more timely and certain reinstatement of one of the city’s most well-known icons.”