Christchurch cathedral, closed since New Zealand's deadliest earthquake in eight decades struck the city a year ago, is to be demolished because the 130-year-old building was damaged beyond repair.
The 6.3 magnitude earthquake killed 185 people and destroyed large areas of the business centre and more than 6,000 homes.
The Victorian-era, Gothic-style Anglican cathedral, which dominated the city's central square, was a favourite meeting place and tourist attraction, but any chance of saving it was ended by several strong aftershocks that caused more damage.
"The decision we have made has been made with prayer, with great deliberation, and an utmost concern for safety," Bishop Victoria Matthews told reporters today.
She said the cathedral would be demolished gradually and carefully to a height of two or three metres to salvage historic features.
"There will be no bulldozers, there will be no wrecking balls, this will be done with deep love and respect for a building that has served us so well," Dr Matthews said.
New Zealand faces a NZ$20 billion (€12.5 billion) bill to rebuild its second largest city, the centre of which still remains off limits to the public. Whole blocks have been reduced to bare land and thousands of tremors, some with magnitudes of up to 6, have delayed any concerted rebuilding.
Large areas of some suburbs have been affected by liquefaction - slushy silt forced up through streets - and are still being assessed to determine whether they are habitable. Christchurch mayor Bob Parker said the decision to demolish the cathedral was heartbreaking. "It is not an easy decision for many of us to accept," he said.
Christchurch was known as the Garden City because of its colourful gardens and parks and English-style stone buildings. It was also popular with honeymooners and overseas tourists as a gateway to New Zealand's spectacularly beautiful South Island.
Reuters