Engineers have told the Sacred Heart Cathedral in Wellington that it meets less than 33 percent of the new building standard. The 117-year-old cathedral has been evaluated by engineers in a verbal report and a brief written assessment. Sacred Heart Cathedral’s Reverend Father James Lyons said beams in the roof needed to be strengthened. But Read more
Wellington’s iconic St Mary of the Angels church in Boulcott St is no closer to raising $9.5 million for earthquake proofing despite assistance last week from Wellington City Council. An amendment to the council’s budget, proposed at last week’s council meeting by Iona Pannett, was passed, giving 133 historic buildings five years of rates remissions. Read more
Strengthening St Mary of the Angels church in central Wellington, New Zealand is going to cost about $9.35 million. The parish priest of St Mary of the Angels, Fr Barry  Scannell said that at present it met between 15 and 20 per cent of the new building standard and would need significant work on its Read more
An international group of seismologists and engineers are to carry out a two year project to develop a seismic vulnerability index for unreinforced masonry churches and historic buildings. The study will include about 50 churches in Auckland, 11 in Wellington and 29 in Dunedin. Initially they will use data from 48 unreinforced masonry churches in Read more
Paul King wanted to resurrect the roof and ceiling from Nazareth House Chapel into an earthquake memorial. King saved the Nazareth roof when he demolished the chapel last year. He says the ceiling, made of rimu, is the equal of the ceiling in the Arts Centre’s Great Hall and Christ Church Cathedral. It’s 23.5 metres Read more
After completing a preliminary assessment of earthquake risk the Wellington Catholic archdiocese has decided to take a proactive approach and focus on upgrading all its buildings on a prioritised basis, rather than focusing on a single building at a time according to the archdiocese’s administration director Dave Mullin. The Archbishop of Wellington, John Dew, is Read more
The Christchurch Diocese has been providing insurance cover for property to the value of $260 million, and this year’s policy to November 30 cost $379,000. The policy is with Ansvar and expires on November 30. Christchurch diocesan financial administrator Paddy Beban says the diocese was shopping around to see what insurance company and what policy Read more
Parishioners in St Mary’s Blenheim will be going to Mass in their own church again on Sunday. The church has been shut since May after it was initially assessed as being about 8 per cent of the building code and at risk of collapse in a significant earthquake. The steeple was an area of concern, Read more
A preliminary engineering assessment of St Mary’s Hokitika has revealed that the building is earthquake prone. Whilst engineering solutions are assessed the church is unable to be used. St Mary’s School hall has been suggested by engineers as a suitable alternative for the parish in the interim. The parish and school are working together to Read more
There have been more church buildings closed in the Christchurch diocese. Preliminary engineering assessments of Our Lady of Fatima Church (Mairehau) and St Mary and Francis de Sales Church (Rangiora) and the Catholic Social Services building has revealed that all three buildings are earthquake prone. The 126-year-old St Mary and Francis de Sales Church is Read more