Latest News
Milestone reached in Christchurch Cathedral rebuild
The completion of the first phase in the Christchurch Cathedral rebuild is being described as a huge milestone.
More than a decade since the Canterbury earthquakes caused extensive damage to the building, community leaders and project managers gathered inside the cathedral building on Tuesday for the first time since the 2011 calamity.
With the completion of the building stabilisation phase, the moment was acknowledged at an event inside the historic building.
For many of the city’s leaders, proceedings, and the project as a whole, held significant reverence.
Interiors of the cathedral. Photo: Adam Burns / RNZ
Deputy Mayor Pauline Cotter admitted she was taken aback by how affecting the moment was.
“The end’s in sight so it’s incredibly exciting,” she said.
“It’s actually quite emotional when you come in, it’s been locked off for so long and to actually come inside, it took me by surprise by how I felt.”
Project director Keith Paterson said the cathedral’s interior was beginning to resemble its former self, but with additional structural support.
“We spent over a year planning and preparing for the work to commence and have been onsite in construction mode almost three years,” he said.
“We’re very focused and keen to complete this project for the city.”
Paterson said the rebuild now moves into a second phase – strengthening and reinstatement of the cathedral’s main building and tower.
“The reinstated cathedral has been designed to meet the latest structural standards for a new public building.
“Once completed the cathedral, tower, cathedral centre and visitors centre will seamlessly integrate with Cathedral Square.”
Some dignitaries spoke about their fond memories of the cathedral prior the quakes.
Christ Church Cathedral Reinstatement Project chair Mark Stewart said the project is a “once-in-a-lifetime commitment”.
“I’ve personally had a lot of time in this cathedral over the years,” he said.
“I’ve sung inside this building when I was young, we’ve had family celebrations in here, my father’s funeral was in this building, we’ve had christenings.
“Not only as a Christchurch resident do I feel that it is important, it’s important to us as a family.”
Stewart said it was a huge milestone.
“We’re four years in and have four years to go, so it was important for us to pause today and acknowledge how far we have come, to celebrate the team which has got us here, what they have achieved and how we’re playing our part to reinstate the heart of Christchurch.”
Cabinet Minister Megan Woods, who previously held the Christchurch regeneration portfolio, said it was a “day of celebration” for residents.
“It has become so symbolic of Christchurch and what happened in the quakes,” she said.
Megan Woods inside the Christchurch Cathedral in March 2023. Photo: Adam Burns / RNZ
“We know the devastation that happened to people’s houses, we know that everything happened outside of the CBD, but it’s that broken heart in the centre of our city that’s being brought back to life.”
The reinstatement of the cathedral has reached the second phase following the completion of building stabilising. Photo: Adam Burns / RNZ
Woods paid tribute to the late former deputy prime minister Jim Anderton, who campaigned for the Cathedral rebuild.
Anderton died in 2018.
The final phase of the project includes the construction of a new cathedral centre and visitors centre, beginning in 2025.
The cathedral is due to be completed by 2027.
SOURCE RNZ
The chief executive of the Parliamentary Service is confident there will be enough room to accommodate the increased number of MPs and their staff coming into Parliament.
On current numbers, up to 131 MPs could be sitting in the Chamber following the election, brought on by a record overhang result.
Clerk of the House of Representatives Dr David Wilson told the Spinoff that currently the debating chamber had enough chairs to seat 124 MPs – including the Speaker of the House – and work was being done to accommodate more by altering the seating arrangement.
In a statement, Parliamentary Service chief executive Rafael Gonzalez-Montero said planning for a larger Parliament had been going for “some time”.
“Now that the election results have confirmed an increase to the number of members we are looking at several options.
“We are confident we will be able to accommodate all members within the Chamber.”
VNP / Phil Smith
Gonzalez-Montero said office accommodation for members and their staff would be “stretched” for a short time, but the new Members’ Building was only a few months away from “practical completion”.
That building – located behind Parliament – was due to be ready to occupy in April next year and had capacity to accommodate around 30 backbench MPs.
“All members should be in fit-for-purpose accommodation from that point,” Gonzalez-Montero said.
Following the 2023 election, 123 MPs sat in the Chamber – a record number at the time. That decreased to 122 following the resignation of National MP Judith Collins.
Collins held the seat of Papakura and stepped down in May and Parliament voted against holding a by-election because it was too close to the election.
The election result also meant high-ranking National Party MPs like Chris Bishop, Paul Goldsmith, Nicola Willis and Gerry Brownlee – Speaker of the House and an MP for 30 years – would likely not make it back into Parliament.
Only resigning or retiring MPs were permitted to give a valedictory speech meaning none of them would get the chance to give a valedictory statement.
Asked if their would be special allowances for valedictories, Wilson said in a statement that normally only MPs were allowed to speak in the House but the House could suspend its own rules or temporarily alter them.
“It could do so to allow former members to address the House.”
Wilson said no such arrangements could be made until the next Parliament opened and members sworn in.
rnz
Police say person who fired gun at officers still at large
New Zealand sides named for RLWC finals
Parliamentary Service working on extra chairs and offices for increased number of MPs
-
Latest News2 months ago‘Chilling’: Business groups speak out against National’s supermarket break-up plan
-
NZ News2 months agoTom Phillips report: The missed opportunities to find the children
-
Politics2 months agoNational vows to try to split Pak’nSave and New World
-
Latest News2 months agoCars bearing Chinese police markings stir unease in Auckland
-
Fiji News2 months agoPlans to have new Constitution by Dec 24th 2026
-
NZ News2 months agoCop who stole $68,000 can now be named as champion Muay Thai fighter Haimona Tamati-Te Paki
-
Politics2 months agoMBIE confirms botched biometric projects costs blown out to $50.7 million
-
Latest News2 months agoFive Karangahape Road venues lose their liquor licences after police intervention