Recently I have been promoting an idea for the
rebuild of Christ Church Cathedral which has created a lot of interest.
Now that we have agreement on the restoration of
the Cathedral, nobly supported by the Church, the Government, City Council and
generous private benefactors we will begin to embark on a seven to ten year
restoration programme. I think we should turn the restoration of the Cathedral
into a tourist attraction rather than hiding it behind high fences and under
shrouds of plastic as it goes through the restoration process. Why not
celebrate the restoration of the Cathedral and turn it into a tourist attraction?
A transparent fence could be erected around the
construction site. A couple of temporary grandstands could be placed at
appropriate locations just outside that fence so that visitors to the Square
could sit and watch progress on the Cathedral.
Having the Cathedral restored in full view to the
residents of Christchurch and visitors to our city would in its own right
become a significant attraction, drawing people into the Square to watch the
restoration real time. This would give our city a real sense of ownership of
the restoration process and create another attraction in the Square.
Given the timeframes involved in the restoration process,
concealing the rebuild of the Cathedral is unconscionable.
