Cathedral needs $15m in earthquake strengthening

When it comes to strengthening Nelson’s cathedral, there’s no time like the present to be getting on with it, says dean Graham O’Brien.
Bringing Nelson’s cathedral up to 66% to 80% of new building standard, work that has to be done by 2045, is estimated to come with a pricetag of $15 million. The parish has managed to raise over $800,000, but every year tacks on 10% to the bill in inflation.
As a result, while economically it wasn’t the best time to start fundraising, the cheapest time to start anything as was now, O’Brien said.
To do that, the diocese is now looking to the Government, the Nelson City Council, and the community for some help.

This year fundraising opened up to the parish, and public fundraising will likely kick off next year on the 100th anniversary of the foundation stone.
Works are projected to take part in three stages – tackling the transept first, then the cathedral’s tower, and finally its nave.
O’Brien hopes to start the first stage in the next two to three years.
It’s safe to use now, but the fact that the building was constructed in different stages means it needs “tying the three parts of the building together”, as well as internally strengthening the tower.
Much of the works will be in the cathedral’s roof space, using what the dean described as “steel bungee cords”.
Asked if there was a risk Nelson’s cathedral could be mothballed like its Christchurch counterpart, O’Brien said Christchurch’s cathedral “effectively fell down” in the 2011 earthquake, couldn’t be used and had to be rebuilt from scratch.
“What we are doing in a building that’s still usable, still functional, is trying to prevent that happening.”
Nelson mayor Nick Smith said the cathedral was Nelson’s most iconic building, reinforced by its central city location, and was now the most visited cathedral in New Zealand after the tragic loss of Christchurch.
The church was also very generous in allowing the cathedral’s use for many musical and civic events, he said.
While he was keen for council to work with the diocese on the upgrading of the cathedral, and was open to council providing some support, it was early days, and a meeting was planned with the cathedral next month.
Smith said there was no provision in the council’s Long Term Plan, and so if any significant contribution was proposed, then there would need to be a process of public consultation.
He was hopeful that the Government would provide some support, but said the church would need to “do the bulk of the heavy lifting”.
However, O’Brien said the majority of the church’s money that was sitting in the bank was given for specific purposes, and could only be used for specific purposes.
“You’re talking 80%, 85% of our funding. Those purposes keep us open day by day. They don’t allow us to do anything else.”
Nelson MP Rachel Boyack said her view was that it was appropriate for all parts of the community to be looking to fund it.
As the owners of the building, the Anglican Church would need to “stump up with some cash”.
But Boyack said given the role the building played in bringing people into the inner city, it was important that it remained open to the public, and she would be advocating to central government for funding for it.
“It’s a significant landmark for Nelson, it’s part of the skyline of Nelson, and everyone looks at the steps and the cathedral tower and immediately recognizes it,” she said.
In a Nelson Regional Development Agency briefing for ministers earlier this year, the Cathedral was listed as an investment priority, requiring business and central and local government support.
The briefing said the agency was requesting meetings with ministers of tourism and arts to discuss potential funding partnerships.

By Warren Gamble, Nelson Mail

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