Anglicans sit on half-billion dollar Canterbury property empire

Saturday, 2 May 2026

Christ Church Cathedral is mothballed pending more funding to complete a partial restoration. Meanwhile, Christchurch’s Anglican Diocese has more than half a billion dollars worth of property.

The value of properties in the Christchurch Anglican Diocese’s portfolio has passed half a billion dollars while it seeks more public cash to fix its mothballed cathedral.

Among the properties of the asset-rich diocese are a $2 million-plus holiday home on Scarborough Hill, a suburban parish site worth $16m, a $5m-plus bare site on Riccarton Rd, lakefront land at Tekapo worth $2m-plus, and several unused churches.

The portfolio is valued for insurance purposes at $561m, according to the most recent financial report filed with Charities NZ by the Church Property Trustees (CPT), which holds and administers the properties.

Christchurch Anglican Bishop Peter Carrell, centre, with Christ Church Cathedral dean Ben Truman, left, and CCRL director Mark Stewart in front of the cathedral.

This is an increase in value of 12% in two years. CPT also has about $1.2m of money invested.

Among the 285 properties spread across Canterbury are churches, church halls, office buildings, and about 60 houses. Some are used as investment properties. The figures do not include Christ Church Cathedral, or most of the Anglican Schools.

While some of the properties produce income for the diocese or individual parishes, others are bare or unused sites which cost money to keep and maintain.

Sister Eveleen Retreat House, with green roof, is on Whitewash Head on Scarborough Hill and has a rating valuation of just over $2m.

Christ Church Cathedral Reinstatement Ltd, the joint venture company formed to restore the cathedral on behalf of the diocese, wants ratepayers and/or taxpayers to help fill its $40m to $45m funding gap of the $95m needed to complete a pared-down restoration.

About $90m has been spent so far on the project, with the church contributing $38m of that from its $42m insurance payout and pledging another $20m. The Crown, the city council, and donors have also contributed millions, with the council now considering whether to spend more on heritage buildings including the cathedral.

New Zealand First leader Winston Peters has pledged another $15m from the Crown, which would need coalition agreement under a new Government.

Bishop Peter Carrell told The Press the properties in the portfolio are kept to support parishes and provide them with income.

Asked whether property sales are being considered, Carrell said properties are held to “support parish mission and ministry”, and any sales are “initiated by the parishes and not the diocese”.

“Property held within the diocese for use by parishes has always been reviewed and rationalised to best meet parish needs.”

A path leads to the secluded retreat house, where rooms can be booked by the public.

He said the houses not needed for clergy are rented out to generate income “to support essential mission and ministry in the parishes”.

The Scarborough property is a house on Whitewash Head Rd, which has ocean views and is a short stroll to the beach.

The Anglican diocese owns more than a hectare of land over four property titles at Lake Tekapo, including the land on which the Church of the Good Shepherd sits.

The house was given to the church in 1939 by a local Anglican nun, Sister Constance Eveleen Barklie. The diocese renovated the property in the 1980s, and again after it was damaged in the earthquakes.

Described as a “very secluded retreat”, rooms in Sister Eveleen Retreat House are let out to the public as guest accommodation, with room rates of $85 or $100 a night, shared kitchen and bathroom facilities and a chapel. Guests can also book for guided or self-guided retreats.

The property has a 158m² four-bedroom house and front deck, and a rear annexe with four more bedrooms, and no drive-on access.

The $1.33m house on Rimu St is rented out.

It has a rating valuation of $2.07m and is surrounded by homes worth up to $8m.

At Lake Tekapo, the much-photographed Church of the Good Shepherd is surrounded by about a hectare of vacant Anglican land on both sides of the road.

The $5.37m former St James site on Riccarton Rd.

Divided into four property titles, the land has a rating value of $2.59m, not including the church itself.

On Rimu St in Riccarton, Christchurch, is a modern family home that the diocese has owned since 2007, and rents out.

Anglican buildings on Tui St in Fendalton, next to St Barnabas church. The whole property has a valuation of $10.4m.

The double-storey house has four-bedrooms and a council rating valuation of $1.33m.

It was last listed for rent 17 months ago at $850 a week.

The house is 200m from Riccarton Westfield Mall and 150m from Riccarton Bush. It sits within the sought-after zones of both Christchurch Boys’ High and Christchurch Girls' High.

No church services are held at the picturesque St Paul’s in Port Levy on Banks Peninsula.

Also in Riccarton is the vacant 3700m² site of St James Church, which was demolished last year after the parish merged with St Martins in Spreydon. The property, on busy Riccarton Rd, has a rating valuation of $5.37m.

Other bare sites of demolished churches include the site of St Michael’s south of Waimate, where the damaged brick church was knocked down in 2017.

Some of the Anglicans’ Christchurch suburban churches, such as St Barnabas in Fendalton, are on properties worth $10m.

St Kentigern’s in the Kaituna Valley is not used for regular church services.

The St Barnabas site, worth $10.4m, comprises six adjoining property titles on two-thirds of a hectare on the corner of Fendalton Rd and Tui St. As well as the church and grounds, it has a car park and other church buildings.

In Upper Riccarton, CPT owns the entire block bordered by Yaldhurst, Main South and Curletts roads, with a rating valuation of $16.35m.

As well as St Peter’s Church and surrounding cemetery, it is occupied by a pre-school, houses and vacant land, on eight titles.

At Hanmer Springs, it owns a quarter-hectare Jollies Pass Rd property with a rating valuation of $1.4m.

The property includes the little wooden Epiphany Church, where there is one service a week.

There are other rural churches with no regular services at all, such as the tiny St Paul’s at Port Levy on Banks Peninsula and St Kentigern’s in the Kaituna Valley.

The church owns office properties at sites including Cardale House on Tuam St, and on Hereford St next to the transitional cathedral in Christchurch.

CPT also manages other Anglican properties not owned by the diocese but in the ownership of trusts including Bishopric Estate, the Dean and Chapter Estate, and the General Trust Estate.

The organisation is unique in the Anglican Church in New Zealand. Formed in 1854, it has a special Act of Parliament to hold and administer the diocese’s properties. It also buys and sells properties for the diocese, and rents out those not occupied.