3 February 2000

Chalice Hearing Ended

The independent commissioner, Kim McCracken, closed the hearing for a resource consent today and said he would give his decision as soon as possible.

Evidence was heard over two days and today architects Peter Beaven and Don Donnithorne spoke against the placement of the Chalice in the square.

Mr Beaven said the square was not the appropriate place for the Chalice and should be placed at the new art gallery. "The square is now a marvellous great space," he said.

Mr Donnithorne said that the square should be left alone and said if the Chalice were put there it would make Christchurch "the laughing stock of New Zealand."

He said also that a chalice was a sacred communion cup and the sculpture "will approach the type of banal situation and has overtones of the Te Papa virgin in condom scandal. Make no mistake about it," he said.

Victoria Brinkman, a director of Central City Estates Ltd, which owned the ANZ Bank building, also gave evidence objecting to the proposal. She said the Chalice would impede views from the building and it would be out of place.

On Monday evidence was given in support of the application by the Christchurch City Council and Bob Batty, a planning and resource management consultant, for Turning Point 2000, which is donating the Chalice to the city to mark the millennium.

Architect Sir Miles Warren said in written evidence that each generation had done "its own thing in the square. It is ridiculous to think of our generation imitating some past style to celebrate the millennium."