Beyond Pegasus: Where Waimakariri’s next homes could be built

Saturday, 18 July 2026

In less than 15 years Ravenswood in North Canterbury has grown from nothing to become a bustling community - and more growth is expected.

A controversial plan to convert Pegasus golf course into housing has sparked fierce debate in the town. Among the loudest voices has been the Waimakariri District Council, which says the area already has more than enough growth planned. LUISA GIRAO finds out where houses will be built and what pressures they face.

Waimakariri mayor Dan Gordon could not have been clearer. At a public meeting to discuss the news that Wolfbrook had bought Pegasus town’s 18-hole, 77-hectare course with the intention of rezoning it for housing, Gordon briefed those in attendance ‒ who, to a person, opposed the idea ‒ on his recent meeting with the Christchurch housing developer.

“I respectfully told [them] that we do not need their help.”

What he meant was that the Waimakariri district has plenty of development of its own already planned. The council, Gordon said, has enough land identified for between 14,000 and 17,000 new homes to be built over several decades.

“The council is not averse to growth and [that is] something we have embraced over the last 30 years, but it needs to be growth planned in the right place and have nexus to our district plan.

“Our recently adopted district plan has capacity for between 14,000 and 17,000 new dwellings. I completely refute any suggestion this isn’t sufficient. In terms of real population change, at the higher end this caters for up to 45,900 new residents.”

The obvious question is: where?

The Waimakariri district currently has about 69,800 residents. Stats NZ expects that to climb to about 76,600 by 2033 and more than 100,000 by 2053.

That growth will be steered to the bigger centres: Kaiapoi, Woodend-Ravenswood, Oxford and the district’s largest town, Rangiora. Property analyst Mike Blackburn believes nearly half of the more than 5000 subdivision lots either under development or being planned across Waimakariri are in Rangiora.

In April, the town accounted for 41 of the district’s 74 new dwelling consents, Blackburn said. “More than all the other Waimakariri townships combined.”

Waimakariri mayor Dan Gordon says the council has confirmed space for between 14,000 and 17,000 new homes across the district.

Council development planning manager Matthew Bacon said consents teams were busy with several large subdivisions ‒ Bellgrove, Townsend Fields and Cambridge Estates ‒ all up and running. When finished, it is estimated they will deliver more than 2000 new homes.

Gordon said Rangiora was key for the growth of the district. That’s why he and the council have been advocating for improvements to services and infrastructure, such as pushing NZTA for the Woodend Bypass and the Rangiora Eastern Link, to help cope with increased traffic and the influx of new residents.

The first project would see State Highway 1 made four lanes between Lineside Rd and Williams St to the north of Kaiapoi, and a bypass around Woodend to connect with the Pegasus roundabout.

Construction management consultant Mike Blackburn says the Waimakariri District Council has zoned enough land for about 20 years of housing growth, but most is not yet available.

The NZTA board approved funding of $127 million last year for the detailed design, property acquisition and early works for the Woodend Bypass.

However, its future remains uncertain after Transport Minister Chris Bishop said last week there was no money allocated to start construction and no implementation date, prompting Gordon to write to him seeking clarity about when that might change.

The Eastern Link is intended to help address traffic problems in eastern and southern Rangiora, an area already dealing with severe congestion and slow travel times, and where 5000 new homes are planned.

Gordon said they were key projects that directly relate to growth, and would help ensure Waimakariri is liveable while it grows quickly.

“Where Waimakariri stands out compared to other districts is that we have a 150-year infrastructure strategy that anticipates this growth, and the locations of growth.”

Liz McClure, chairperson of the Rangiora-Ashley community board,said that growth was about more than new houses.

“It builds a stronger … community and economy.

“We relish growth and new people wanting to be attracted to living in that area.”

For Ravenswood Coffee Culture owner Sukh Singh, that sense of community is one of Waimakariri’s biggest assets.

Singh, who has operated the cafe for two and a half years, said residents from Ravenswood, Woodend and Pegasus had embraced newcomers as the area expanded.

“The community has been amazing,” Singh said. “People are so welcoming here. They are actually trying to make everyone feel part of this whole thing.”

While more growth could bring more competition, Singh said he was not concerned.

The loyalty of local customers and the strength of the team behind the business gave him confidence for the future, he said.

“If I believe in my product, believe in my cafe, then it doesn’t matter … and I think the community backs me up as well.”

Rangiora High School principal Bruce Kearney says growth bring the challenge of sourcing enough teachers.

The second-most obvious question

If there “where” takes care of itself, the “how” is more complicated.

Like its neighbours to the south, Waimakariri is growing quickly, and with pace comes pressure.

Kaiapoi ward councillor Brent Cairns says the town still has plenty space for new housing.

Rangiora High School, the district’s largest, has about 1650 students. It could cater for up to 3000, principal Bruce Kearney said, but the size of the roll wouldn’t be the problem.

The biggest challenge would be finding enough teachers, he said.

“Physically, we can grow, but skills wise, in relation to teaching staff, that would be difficult.”

In Kaiapoi two major housing developments are in the pipeline, Silverstream and Beachgrove. However, ward councillor Brent Cairns said there were still plenty of opportunities for growth, including nine hectares of mixed-use business land and 30ha of rural land.

A map of planned housing developments across Rangiora, as created by Mike Blackburn.

Land which had been red-zoned after the earthquakes in 2011 – including about 100ha on the eastern outskirts of Kaiapoi, Pines Beach and Kairaki – was also being regenerated to allow space for housing, he said.

