Christchurch’s daily paper The Press has today published an opinion piece by Gavin Holley, the General Manager of Church Property Trustees, about its six-year quest to break the deadlock over the earthquake-ravaged ChristChurch Cathedral.

In his op-ed piece Holley explains that CPT is the body elected to be steward of ChristChurch Cathedral – and of the other 247 damaged or wrecked churches and church buildings in the Diocese of Christchurch.

He gives a point-by-point, month-by-month account of CPT’s six-year struggle to find a workable, financially responsible way out of the cathedral impasse that works not just for Anglicans in Canterbury, but for all Cantabrians.

Holley outlines the stages of negotiation the CPT has been through with the community, and with the government.

He also explains that in the interests of making the right decision, CPT has commissioned more independent community research, and is undertaking further due diligence.

And he refutes a claim by Philip Burdon, of the Great Christchurch Building Trust, published in last weekend’s Press, that the GCBT has been caught up in “sham negotiations” with a body whose purpose “has always been to oppose restoration of the cathedral.”

To read Gavin Holley’s piece, click here.