Quake repairs almost finished at St Mary’s Church

Work to repair the earthquake-damaged St Mary’s Church in Halswell is just weeks away from completion as the Anglican Church closes in on the end of a city-wide repair programme.

Re-levelling and strengthening work has been completed and the repair project is due to finish in early October, an Anglican Diocese of Christchurch spokeswoman confirmed.

The landmark church suffered liquefaction-induced damage in the earthquakes, which meant parts of the building needed to be re-levelled, she said.

The exterior and interior walls and the ceilings also needed minor repairs and some minor strengthening work had also been done, the spokeswoman said.

Access to the building has also been improved to meet the building code.

Pathways would be replaced due to changes in ground levels as a result of the earthquakes.

The earthquake work was being funded through insurance funds, while other improvements were being funded by the parish, the spokeswoman said.

The Anglican Diocese has spent the best part of the past decade tackling the damage caused to its buildings by the earthquakes.

The earthquakes affected a large number of churches, halls and vicarages across the diocese's area, necessitating a big work programme.

Its earthquake recovery programme comprises 243 repairs and rebuilds across the diocese, which are being managed by Church Property Trustees.

The spokeswoman said the programme was 90 per cent complete and due to be finished by mid-2021.

Meanwhile, St Mary’s Church parishioners are using the South-West Baptist Church while the repairs are being completed.