Earthquake damaged Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament to be demolished in Christchurch

After several years of detailed investigation, the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament in Christchurch will be demolished.

The Catholic Bishop of the Christchurch Diocese, Paul Martin, said it was "an extremely sad event" when he addressed his parishioners at the weekend.

But he said the decision to demolish the cathedral was a long time in the making.

"It is nearly nine years since the first earthquake and during that time we have spent millions of dollars investigating the site and the building and looking at more that 20 different options for what could be achieved but ultimately we were unable to find a functional and financial solution."

Mr Martin said he had consulted widely with experts both in New Zealand and overseas, as well as being guided by his own advisory groups, including the College of Consultors, the Diocesan Management and Finance Board and Diocesan staff during that time.

The decision was made because the cathedral could not pass a 12-point test set out in the Section 38 notice that was issued in 2015 by CERA (Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority).

Section 38 allowed for the deconstruction of the Cathedral, in the quest to see if the nave and other parts could be saved. Section 38 also gave the Diocese the power to demolish the building entirely if it was found that it could not pass the 12-point test outlined in the application.

"Just saving the nave and rebuilding on a modest scale was estimated to cost in excess of $91 million, while to fully restore, it is estimated that it would cost $149 million. And the big worry is that with restoration-type work these costs can escalate quickly," Mr Martin said.

The $30 million set aside for the cathedral from the diocese’s insurance payout is available to go towards fixing other damaged buildings throughout the diocese.