Work has slowed down on the Christ Church Cathedral Reinstatement project, with contractors forced to make staff redundant while a project review takes place.

The cathedral was severely damaged in the Canterbury earthquakes that struck the region in September 2010 and February 2011. 

Christ Church Reinstatement Limited Project Director Keith Paterson told Chris Lynch Media, “We are still in the process of undertaking a full review of the project status following the completion of the stabilisation phase in March 2023 and re-entry into the Cathedral for the very first time since the 2011 earthquake”

“Re-entering the cathedral was a critical project milestone that enabled further extensive investigation and consideration of the work required to strengthen and reinstate the cathedral and how this work is best carried out,” Paterson said.

“We are carefully undertaking a comprehensive assessment of our design, planned work methods, programme and costs. Once we complete that, we will update our key stakeholders and then the wider community. We anticipate that this will be in April this year.  

“In the meantime, some work on the project continues. Because we have slowed down the work programme, while we undertake the review, our contractor had to make some staff redundant late last year,” he said.

When asked how many people were made redundant, how the team has spent the $10m grant given to them by the Christchurch City Council, what work has stopped, and whether the project deadline has changed, newly appointed Christ Church Reinstatement Campaign Director Carolyne Grant told this newsroom, “At this point we have nothing to add … We will be updating stakeholders and the wider community soon.”

The project’s website says: “We are reinstating it to once again take central place in Cathedral Square where it will offer a spiritual home to Anglicans, welcome all faiths and none and breathe new life and vibrancy into the heart of our city for generations to come.”

“Once complete, the Christ Church Cathedral rebuild will feature a reinstated stone Cathedral and Bell Tower – with a viewing platform, a Visitors’ Centre – with a cafe and visitor experience, and a Cathedral Centre – providing space to support the wider community.”