Canterbury Mornings with John MacDonald

Every weekday join the new voice of local issues on Canterbury Mornings with John MacDonald, 9am-12pm weekdays.It’s all about the conversation with John, as he gets right into the things that get our community talking.If it’s news you’re after, backing John is the combined power of the Newstalk ZB and New Zealand Herald news teams. Meaning when it comes to covering breaking news – you will not beat local radio.With two decades experience in communications based in Christchurch, John also has a deep understanding of and connections to the Christchurch and Canterbury commercial sector.Newstalk ZB Canterbury Mornings 9am-12pm with John MacDonald on 100.1FM and iHeartRadio.

  1. 2d ago

    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. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    3 min
  2. 3d ago

    John MacDonald: Fuel tax increase needs to be back on the table

    Yesterday, Treasury released a whole lot of documents showing the advice it gave the Government during the early days of the fuel crisis. One of the key things was a recommendation not to cut fuel taxes or road user charges, because it didn’t think it was needed. The Government went with the advice. But, you might also remember, that the Government went a step further than that and said that the fuel tax increase - due to kick in at the start of next year - was unlikely. Which I thought was a bad move. And I still do. In the reports I’ve seen about yesterday’s document dump, there’s nothing about any Treasury advice on next year’s increase. But there’s two reasons for that: 1. This advice was to help the Government deal with things in-the-moment. And 2. When Nicola Willis and Chris Bishop poured cold water on the fuel tax increase, that was just politics. Because, as you’ll remember, there were all sorts of people crying out for help. The Government went ahead with the support for low-to-middle income earners. But that was it. And it knew it wouldn’t be a good look if it said no to everyone else wanting help and, in the same breath, said it was also going ahead with next year’s fuel tax increase. But that was a bad move by the Government. My view on that hasn’t changed. And that’s why I think the Government needs to bite the bullet and press on with the fuel tax increase early next year. As planned. There’ll be plenty of people who will say that they couldn’t afford fuel taxes increasing. But I don’t think the country can afford not to increase them. And I’m not the only one. Deputy Prime Minister David Seymour thinks the same. He says the Government shouldn’t do anything to limit its revenue from fuel taxes because of the long-term consequences for the Government’s finances. And what he’s talking about there, is limiting or restricting the amount of money the Government gets in to pay for road maintenance and construction. It also helps pay for things like public transport. The Finance Minister even acknowledged this negative impact when she said a few months back that the fuel tax increase was unlikely to go ahead. So, in its heart of hearts, the Government knows that increasing fuel taxes is a no-brainer. Which it is. The Government knows it. We know it. So there’s only one thing for it to do. It needs to stop being so antsy and it needs to commit to putting the fuel taxes up, as planned, early next year. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    4 min

About

Every weekday join the new voice of local issues on Canterbury Mornings with John MacDonald, 9am-12pm weekdays.It’s all about the conversation with John, as he gets right into the things that get our community talking.If it’s news you’re after, backing John is the combined power of the Newstalk ZB and New Zealand Herald news teams. Meaning when it comes to covering breaking news – you will not beat local radio.With two decades experience in communications based in Christchurch, John also has a deep understanding of and connections to the Christchurch and Canterbury commercial sector.Newstalk ZB Canterbury Mornings 9am-12pm with John MacDonald on 100.1FM and iHeartRadio.

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