You're listening to the Canterbury Mornings podcast with John McDonald from newstalk zb.

You're listening to the Canterbury Mornings podcast with John McDonald from newstalk zb.

Right, you read this brilliant idea alert. Brilliant idea alert. I've got no idea to run past you, and it's an idea that I'm actually quite excited about. It's quite raw. It only occurred to me at about five point thirty this morning, so I don't expect me to have all the answers, but I'm keen to find out what you think of it, because I reckon it could be a solution to something that has gone on for way too long. Something's gone on for way too long with no sign of an ending. You may know, or you may not know, that there is a one day exhibition being held inside the christ Church Cathedral today of miniature models of buildings that went in the earthquakes. It's happening today only in the cathedral and we'll move to the Art Center next week. But I reckon that this is what we should be doing with the cathedral permanently, instead of plowing more money into restoring it any further. I think it should be kept as it is and used as a public space for things like exhibitions, events, and indoor markets, which would also free up the rest of Cathedral Square for redevelopment and potentially open the door for government funding to smooth out any rough edges on the cathedral, because it would be a truly public facility. Because remember when the government said no to putting more tax payer money into the restoration. It said no because Nikola Willis she didn't see it as a truly public facility. But this would be, wouldn't it. And what's more, it wouldn't be like the gazillions the cathedral people were wanting. Would be needed. I mean some money would be needed to do things like reinstate the rose window at the front, tidy up the roof tiles if they need to be, you know, the sort of stuff that would make it tidy enough and safe enough to be a permanent fixture, but not the complete restoration and everything that goes with that. The exhibition, by the way, looks brilliant is called Ghosts on Every Corner and the miniature buildings have been made by artist Mike Beer, who goes under the name ghost Cat, and he describes it as a love letter to pre earthquake christ Church. And it does look amazing thirteen miniatures of places such as the Old Smith's Bookstore, remember that Echo records, the Java Cafe, the Police Kiosk, the Deans Ab Sales Yard building, and today's exhibition at the cathedral has sold out. Probably it's got as much to do with the exhibition as a chance for people to have a look inside the cathedral. But what it tells me is this is the future for the cathedral. As I've said before, social license for the restoration that's diminished big time. Our social license essentially being public support and endorsement. And the reason that that's going is because as time goes on, we've got a whole generation coming through with no connection to the place, and that's going to continue. The social license for the cathedral is going to dwindle even more. So we need to face that fact and come up with a different way of honoring the past than just sticking to this pipe dream that one day, somehow we'll have the gazillions needed to finish the restoration off. Now, this idea of mine, I'm not saying that we could do it overnight, but if the city committed to this idea, then we would have way more certainty than we have now. And not just certainty about the cathedral building. We'd also have certainty about cathedral score because once all the fencing around the site goes and you've got the cathedral being used as an indoor events center or an indoor market. Once that happens, the rest of the area can be developed. It would also keep the cathedral story alive, because at the moment the cathedral story is it a standstill. Having the shell and using it in different ways would visually preserve a piece of the square's history without it being a handbrake on and anything else happening in the area. So the sort of things I see happening there would be exhibitions like what's happening there today, musical performances, indoor markets, which would be fantastic, wouldn't it, especially during winter. On the money side of things, as I've alluded to the Cathedral project people, they went to the government wanting another sixty mili because they don't have the eighty five million they reckon they need to finish it, and Nicola Willis said, you're dreaming. The reason for that being quote, public use would be limited due to the cathedral being a private religious space. That's what she said, And not long after that she was in town and I asked her. I said, look, the museum. They're also short of money for their redevelopment. Would they have a bit of chance of getting money from the government, And she said, yes, they would because the museum is a public facility, which is what the cathedral would be if instead of a church, it was effectively a central city events center, bringing locals and visitors together in a building that honors the past, that isn't buried in the past. So I think I think this is a no brainer.

