John MacDonald: Filling golf course holes with concrete isn't clever

What were the people at Wolfbrook Property Group thinking when they decided to fill the holes at the Pegasus Golf Course with concrete?

As if they haven’t put enough noses out of joint with their plan to build houses on the site. They’ve now gone and rubbed those noses in the dirt with this carry-on, which one resident is describing today as childish.

And I completely agree.

Yes, I get it that this land is now theirs. I get it that it’s not a public facility. In fact, as the company itself is pointing out, it’s never been a public facility.

And yes, therefore, the public does not - technically - have any right to use it. But what a stupid thing to do.

I don’t have a problem with the company buying the land and wanting to develop it. The golf club at Pegasus went under, Wolfbrook bought the land and it’s theirs. I’m good with all that.

I’m not comfortable, though, with the company using the Government’s fast-track legislation to try and get things happening sooner rather than later.

Fast-tracking it would be bad for something so controversial. Because people need to feel they’ve, at least, had their say and I don’t think that would happen if it was fast-tracked.

And, even though I don’t have a problem with Wolfbrook wanting to turn the golf course into housing, I think they need to calm the farm and pull their heads in.

Because filling the golf course holes with concrete isn’t going to get anyone on their side.

As one Pegasus resident is saying today: "It's sort of pettiness. If they want to protect their brand and if they want to have a good name with their investors, I would have thought they'd be encouraging us to play and perhaps look after the golf course in the meantime until this is sorted out legally."

Couldn’t agree more.

Because it’s not as if the developers want or need to protect the golf course.

As soon as they get it approved, they’ll be moving in with the diggers and trucks and ripping the whole thing up.

So they’re not trying to maintain some sort of pristine facility.

And so what if the people at Pegasus want to use it in the meantime? The company is saying today that, as the owners of the land, they’re the ones paying for its upkeep.

Which, as I say, I get.

But this is not any old piece of land. It’s a piece of land that the people who live at Pegasus believe - wrongly, I think - should stay as it is forever.

The company was buying enough of a fight in the first place. It’s now ramped that up with this behaviour which, quite rightly, is being described as childish.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Canterbury Mornings podcast where John McDonald
from newstalksb.

Speaker 2 (00:12):
Now question what were the people at Wolfbrook Property Group
thinking when they decided to fill the holes at the
Pegas's golf course with concrete. Ah, As if they hadn't
put enough noses out of joint with their plan to
build houses on the site, they've now gone and rubbed
those noses in the dirt with this carry on, which
one resident is describing today as childish, and I completely agree. Yeah,

(00:37):
I get the fact that this land is now theirs.
I get it that it's not a public facility. In fact,
the company itself is pointing out that it's never been
a public facility and yes, therefore the public does not
technically have any right to use it. So they've got
every run to stop people. But what a stupid thing
to do now. As you may be aware, I don't
have a problem with the company buying the land and

(00:58):
wanting to develop it the golf club at Pegas as
you know it. When under Wolfbrook bought the land it's theirs.
I'm more good with that, as I said last week,
though I'm not comfortable with it being fast tracked the
company wants to use the government's fast tracked legislation to
try and get things happening sooner rather than later. But
I think fast tracking it would be bad for something
so controversy. Why is that because people need to feel

(01:20):
that they've at least had their say, and I don't
think that would happen if it was fast tracked. And
even though I don't have a problem with Wolfbrook wanting
to turn the golf course into housing, I think this
is my advice to you guys, if they're listening, you
need to calm the bloom and farm and pull your
heads in because filling the golf course holes with concrete

(01:41):
is it going to get anyone on your side? As
one Pegas's resident is saying today, quote, it's sort of pettiness.
If they want to protect their brand and if they
want to have a good name with their investors, I
would have thought they'd be encouraging us to play and
perhaps look after the golf course in the meantime until
this is sorted out legally. End of quote. And I
could not agree more because it's not as if the

(02:04):
developers want or need to protect the golf course a lot,
don't you worry about that. As soon as they get
it approved, they'll be moving in with the diggers and
trucks and ripping the whole thing up. So they're not
trying to maintain some sort of pristine facility, and so
what if the people at pegass want to use it
in the meantime, I am in the company saying today
that is the owners of the land, they're the ones

(02:25):
paying for its upkeep, which, as I say, I get
I get all that, guys, But this is not any
old piece of land. It's a piece of land that
the people who live at Pegas's believe, and believe wrongly
I believe, but nevertheless believe that it should stay as
it is forever. And as we're seen from all the
people putting their name to the petition against the development,
who don't even live in Pegasus, this childish behavior by

(02:47):
the developers is just going to get more people piling in.
You know, the company was buying enough of a fight
in the first place. It's now ranked it up with
this behavior, which quite rightly is being described as childish.

Speaker 1 (02:59):
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