A decision on the future of New Zealand's earthquake damaged Christchurch Cathedral should be made by February 2013, the Anglican Diocese of Christchurch has announced.

The building was deconsecrated last November and a decision had been made to partially demolish the heritage structure but this was halted under a ruling by the high court, which determined further consideration needed to be given to its future.

The cathedral had been severely damaged in the magnitude-6.3 Christchurch earthquake, which hit February 2011.

An adjacent visitor centre, officially opened by the Queen in 1995, was built to accommodate the more than 300,000 visitors who visited the cathedral annually.

Both the cathedral and visitor centre, located on Christchurch's town square, remain behind the cordon of the city's CBD Red Zone - a public exclusion area in place since the earthquake due to safety concerns.

Church Property Trustees (CPT) said there were now three options for the cathedral: maximum retention with a replica rebuild, partial deconstruction with a mix of old and new elements built within the current footprint, or extensive deconstruction and building more elements of the new.

A memorandum to the high court determines CPT will advance design briefs with architects in December, seek public feedback by late January and hopes to come to a final decision by the end of February.

Features of the late nineteenth-century cathedral, designed by St. Pancras architect Sir George Gilbert Scott, included wooden and white alabaster carvings, Venetian mosaic and 17 stained glass windows.

Image: Ross Becker / cera.govt.nz