MEDIA STATEMENT

ANGLICAN DIOCESE OF CHRISTCHURCH

March 5 2013

The following is a statement from the Anglican Diocese of Christchurch.

Last November a process was outlined to the High Court by the Church Property Trustees, (CPT). The Court agreed with this process, as did the Great Christchurch Buildings Trust. That is the process that CPT is working through and needs to remain faithful to. That process included public consultation over the future of the Cathedral.

As part of that process CPT, as the building owner, has delayed its decision making to evaluate the latest proposal from Great Christchurch Buildings Trust, (GCBT).

In due time conversations will include the Christchurch City Council and the wider public. However, CPT first needs to assess the proposal from GCBT. CPT also needs to consider a variety of factors that go beyond engineering, including cost.

The timeline for March is for CPT to evaluate the current GCBT proposal and other options. There is the possibility for conversations between the two parties’ engineers.

The Church will value conversations with the Christchurch City Council and the wider public but the process has not yet reached a stage where that can occur.

At this point CPT believes the City Council would want all relevant information to be presented to it and it is doubted that would be available for a Council forum between parties on 21st March.

ENDS

© Scoop Media

Scoop Business: Bathurst Gets Nod For DoC Access To Denniston Mine

Conservation Minister Nick Smith has approved access over conservation estate land for Bathurst Resources to develop an open cast coal mine on the Denniston Plateau, above Westport, to the dismay of environmental opponents.

The timing for Smith’s move avoids Bathurst having to resubmit applications for access agreements under the revised Crown Minerals Act, which comes into force tomorrow and would have required public consultation.

The announcement lands in the middle of delicate negotiations between the company, environmental groups and other interested parties that could pave the way to a broader agreement on the Escarpment proposal, whose resource consents are still subject to court appeals. More>>