Applicant
Margaret Cadoux Hirshberg and Gary Raymond Hirshberg
Case number(s)
201720070
Decision date
Type
Decision

Decision

Consent granted
Section 12(a) Overseas Investment Act 2005

Decision Maker

Overseas Investment Office

Decision Date

8 May 2018

Investment

An overseas investment in sensitive land, being the Applicants’ acquisition of:

  • a freehold interest in approximately 53.9860 hectares of land at 35 Thorpe-Orinoco Road, Waiwhero Road; and
  • a freehold interest in approximately 15.3229 hectares of land at 75 Thorpe-Orinoco Road, Ngatimoti.

Consideration

$4,000,000

Applicants

Margaret Cadoux Hirshberg and Gary Raymond Hirshberg
United States of America (100%)

Vendors

Andrew John Guy
New Zealand (100%)

Rowan Charles Kearns and Sharon Marie Kearns (as trustees of the Kearns Family Trust)
Kearns family, New Zealand (100.0%)

    Background

    The Applicants intend to operate a small scale organic sheep farming and horticulture concern including running workshops for the education and training of organic farmers.  They intend to enter a grazing contract to provide sheep dairy support, create a market garden and undertake a native planting programme.

    Gary Hirshberg is the founder and former CEO of organic yoghurt company Stonyfield Farm and a key person in the organic food industry in the United States. Much of the benefit to New Zealand that is likely to occur is associated with the continued presence in New Zealand of the Applicants, and the sharing of their specialist knowledge, skills and overseas networks. Gary Hirshberg intends to enter into a business mentoring relationship with a New Zealand sheep cheese maker and to run ‘Entrepreneur Institutes’ in New Zealand to support the development of New Zealand organic and natural products businesses.

    In addition the benefits to New Zealand include:

    • a small number of new jobs, including some part-time and seasonal roles;
    • an increase in the processing of sheep milk to sheep cheese and potential export receipts for sheep cheese and organic sheep cheese;
    • additional productivity through the creation of an organic commercial market garden on part of the land;
    • some additional investment for development purposes;
    • a native re-vegetation, fencing and trapping scheme that is likely to result in the protection and enhancement of native vegetation on the land; 
    • consequential benefit to New Zealand through wider education about organic growing and farming.

    More information

    Emma Tonkin

    Kensington Swan

    Private Bag 92-101

    AUCKLAND