Ratepayer backlash: 18,500 sign petition against $15m Christ Church Cathedral grant

Wednesday, 22 July 2026

A petition by Christchurch man James Pawson asking the council to rescind its decision to grant the Christ Church Cathedral $15m has attracted 18,500 signatures.

A petition calling on the council to revisit its decision to give Christ Church Cathedral $15 million has reached 18,500 signatures – but it’s unlikely to make any difference.

James Pawson, a refrigeration and air conditioning engineer from Christchurch, created the petition a month ago after being contacted by friends frustrated at the council’s decision.

The city council decided in May and confirmed in late June to give the cathedral $15m toward its restoration, despite receiving only 14% support from the public during consultation.

Pawson does not want ratepayers’ money going to a church not owned by the public.

It was part of a move to divert $35.8m from the council’s $44.4m budget surplus into three projects – an equal share for the cathedral and the museum, and $4m for the Christchurch School of Music’s new central city building.

However, the petition takes aim only at the cathedral.

Pawson said he had not expected it to gather such support, and that it showed the depth of feeling among ratepayers who did not want their money going towards a church not owned by the public.

Christ Church Cathedral Reinstatement Ltd, the joint venture company formed to restore the cathedral, has asked ratepayers and/or taxpayers to fill $40m to $45m of the $95m needed to complete a pared-down restoration.

“Why should ratepayers be putting so much money into it when we get nothing back?”

Councillor Sam MacDonald, who developed the funding plan with his colleague Jake McLellan, said he knew it was unpopular with some, but such decisions occasionally had to be made to progress the city.

Councillors were torn when making the decision in May. Two were teary when talking about the issue, and many saw it as the only way to prevent Cathedral Square from remaining in ruins for years.

The decision was supported by 11 councillors and mayor Phil Mauger. Three were against and two abstained.

The funding is contingent on the Government also fronting up with $15m and the cathedral proving it has enough money to complete its $95m pared-down restoration.

“The money won't be handed over until they have the pathway to completion, and if they don’t then the money will be used to repay debt, so this is just giving them the best shot,” McDonald said.

The cathedral sits behind fences and is considered to be holding back the square’s development.

Pawson said since the money was yet to be handed over, there was time to rescind the decision.

Councillors do have the ability to revoke a decision and it has happened before.

In August 2021, the council, via a notice of motion, rescinded a decision to reduce the size of the stadium from 30,000 seats to 25,000 after a budget blow-out, a move made on the back of a 24,000-signature petition.

Submitting a notice of motion would need the support of at least a third of councillors before it could be discussed and voted on by the council.

Based on the way councillors voted in May, there would not be enough to reach the threshold of six.

Andrei Moore, one of the three to vote against the cathedral money, said he would consider launching a notice of motion, but the council was not interested in public views on the issue so he could not see the petition making a difference.

An image of how the partly restored Christ Church Cathedral might look.

“The decision was made in the knowledge that the majority of the public were against it.”

Yani Johanson, who also voted against it, said once the petition was received by the council staff would prepare a report for a council decision in response.

“I support the cathedral being restored as it is a significant heritage building, but I don't believe council should be funding it,” he said.

MacDonald said he did not think the council would revisit the decision since the money was conditional on other funding being secured.

McLellan said the petition was a moot point, given the council money was contingent on Government funding.

“If the Government’s not willing to support it, neither will we.”

Pawson said he was not in favour of the Government giving taxpayers’ money to the cathedral either.

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

Christ Church Cathedral Reinstatement Ltd chairman Steve Wakefield said he acknowledged a range of views existed, including strong support for reinstatement and revitalisation of Cathedral Square.

“The council has made its decision, contingent on government support, and we are all working toward that outcome.”