Applicant
General Distributors Limited and Wholesale Distributors Limited
Case number(s)
201900213
Decision date
Type
Decision

Decision

Standing Consent (non-residential use test) granted
Sections 12 and 23A Overseas Investment Act 2005 

Decision Maker

Overseas Investment Office

Decision Date

13 November 2019

Pathway(s)

Residential land – standing consent - non-residential use

InvestmentOverseas investments in yet to be identified residential (but not otherwise sensitive) land.

Applicant

General Distributors Limited and Wholesale Distributors Limited
Australian Public (99.45%)
Various (0.55%)

Background

The Applicants are part of Woolworths Group, one of the largest supermarket operators in New Zealand.

The Applicants are the asset holding vehicles for Woolworth Group’s Countdown, Fresh Choice and Super Value branded stores.

This standing consent under Schedule 4(2) of the Act has been granted in accordance with the non-residential use test set out in Schedule 2(13) of the Act.

Residential (but not otherwise sensitive) land acquired under this standing consent will be used for:

  • the development and operation of supermarkets (in some cases together with ancillary retail and/or commercial premises), or
  • the development and operation of facilities in support of the supermarket business,

in the ordinary course of business of the Applicants.

This standing consent will permit the Applicants:

  • to acquire up to 75 hectares of yet to be identified sensitive land  located in New Zealand;
  • to enter a maximum of 10 transactions by 1 December 2022 (the duration of the standing consent).

Under a standing consent, the Applicant must notify the Overseas Investment Office each time it settles a transaction in relation to the consent.

More information

Steve Rendall
Russell McVeagh
PO Box 8
AUCKLAND 1140