Cairns said the key was ensuring growth occurred where infrastructure had already been planned.

For instance, the council had invested tens of millions of dollars in pipes and pump stations across Kaiapoi and the district's coastal settlements to improve flood resilience while accommodating future development, he said.

Similarly, there is thenew after-hours medical facility in Rangiora, which he said would serve the wider Waimakariri and Hurunui districts.

“That’s going to be a first for our district, and that’s supporting growth. The medical facility will do scanning and take on patients that are unable to be seen by their own GPs.

Oxford-Ohoka community board chairperson Sarah Barkle says ensuring access to essential services remains vital as Oxford grows.

“We’re working very closely with the medical industry, schools, to try to keep up with our plan for growth.”

But Cairns warned developments outside the district’s planned growth areas could undermine that work.

He pointed to the proposed Carter Group’s development in Ohoka, saying the area’s high water table could increase stormwater flowing downstream into Kaiapoi during heavy rain events if not carefully managed.

The developer last week officially applied for approval through the Government’s fast-track scheme, causing frustration and disappointment for many in the community.

Among those were Oxford-Ohoka community board chair Sarah Barkle.

Barkle said the district plan review had carefully identified where future growth should occur and, just as importantly, where it should not.

She said Oxford had capacity to grow sustainably, but the proposed Ohoka development was not part of that strategy.

“I wouldn’t describe the Ohoka proposal as ‘planned’ – if anything, quite the opposite.”

According to Barkle, Ohoka had consistently been identified as unsuitable for large-scale urban expansion because of the pressure it would place on infrastructure, the increased flood risk and the long-term costs that would ultimately fall on ratepayers.

“There are sound planning reasons why this land has been proposed with the zoning it has in the district plan,” she said.

“It is simply not an appropriate location for urban-scale development for a multitude of reasons.”

By contrast, Barkle said Oxford was well placed to accommodate carefully managed growth.

“I don’t believe Oxford has significant infrastructure barriers to growth, provided development occurs in the right locations and at a pace that allows the town to grow sustainably.”

She said the town already had a medical practice expanding into a new facility, a Year 1-13 school and strong community organisations that would help support future residents.

Kaiapoi resident Carol Cullen, left, Rangiora resident Carole Sutherland and Ravenswood resident Lynn Muir say they have seen a “phenomenal amount of growth” in the region.

“Oxford's greatest strength is its people. It is not only a stunning place to live, but also houses a community with a genuine Kiwi ‘can-do’ attitude.”

‘Live where you play.’ Or not.

When Pegasus town was first envisioned in the 1990s, the sales pitch was ‘live where you play’.

On a crisp June morning in 2026, Waimakariri’s rapid growth had put paid to that. Of the four walkers The Press encountered while visiting the area ‒ three people, one dog ‒ none of them actually lived in Pegasus.

Ravenswood will have 1500 homes once the final residential stage is completed.

While none of the residents interviewed opposed growth, several agreed infrastructure needed to keep up with development.

Lynn Muir moved from Christchurch to Ravenswood after the 2011 earthquakes. It was more attractive to start over in Waimakariri than the city.

Growth in the meantime had delivered clear benefits, she said – new shops, services and facilities close to home.

“Ravenswood was not here when we arrived. So in 13 years, that’s been a phenomenal amount of growth.”

Her friend Carole Sutherland, from Rangiora, agreed. Without question Waimakariri had benefited from significant investment and development over the past decade, she said. However, she questioned whether infrastructure planning always kept pace with new subdivisions.

“The golf course doesn’t affect me. To me, if you can afford to play at Pegasus, then I don’t understand why people couldn’t have paid into a consortium and done something. I feel for them in the sense that I think they were promised something which may not now happen.

“But if new developments are coming, it will [create] pressure. The supermarket, schools, doctors – I mean, it's all going to take a toll on that community. It's not a small thing.”

Carol Cullen was one of the first residents of the Beachgrove development in Kaiapoi. Stormwater was a problem early on, she said, just one example of the challenges that can emerge when development moves faster than supporting infrastructure.

She was not opposed to more development but worried about the pressure more people would place on already stretched services.

“We haven’t got enough GPs in this area now. If you’re bringing in thousands of more houses, that’s only going to add to the problem.”

Increasing traffic is another concern.

Sutherland said congestion around Southbrook and safety issues on Lineside Rd highlighted the need for transport upgrades to stay ahead of population growth.

“If you have to come through Southbrook, it’s just a nightmare … and then when I go down Lineside [Rd], I hold my breath.

“When I see a car waiting to turn right, I just think ‘please stay, please stay there’. There are so many crashes there.”

In the meantime, residents from Pegasus continue their fight to stop their golf course from becoming what golf legend Sir Bob Charles described as a “concrete jungle”.

Pegasus Residents Group president Matt James said they were not against growth but the issue had already been discussed through the district plan and “did not require Pegasus in that”.

“Anyone who wished to contribute to that conversation had the opportunity. With all that conversation, all that dialogue, then the council formulated where the growth should be across the whole district. It didn’t comprehend any growth around Pegasus.”

In the meantime, a petition to Parliament calling for any redevelopment proposal to go through the normal planning and public consultation process instead of being fast-tracked has been signed by almost 16,000 people. It will be presented to Parliament on Wednesday with the support of Gordon, National MP Matt Doocey, and Labour MP Dan Rosewarne.