Oceana Gold purchased more than 5 hectares of land at Hauraki District small town Waihi. Photo: 123RF
A lily bulb processing plant, production forests and land for a gold mine buffer zone are some of the latest purchases by international investors through the Overseas Investment Office (OIO).
Land Information New Zealand/Toitū Te Whenua recently published its latest decisions to approve overseas investment for September.
Global bulbs firm ends after 164 years
After nearly three decades running a flower bulbs processing business in mid-Canterbury, Dutch-owned firm Royal Van Zanten Flowerbulbs sold its New Zealand business.
The Hillegom-headquartered company bred and grew lily and tulip bulbs for more than 160 years, and first opened in Aotearoa in the late 1990s, supplying bulbs in the off season for Northern Hemisphere growers.
It moved from South Otago to Rakaia in 2000.
By 2018, the company was sold out of the Veldhuyzen van Zanten family ownership by investment firm Nimbus, and the breeding and processing firm was later split up for sale.
It sold its 8.6 hectare Rakaia nursery and packing facility to Dutch-owned Onings Holland Flowerbulbs in Poeldijk, according to the OIO decision in September.
Bulbs went to customers in Asia, Europe and also India, Australia and Mexico.
The OIO decision said the new owner planned to invest in facilities on the farm.
Gold mine neighbours' land bought to buffer
The largest gold producer in New Zealand, majority North American-owned Oceana Gold purchased more than 5 hectares of land at Hauraki District small town Waihi to create buffer zones for its mines.
The company owned by Vancouver-headquartered OceanaGold Corporation discovered, extracted and processed gold ore at Waihi and Macraes in New Zealand.
It acquired the Waihi mine in 2015 and said on its website, 8 Moz (million ounces) of gold was produced here to date.
A Waihi mine expansion was sought through the government's fast track legislation.
It spent more than $5.7 million across the three land purchases around Willows Road and Trig Road North that were used for residential and lifestyle purposes.
The land will be leased back for residential use while mining is ongoing.
"The main benefits to New Zealand are likely to include economic benefits associated with greater efficiency and improved viability of mining projects currently underway in Waihi," read the OIO decision.
Meat processor's new alliance
Late last month, farmer-shareholders in red meat co-operative Alliance Group voted in favour of Irish-owned Dawn Meats Group buying a 65 percent share of the firm that runs six processing plants across Aotearoa.
The $250 million purchase featured in the OIO decisions in September ahead of the vote, that was later sweetened by an extra $20m.
The decision showed Delmec Unlimited owned by Dawn Meat Groups will give the firm indirect freehold interest in more than 1,200 hectares of land and a further 387 hectares.
The OIO decision said the main benefit to New Zealand was likely to be the improved viability of Alliance plants and retention of employment.
Production forests
More overseas investors have bought millions of dollars of productive forestry land, including another for the parent company of furniture giant Ikea.
Ingka Investments purchased 219 hectares of land on Burma Road in rural Bay of Plenty southeast of Whakatāne from local firm Rawhiti Forest Farm.
Eighty-three hectares of it were productive pinus radiata and exotic forests, and production forestry will continue here with harvest starting next year.
Property data online shows it sold for $2.3m in early October.
Meanwhile, a large production forest in the South Island's Clutha District was sold for nearly $10m by the European Union's second largest asset manager.
Majority French-owned Future Forests NZ - owned by BNP Paribas Future Forest Fund SLP - purchased 634 hectares at Table Hill from local company Divers Farms, of which, 465 hectares was productive forest.
It will continue to be used for forestry.
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