Tasmania’s Anglican church community would be forgiven if they woke up to the day’s news and had mixed feelings.
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The Anglican Diocese has made the bold decision to sell about half its properties to fund its contribution to the national redress scheme.
The Commonwealth redress scheme for survivors of institutional child sexual abuse is designed to offer financial compensation to survivors, likely to be capped at $150,000 per claim. The scheme arose from the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse.
It is set to come into effect on July 1 this year, ending on June 30, 2028.
The Anglican Tasmanian contribution to the scheme is expected to be $8 million, and the diocese has admitted it will need to sell about 120 church properties to make up the number.
It is expected the sale of property will fetch roughly $5 million; the rest of the money will be drawn from parish funds and Diocesan trusts.
It is admirable the Anglican community is committed to funding its contribution to the scheme and the bold action it is taking to do so.
However, once the properties have been identified and sold, will the North’s landscape be irreversibly altered?
Churches have significant historic value all across the world, and whether you’re religious or not, they are often considered iconic buildings.
Churches have become popular for developers, who want to use their beautiful exteriors for homes, or commercial ventures.
An example of this is the Uniting Church sale of its property on the corner of Margaret and Balfour streets.
A DA has been lodged with the City of Launceston for a florist and gym to operate in the hall.
The church at Campbell Town, or the little white church at Relbia, are examples of the changing times.
The Campbell Town church was sold in 2014, with the 150-year-old building to be converted into a cafe and function centre.
However, in 2017, developers Nicole and Garry Graham announced the project was on hold indefinitely, but has since opened for functions.
Will our church buildings simply become empty shells of what they used to be – significant places of worship that celebrated life, death and everything in between?