Christchurch rates to rise 7.8% as $15m pledged for cathedral repairs

Tuesday, 26 May 2026

Canterbury Museum will get $15m, Christ Church Cathedral will get $15m and the Christchurch School of Music will get $4m following a council decision on Tuesday.

There were emotional scenes around the Christchurch City Council table as councillors decided to give the Anglican Cathedral and Canterbury Museum another $15 million each.

They also settled on a rates increase of 7.83% for 2026/27, down from the 7.96% previously consulted on.

Tuesday’s funding decision, which is contingent on the Government matching the same amount for both projects, was made despite recent consultation showing only 14% support from the public for more ratepayer money for the cathedral.

The council decided to divert $35.8m from its $44.4m surplus into funding three projects – the cathedral, the museum, and $4m for the Christchurch School of Music’s new central city building.

The museum will also get a $28.6m loan, with interest, to be paid back over 25 years via an international visitor charge.

Some councillors described the cathedral and museum funding as “pragmatic and prudent” as well as “sensible”. Others spoke from the heart.

Cr Melanie Coker became tearful during a city council meeting on Tuesday. (File photo)

Fighting back tears, Melanie Coker said she was torn about using the surplus, because of what else it could be spent on, but the cathedral and the museum were the heart of the city.

“We had an earthquake and it kept us out of the city. It was like a break-up with the city that we knew and we never got it back again, so we need to heal our broken heart.”

During Coker’s speech, Cr Pauline Cotter reached for a tissue as she too became teary.

Support for the museum and School of Music funding was almost unanimous, with just Yani Johanson abstaining on the museum vote.

Funding the cathedral proved more contentious, with 11 councillors and mayor Phil Mauger voting to do so. Three were against and two abstained.

The decision has been welcomed by both the museum and cathedral.

Museum Trust Board chairperson Tom Thomson said the support was a “strong vote of confidence in the redevelopment”.

Christchurch City Council consulted the public on funding for these four “iconic” buildngs. Clockwise from top left: Provincial Chambers, Christ Church Cathedral, Canterbury Museum, the Arts Centre's former Dux de Lux building

They would continue to work with the Government and other partners to ensure redevelopment could proceed on a secure and sustainable footing.

Anglican bishop Dr Peter Carrell and Steve Wakefield, chairperson of the Christ Church Cathedral Reinstatement Ltd, said the decision brought the earthquake era closer to conclusion and gave them renewed energy and a compelling case to put to funders.

But if the Government does not front up, the council deal is off.

New Zealand First is the only party in parliament to publicly support the cathedral, with leader Winston Peters pledging $15m from the Crown, but this would hinge on the next government’s coalition agreement.

National has been non-committal, saying both projects would have to be weighed against priorities like health, education and law and order.

Labour also has no plans to contribute to either cathedral or museum, the party’s Christchurch spokesperson Tracey McLellan has said.

The cathedral needs $95m to complete a pared-down restoration, and had asked ratepayers and/or taxpayers to contribute $40m to $45m. Taxpayers have already put in $25m and ratepayers $10m via a direct levy.

Christchurch city councillors Sam MacDonald and Jake McLellan worked together on the funding plan.

The city council has so far contributed $60m to the museum’s $261.9m rebuild, the Government giving $35m. The project has a $91.9m funding gap.

Sam MacDonald urged councillors to support the plan that he and fellow councillor Jake McLellan designed, saying those who did not were being “populist and political”.

The plan was “sensible and prudent” and solved a $300m problem with a $35m solution, he said.

Real leadership would be to go ahead with the funding, rather than “throwing stones from the sidelines”, MacDonald said.

He also pointed out the council had not given the cathedral everything it asked for.

McLellan said the decision was “closing the book on the city’s earthquake legacy”, and that they had to honour a commitment made by the church and central and local government years ago to repair it, despite the increased cost.

But Andrei Moore said 91% of 1200 residents who responded to a survey he carried out in his Halswell ward were opposed to the cathedral funding.

He said he was not prepared to ignore public sentiment and could not breach the trust of residents, and warned the decision would damage public trust in the council and that people would remember the vote.

“I don’ t think we are doing the right thing.”

Yani Johanson, who wanted the council to consult on the funding, said he loved heritage buildings but the council was not able to fund everything.

He said the council had yet to address homelessness, and roads were still damaged from the earthquakes.

Johanson said he could not “in good faith” support the cathedral, given the Anglican Church was one of the wealthiest organisations in the world.

Another $1.8m from the surplus will top up the cathedral levy fund, which was stopped last year, three years early, before it reached $10m. The remaining surplus will pay down debt.

The Arts Centre hoped for $10m to refurbish the former Dux de Lux building, but the council instead asked staff to work with the centre and report back on options.

The Canterbury Provincial Chambers has also missed out.

Those who voted for the cathedral funding: Phil Mauger, Victoria Henstock, Kelly Barber, David Cartwright, Melanie Coker, Pauline Cotter, Nathaniel Herz Jardine, Aaron Keown, Sam MacDonald, Jake McLellan, Mark Peters, Tim Scandrett.

Against: Celeste Donovan, Yani Johanson, Andrei Moore.

Abstained: Tyrone Fields, Tyla Harrison-Hunt.