New roof marks important step in Church repair

WHARANUI, Marlborough, South Island, Aotearoa New Zealand - 11 September 2024 - There is plenty of activity happening under that white - wrapped church on State Highway 1, north of Kekerengu, on the Kaikoura coast. Saint Oswald’s Church was damaged in the 2016 Kaikoura earthquake. A charitable trust was formed to fundraise and manage the $1M repair and upgrade project and the church’s future use. A chance to sponsor–a-tile is still open with those who contribute able to have their names in a registration book, which will become part of this special church history on display.
The exterior phase of the project began in early July and is estimated to be completed before the end of October. This has involved realigning the south wall which sheared during the magnitude 7.8 earthquake, re roof, masonry repair and extensive structural strengthening using steel rods to bring the church up to publicly accessible building code. 
T&D Construction from Blenheim are carrying out the work on the historic repair along with specific craftspeople. Leicester Murray, St Oswald’s Memorial Trust spokesperson said “ that it’s been a hive of activity with work hidden under the giant white tent.  The heavy roof tiles have been removed and the bell tower stone work repaired ahead of the new tiles being fitted. The new tiles are environmentally sensitive and whilst looking like natural stone slate are in fact made of a rubber and plastic-base manufactured with a state of the art formulation using recycled TPO and EPDM polymers”.   

The sponsor-a-tile campaign is still open to donations at $500 per tile and with St Oswald Church now a registered Charitable Trust this gives the added bonus of being able to provide a donation receipt. 
The final phase will be to landscape the grounds and complete the interior work once the moisture has been minimised from within the walls.  Extensive repairs to the plaster work will be needed before a repaint. New flooring and electrics, furniture and stained glass window restoration and the creation of historic wall displays are all in the pipeline subject to further funds being sought.  
Locals can’t wait for the project to be completed so the community and passers by can once again enjoy this special little church.