Earthquake work for cathedral wins funding

Waikato Cathedral Church of St Peter treasurer and chair of maintenance, Warren Turnwald, at St Peter's. Photo / Geoff Lewis

Hamilton's landmark Cathedral Church of St Peter gained $20,000 towards its seismic strengthening from the first round of the Hamilton City Council's Historic Heritage Fund.

The $100,000 fund was over-subscribed, with applications from dozens of organisations and individuals totaling more than $600,000 in the first year following its establishment in 2016.

Owners of historic buildings wanting funding help for everything from painting and repairs to roofs to borer treatment and earthquake strengthening.

In St Peter's case the funds will go towards technical analysis required to more accurately assess the cathedral's level of seismic strength.

Waikato Cathedral Church of St Peter treasurer and head of maintenance Warren Turnwald said so far $100,000 had been spent on "a heap of paper" - geo-technical read-outs that mean things to engineers.

The cathedral had gained $10,000 from application to the Government's heritage fund and a further $20,000 from the city council.

Built of an early form of steel-reinforced concrete, the seismic testing of the 101-year-old cathedral had shown elements of the structure scored between 24 per cent and 80 per cent of New Building Standard (NBS) strength - rather depending on the direction of any future earthquake.

"We've just had the geotech report done and it appears the soil is much firmer than previously assumed. We are waiting on the interpretation of the technical data. We want to whittle away as many assumptions as we can to get a more accurate idea of the work required."

A charitable organisation, the St Peter's Foundation, was created last year as the church looks to raise money toward strengthening work.

The building's strength could be brought up to 66 per cent of NBS or 100 per cent - depending on the amount of money that can be raised and the effect of steel-reinforcing on the aesthetics of the building.

As an historic building the cathedral is only required to come up to 34 per cent of NBS by 2060.

The foundation would also be used to raise money towards choral and organ scholarships and promote the church's work in the community, he said.