More than three-quarters of submitters on the city’s annual plan say the Christ Church Cathedral levy should be paused.
Of the 485 submitters who provided feedback on the targeted rate for the cathedral reinstatement, 78% wanted the city council to hit pause on collecting the levy for the next three years.
The levy costs the average household $6.52 a year. The money saved would be factored into the city council’s proposed rates increase of 7.58%.
It comes after the Christ Church Cathedral Reinstatement Ltd, which is the charitable company managing the rebuild, decided last year to mothball the project indefinitely after the Government turned down a request for more taxpayer money.
CCRL has an $85m funding shortfall to meet the forecast earthquake-repair and restoration cost of between $209m and $219m.
The city council’s breakdown of the submissions revealed many believed the targeted rate should never have been introduced in the first place.
Submitters also said the cathedral restoration should be the responsibility of the Anglican Church, not ratepayers.
They said residents should have a “choice about whether they financially support the reinstatement”.
Concerns were also raised that the project had received “significant public funding” despite “a perceived lack of public support” for it.
