Demolition for cathedral

The Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament in Christchurch is to be demolished. Catholic bishop Paul Martin said the 113-year-old building was too expensive to restore and he favoured building a new one for about

$40 million on a central city site. He said the earthquake-damaged building in Barbadoes St would cost about $149m to fully restore, while saving the central part of it would cost $91m and would not be fit for purpose. The building would be demolished under a section 38 notice granted in August 2015. The notices were issued after the 2011 Canterbury earthquakes so damaged and dangerous buildings could be cleared quickly. Martin said the estimate for restoring the cathedral had increased from $105m to $149m. The cathedral is a category one heritage building and heritage advocates have signalled a legal battle if the church opts for demolition.