Applicant
Port Blakely Limited
Case number(s)
202100309
Decision date
Type
Decision
DecisionConsent granted
Section 12(a) Overseas Investment Act 2005
Decision MakerOverseas Investment Office
Decision Date22 July 2021
Pathway(s)Forestry (Special forestry - One-off purchase)
InvestmentAn overseas investment in sensitive land, being the Applicant’s acquisition of a freehold interest in 982.4350 hectares at 1092 Moerangi Road, Oparau, Waikato
ConsiderationWithheld under s9(2)(b)(ii) of the Official Information Act 1982
ApplicantPort Blakely Limited
United States of America (100%)
VendorsShabor Limited
New Zealand (100%)
Background

The Applicant has applied for consent under the special test relating to forestry activities set out in section 16A(4) of the Act.

The Applicant is a US owned forestry management company. Since the Applicant’s first forestry acquisition in New Zealand in 1994 it has acquired additional forest and land through more than 20 separate OIO consents. The land to be acquired is currently used for farming purposes, with deer, sheep and cattle kept on the land. The Applicant intends to plant approximately 752.74 hectares of the Land as a commercial forest. The Applicant intends to harvest the crop of trees once matured and replant following harvest.

There are two houses on the land which the Applicant intends to subdivide and sell. The balance of the land will comprise of 170.93 hectares of native bush (including scrub), 26.38 hectares of unplantable land, 23.27 hectares of buffer land and 4.56 hectares of infrastructure. The land contains special land which has been offered to the Crown.

By way of background, the land that is the subject of this application is Land Use Capability (LUC) classifications: LUC 3 (3 ha), LUC 4 (188 ha), LUC 6 (778 ha), and LUC 7 (20 ha).

More informationHugh Lindo
Simpson Grierson
PO Box 874 Christchurch 8140