Financial matters, History & heritage  |  23 Feb 2021

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A proposal for a new targeted rate to help fund the restoration of some of Christchurch’s most prominent heritage buildings is included in Christchurch City Council’s 10-year draft budget.

“We’re proposing to introduce a heritage targeted rate instead of including all funding for heritage building in the general rate,’’ says Mayor Lianne Dalziel.

“This targeted rate will provide a clear picture of the portion of your rates that you already pay towards specific heritage projects in the city. We’re proposing that every ratepayer will pay this rate and it will be calculated as a number of cents per dollar of capital value.’’

The central city heritage buildings that would be funded through the targeted rate include:

  • Canterbury Provincial Council Buildings: The targeted rate will help fund $20 million of capital expenditure in the 2027/28 year.
  • Old Municipal Chambers (previously known as Our City Ō-Tautahi): The targeted rate will help fund up to $8.6 million in capital funding ($2.6 million in 2021/22 and $6 million in 2022/23). This funding will be transferred to the City of Christchurch Trust – a charitable trust set up by private company Box 112. Box 112 will undertake the strengthening and refurbishment of the building at the direction of the Trust.
  • Robert McDougall Art Gallery: The targeted rate will help to fund $13.5 million of restoration work in 2022/23 to 2024/25. Depending on the outcome of consultation on this draft plan, this could also include $11.8 million of funding towards base isolation work.
  • Canterbury Museum redevelopment: The targeted rate will contribute $23.7 million to the redevelopment in years 2024 to 2027.

“We have been asked to support The Arts Centre Te Matatiki Toi Ora, which is the former site of the University of Canterbury saved from demolition by local citizens. Before the earthquakes we used to provide financial support for the operational costs of The Arts Centre. Now that they have exhausted their insurance proceeds, they have asked the city to partner with them once more,’’ the Mayor says.

“We are proposing to provide The Arts Centre with a capital grant of $5.5 million. We would do this via a targeted rate that would recover the grant cost over 10 years, and would phase in over two years, so the targeted rate would be smaller in 2021/22 than in subsequent years.

“As with the proposed targeted heritage rate, we are proposing that every ratepayer will pay this rate and that it will be calculated as a number of cents per dollar of capital value.

“When the public consultation on the Draft 2021-31 Long Term Plan opens on 12 March, we really want to get people’s feedback on both these targeted rates,’’ the Mayor says.