January to December 2004

Overseas Investment Commission
Decisions

Commentary and Index prepared by CAFCA

Contents

January 2004 decisions

AMP NZ Property fund buys four properties
Australian takeover for Chequer, plastics manufacturer and recycler
DEC International NZ increases shareholding in ICPbio
Land for forestry
Two more properties bought in Waihi as result of land subsidence
Other rural land sales
Summary statistics

February 2004 decisions

Fletcher Challenge Forests sells its forests
Shell buys Gas Investments NZ Limited in initially suppressed decision
Pacific Brands prepares to buy New Zealand subsidiary in float of group
Land for wine
Two more properties bought in Waihi as a result of land subsidence from mine
Change in ownership of Pohuenui Island
Korean buys more land for golf course development in Christchurch
Universal Homes buys land at Gulf Harbour, Whangaparoa
Other rural land sales
Summary statistics

March 2004 decisions

One refusal
Change in Malaysian company with 30% holding in Queenstown Park Royal
Macquarie property companies take cross shareholdings
Harvard buys another forest, at Taneatua, Bay of Plenty
Secretive Marlborough land purchase for electricity

Rausing’s Ingleby buys another farm at Raincliff, South Canterbury
Holcim buys land for quarry at Bombay, South Auckland
Other rural land sales
Summary statistics

April 2004 decisions

One application refused – to buy land on Waiheke Island
Pernod Ricard buys Framingham Wines
Neil Construction buys Auckland Crown land for commercial office development
Land for forestry
Nikken Foods buys more land near Oamaru
Other rural land sales
Summary statistics

May 2004 decisions

One refusal: vineyard purchase in Marlborough
Carter Holt Harvey sells tissues business to Svenska Cellulosa of Sweden
Rubicon gets approval to buy 50.1% of Tenon (former Fletcher Forests)
Hancock of the US buys 56,000 hectares of forest rights in Bay of Plenty
Shuffling of Canwest media ownership in preparation for public share offering
US/Australian interests buy WH Smith’s bookshops, Whitcoulls and Bennetts
Change in ownership in Truck Investments Ltd, truck dealers
Sky City buys Aspinall’s share in Christchurch Casino
US company to buy private school in Palmerston North
Intercontinental Hotels and Carter Group buy Park Royal hotel, Queenstown
Australia/US company buys lease for land for Quay Park Arena, Auckland
Kiwi Income Properties buys two properties on The Terrace, Wellington
AMP NZ Office Trust buys Mobil on the Park and the BNZ Centre, Wellington
Macquarie Goodman buys Mangere land for industrial estate
Gulf Harbour Investments buys more Gulf Harbour land for $1
Other rural land sales
Summary statistics

June 2004 decisions

Four applications refused
Britomart Group buys Britomart precinct from Auckland City Council
Telecom buys Gen-i
Approval for VT Fitzroy of the U.K. to buy lease of Devonport Naval Dockyard
Majority owners take over Kingsgate International
Macquarie Goodman buys Fletcher’s Penrose complex from Trans Tasman
Trans Tasman Properties buys 55% of Clearwater holding company
Waihi Gold buys more land for a buffer around its Favona Underground mine
Land for forestry
Land for wine
Universal Homes buys land for subdivision at Gulf Harbour
Summary statistics

July 2004 decisions

One application refused – retrospectively
Westfield takes full ownership of Newmarket, Auckland properties
Sky City increases its ownership of Riverside Casino (Hamilton)…
… and Riverside gets retrospective consent to own the land the Casino is on
Change in ownership of Juken Nissho
Cook St property in Auckland to 1st Class Baggage of Australia
Multiplex buys South City Shopping Centre, Christchurch
Land for forestry
Land for wine
Other rural land sales
Summary statistics

August 2004 decisions

One application refused
Pacific Retail Group sells Noel Leeming, Big Byte and Bond & Bond to Gresham
Sealink of Australia taking over Subritzky Ferries
Macquarie Goodman buys 75% of Highbrook Development, Auckland
Retrospective approval for Australian/Saudi purchase of 385 ha. leasehold farm
Land for wine
Other rural land sales
Summary statistics

September 2004 decisions

One application refused
Unwelcome Ernslaw One buys forest from bankrupt Huaguang amid chaos
Ernslaw One also buys Gisborne sawmill
Vero buys insurance, warrantee business from Autosure and Crown Insurance
Shania Twain gets her high country stations – 24,700 ha Motatapu and Mt Soho
Malaysian investors take 50.25% of Multiplex New Zealand Property Fund …
… and Multiplex acquires some of Progressive’s supermarket property
Deutsche Asset Management acquires Shortland St, Auckland property
German investor buys Albany warehouse development
Two more properties for Clearwater development
Another purchase near Young Nick’s Head
Tipapa homestead in Greta Valley bought by U.K. investor for lodge
Other rural land sales

October 2004 decisions

Prime Infrastructure of Australia buys Powerco
Centro of Australia buys Barrington Shopping Centre, Christchurch
Macquarie Goodman buys Albany office building from Neil International
More property for Britomart
Cedenco buys Gisborne District Council land in Gisborne for its factory
Tenon buys remaining shares in Tarawera Forests Ltd
Malaysian buys grazing land outside Christchurch for residential development
Land for forestry
Land for wine
Other rural land sales

November 2004 decisions

US company buys aged care provider, Guardian Health Care
Deutsche Post buys 50% of NZ Post’s courier services
Macquarie Goodman Industrial buys Trinity Park development, Auckland …
… and with Macquarie Goodman Property acquires Manukau leasehold …
… some of which Linfox of Australia subleases for commercial development
Fletcher Residential spends $425m on property in Auckland and Queenstown
Gallo of the US buys 25.2% of Whitehaven Wine Company, Marlborough
Pan Pac buys 1000 ha. state forestry lease of Te Kowhai Forest, Hawkes Bay
Roger Dickie organises two international consortia to buy land for forestry
Land for forestry
Other rural land sales

December 2004 decisions

One refusal
Macquarie buys neighbouring office block in Greenlane, Auckland
Tiongs’ Neil Construction buys land in Tauranga for subdivision
Joint venture with US company plans Napier subdivision
Roger Dickie organises two more sales of forestry blocks
AMP takes half share in Papamoa Retirement Village joint venture
Retrospective consents for land purchases by a no longer overseas company
Southland Plantation Forest Co of Japan buying more land after long break
Land for forestry
Land for wine
Other rural land sales


Numbers of deleted or released decisions
before appeal

 

Jan 
2004

Feb 
2004

Mar 
2004

Apr 
2004

May 
2004

June 
2004

July 
2004

Aug 
2004

Sept 
2004

Oct 
2004

Nov 
2004

Dec 
2004

Total
2004

Deletions

2

2

1

1

2

6

0

1

1

2

3

0

21

Applications refused

0

0

1

1

1

4

1

1

1

0

0

1

11

Decisions released

11

15

12

8

21

23

14

8

19

13

18

20

182

 

Compiled by:
Campaign Against Foreign Control of Aotearoa,
P. O. Box 2258 
Christchurch.