New Zealand bows to campaign pressure and halts demolition for further report.
Demolition of the Christ Church Cathedral in New Zealand will be put on hold while the Government considers an independent report saying it can be saved, restoration campaigner Jim Anderton says.
Earthquake Recovery Minister Gerry Brownlee promised at a meeting six weeks ago that demolition work would be paused, Anderton said.
The Great Christchurch Building Trust, chaired by Anderton and another former MP, Philip Burdon, yesterday made public a report it claimed proved “maximum retention” was feasible and could be achieved without any safety risks.
Anderton said he had spoken to Brownlee about the cathedral “several times” since the meeting six weeks ago. “[Brownlee] said, `We won’t take any action to second-guess that [report] by going through any further demolition until your report is finished, we have copies of it and time to consider it’,” Anderton said. “We’ve kept our part of the bargain and as far as we’re concerned, the minister’s kept his. There hasn’t been any further demolition.”
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