An independent consultation appointed by the New Zealand government will be brought into the fray to negotiate plans regarding Christ Church Cathedral. The church was damaged in an earthquake and has been the subject of debate for four-plus years.

Plans for the cathedral came to a halt in 2011 when Anglican leaders stated they wanted to partially demolish the building. They faced continued opposition from heritage members, including the Great Christchurch Building Trust. The group wants to fully restore the cathedral, but civic leaders do not want to put too much money into the cathedral.

The mediator will discuss with experts from the Church Property Trustees and the building trust and then report back to the government. The trustee group has agreed to participate in the mediation, as long as it will not be responsible for any of the cost of the process or for any potential outcome. The government has acknowledged the need to provide safe worship space and understands there is a need for a symbol in Cathedral Square.

The building trust chairman acknowledged the decision to bring in a mediator was responsible and praised the Earthquake Recovery Minister for his role in the negotiations. Everyone is hopeful the change in negotiations will help to achieve rapid progress in the matter and the goal is now to resolve the issue by Christmas.

The church simultaneously announced Reverend Lawrence Kimberley will assume the role of dean for the church. The role had been vacant for approximately a year, after the death of the previous dean.