Right, you read this brilliant idea alert. Brilliant idea alert. I've got no idea to run past you, and it's an idea that I'm actually quite excited about. It's quite raw. It only occurred to me at about five point thirty this morning, so I don't expect me to have all the answers, but I'm keen to find out what you think of it, because I reckon it could be a solution to something that has gone on for way too long. Something's gone on for way too long with no sign of an ending. You may know, or you may not know, that there is a one day exhibition being held inside the christ Church Cathedral today of miniature models of buildings that went in the earthquakes. It's happening today only in the cathedral and we'll move to the Art Center next week. But I reckon that this is what we should be doing with the cathedral permanently, instead of plowing more money into restoring it any further. I think it should be kept as it is and used as a public space for things like exhibitions, events, and indoor markets, which would also free up the rest of Cathedral Square for redevelopment and potentially open the door for government funding to smooth out any rough edges on the cathedral, because it would be a truly public facility. Because remember when the government said no to putting more tax payer money into the restoration. It said no because Nikola Willis she didn't see it as a truly public facility. But this would be, wouldn't it. And what's more, it wouldn't be like the gazillions the cathedral people were wanting. Would be needed. I mean some money would be needed to do things like reinstate the rose window at the front, tidy up the roof tiles if they need to be, you know, the sort of stuff that would make it tidy enough and safe enough to be a permanent fixture, but not the complete restoration and everything that goes with that. The exhibition, by the way, looks brilliant is called Ghosts on Every Corner and the miniature buildings have been made by artist Mike Beer, who goes under the name ghost Cat, and he describes it as a love letter to pre earthquake christ Church. And it does look amazing thirteen miniatures of places such as the Old Smith's Bookstore, remember that Echo records, the Java Cafe, the Police Kiosk, the Deans Ab Sales Yard building, and today's exhibition at the cathedral has sold out. Probably it's got as much to do with the exhibition as a chance for people to have a look inside the cathedral. But what it tells me is this is the future for the cathedral. As I've said before, social license for the restoration that's diminished big time. Our social license essentially being public support and endorsement. And the reason that that's going is because as time goes on, we've got a whole generation coming through with no connection to the place, and that's going to continue. The social license for the cathedral is going to dwindle even more. So we need to face that fact and come up with a different way of honoring the past than just sticking to this pipe dream that one day, somehow we'll have the gazillions needed to finish the restoration off. Now, this idea of mine, I'm not saying that we could do it overnight, but if the city committed to this idea, then we would have way more certainty than we have now. And not just certainty about the cathedral building. We'd also have certainty about cathedral score because once all the fencing around the site goes and you've got the cathedral being used as an indoor events center or an indoor market. Once that happens, the rest of the area can be developed. It would also keep the cathedral story alive, because at the moment the cathedral story is it a standstill. Having the shell and using it in different ways would visually preserve a piece of the square's history without it being a handbrake on and anything else happening in the area. So the sort of things I see happening there would be exhibitions like what's happening there today, musical performances, indoor markets, which would be fantastic, wouldn't it, especially during winter. On the money side of things, as I've alluded to the Cathedral project people, they went to the government wanting another sixty mili because they don't have the eighty five million they reckon they need to finish it, and Nicola Willis said, you're dreaming. The reason for that being quote, public use would be limited due to the cathedral being a private religious space. That's what she said, And not long after that she was in town and I asked her. I said, look, the museum. They're also short of money for their redevelopment. Would they have a bit of chance of getting money from the government, And she said, yes, they would because the museum is a public facility, which is what the cathedral would be if instead of a church, it was effectively a central city events center, bringing locals and visitors together in a building that honors the past, that isn't buried in the past. So I think I think this is a no brainer.

For more from Canterbory Mornings with John McDonald, listen live to news talk Sai'd Be Christ Church from nine am weekdays, or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio

For more from Canterbory Mornings with John McDonald, listen live to news talk Sai'd Be Christ Church from nine am weekdays, or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio