The Church Property Trustees of the New Zealand Diocese of Christchurch have received a six million NZ Dollar (approximately £3.1 million GBP) grant towards the rebuilding of Christchurch Cathedral. The building was all-but destroyed in a devastating earthquake in 2011. It has lain in disrepair as the diocese successfully fought of legal challenges to its plans to construct a modern building in its place. In September last year, the Diocesan Synod voted instead to reinstate the cathedral as part of a funding package with local and national government. Today’s grant from the Lottery Significant Project’s Fund is a significant step in the journey towards raising the total estimated costs of $104 million NZD.

CPT General Manager praised the Fund’s generosity” and said that they were “looking forward to locking in other funding so that we can progress the reinstatement of Christchurch Cathedral. It surely comes at the right time, with the details of the re-imagined Square being released, and impetus building for new things to happen moving forward.”

The Deputy Chair of the CPT, Moka Ritchie, added: “I would like to thank Lotteries for this generous grant and also thank the CPT staff for their excellent work in putting this application together.

"We are pleased that this grant will significantly assist us in achieving the funding required for the Cathedral reinstatement project,” she told Anglican Taonga. “It’s fantastic that it’s been approved just as we are in the process of seeking to finalise the terms for the joint venture agreement”.

New plans for the Cathedral Square include the construction of a wooden lattice sculpture which provide indoor market or performance areas as part of a series of Interconnected spaces for public events.