Breaking the deadlock between the Anglican Church and heritage advocates over the fate of Christchurch's quake-damaged cathedral has come at a cost.
Figures released to RNZ News show the government paid a lawyer $43,000 to complete an independent report on the church.
Auckland-based lawyer Miriam Dean QC helped complete a 40-page report released late last year, that said the cathedral could be restored for $105 million.
Ms Dean, who charges just under $300 an hour, contributed 150 hours.
The church's preferred option was to knock down the cathedral and build a new one, but it is now giving heritage advocates a chance to raise the money to restore it.