By Dave Goosselink
The Christchurch quakes are having a big impact on two of Dunedin's oldest churches.
Both Knox and First Church may have to be left uninsured after premiums for the historic buildings more than tripled.
The Oamaru stone building of Dunedin's First Church has weathered almost 140 years in the city. But it could become vulnerable as the parish considers dumping full insurance cover after a $52,000 hike in premiums.
“It certainly was far more than we expected, a 360 percent [increase] was not what we had imagined we'd be looking at,” says Reverend Anne Thomson.
It's a similar story at Knox Church, which has received a $55,000 bill.
That's three times last year's premium, and would consume 20 percent of the church's total budget.
“We couldn't fund it, there isn't the money to pay for it anyway,” says the church’s Reverend Sarah Mitchell.
The National Presbyterian Church negotiated the new packages on behalf of individual parishes, and says the current company was still the most affordable.
But the Dunedin churches say paying the bills would mean slashing community support programmes.
Both say they'd rather risk losing their historic buildings than abandoning their work.
“The church is not a building. The church is actually about a group of people following Jesus,” says Reverend Mitchell.
“We would mourn the loss of this because this is gorgeous, but we would build something different, for now,” says Reverend Thomson.
It's not just churches grappling with the issue of insurance. Councils, businesses, and homeowners all face serious decisions as big hikes in premiums become a reality here.
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