St Mary’s gets $5m funding boost
The vision for New Zealand’s oldest stone church has been given more certainty with a $5m funding boost from the Government.
Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones announced funding for the Taranaki Cathedral of St Mary project at the launch of the regional economic initiative Tapuae Roa – Make Way for Taranaki Action Plan in New Plymouth on Friday.
In an emailed statement Jones said the money would come from the Provincial Growth Fund and be used to help transform the heritage icon into a nationally significant tourist drawcard.
A remediation and development project for the cathedral was set up in 2016 after the historic church was closed for earthquake strengthening. The project has a $15 million budget.
‘‘Obviously just totally delighted that the minister decided to support it. It’s a great encouragement to us in terms of completing the whole project,’’ Dean Peter Beck said.
‘‘When I came here two years ago and the cathedral was closed the question we were asking was ‘what do we want the cathedral to be?’,’’ he said.
Beck said the vision was to establish a place that welcomed all faiths, and those without, a place where the site’s heritage and story from 1846 was acknowledged and told, and a place committed to peace and reconciliation between all peoples.
‘‘I’m so totally confident that this vision will be realised and we are going to get there,’’ Beck said.
The concept is to create a cathedral precinct with a flexible place for worship, and a community space for arts, music, drama and other events. Development will include a world-class atrium space to honour the memory of Sir Paul Reeves, and incorporate the adjacent wooden vicarage, built in 1899, and on-site car parking. Beck said the finished project would be at the cutting edge of churches within New Zealand and the funding boost showed the Government supported the entire concept.
Once completed, Taranaki Cathedral is expected to draw about 80,000 visitors and contribute about $7.3 million to the regional economy.
The Cathedral Project remediation and design manager Jenny Goddard said engineering, building, and conservation investigations, assessments and plans were well under way and work would now accelerate with the funding.
New Plymouth National MP Jonathan Young lobbied strongly to secure funding for earthquake strengthening and congratulated the Government for following through and confirming funding for a number of important Taranaki projects.
Young said the cathedral was much more than a church, it was an educational centre, a social centre, and inspired people in the community to live and serve better. It was a reminder of a turbulent past and a hope for a bright, unified future, Young said.