CAFCA Research Reveals Farms going to Foreign Forestry Corporates

In response to a viewer’s request, here is a summary of foreign purchases of forestry land.

Research by the Campaign Against Foreign Control of Aotearoa (CAFCA) shows a large number  of previously owned New Zealand farms and land going to foreign forestry interests. Often the true foreign nature of the company is disguised. For example in February 2021 Kakapo Estate and Marberry Estate were given consent by the Overseas Investment Authority (OIO) to acquire 3,596 hectares in Nelson, Southland and Otago.
However both Kakapo Estate (a very “Kiwi” sounding name) and Marberry Estate are owned by ANZFF3 which is wholly owned by ANZFOF3 NZ Pty Ltd., which is ultimately owned by The Trust Company (Australia).
Other February 2021 consents were granted to:-
Kingheim Ltd (Austria 50%, Ireland 50%) to acquire 566 ha. at Waitomo, 516 ha at Pomarangai, Waikato and 394 ha at Huntly.
Dryland Carbon (59% NZ, 14% Australian and 14% US  to acquire 1,319 ha at Kekerengu, Kaikoura.
Dryland Carbon also received the green light for 302 ha at Pirinoa, south Wairarapa as did KDL Group/Meraki to acquire 287 ha near Gisborne.

In March 2021 Kauri Forestry (Switzerland 93%, Germany 7%)  received approval to for a “standing consent”  to acquire forestry land, while Matariki (USA 63%, UK 16%, Luxembourg 9%) was granted “standing consent” to acquire more forests, and to purchase 401 ha of forests.
In the same month the OIO approved German Insurance Giant Munich (Germany 43%, USA 10%, UK 15%, France 7%, Switzerland 5%, Luxembourg 4%, Ireland 2%)  to acquire several forests, the biggest being 637 ha at Waitane, Southland and 1037 ha at Taringatura, Southland.
Ellis Campbell (NZ) Ltd (UK 100%) has bought its fifth NZ forest, the latest being 227 ha in Marlborough.
A German couple were given consent to buy 572 ha at Eskdale, Hawkes Bay.

In April, 2021, Cerebus Privae Equty (Austria 100%) were given consent to acquire 555 ha at Kotemaori, Hawkes Bay.
Other OIO approvals were  Chinese Paper Corporation for 160 ha at Kaipara Harbour, a Singaporean oil man for 381 ha near Waipukurau, Hawkes Bay, German aristocrats 1,178 ha being Glenbrook Station, Hawkes Bay, OTPP NZ Forest investments Ltd (Canada 100%) 2,013 ha at Opotiki, Bay of Plenty and Pine Plantations Private Ltd (Malaysia 100%) 457 ha in Southland.
These as listed above were forestry. Other foreign acquisitions involved a German engineer acquiring 254 ha at Tangoio, Hawkes Bay, an Australian wine group (100% Australian) has approval for land in Central Otago, an 80% USA owned company acquired Taranaki property for goat rearing and others including foreign takeovers of a media company and a natural pet food company.

Note how the companies are often registered in New Zealand  with the words  “NZ Ltd.,” intentionally or unintentionally, obscuring the foreign ownership, often of the order of 100%..
Footnote: Thanks to CAFCA.  (www.cafca.org.nz)






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6 Responses to CAFCA Research Reveals Farms going to Foreign Forestry Corporates

  1. Will Bumble says:

    Thank God we have organisations like CAFCA to be alert to government-backed exploitation. It is not xenophobic to oppose foreign takeovers, it is patriotic.

  2. Will Planksford says:

    It is disheartening that after voting Labour to find the foreign investor purchases of our productive good farmland has not abated. When will it end? I guess only when all of NZ has been sold, which is a reminder that NZ’s good productive farmland is finite.

  3. Peter Dysart Trolove says:

    With foreign ownership comes foreign values and attitudes to land ownership.
    More and more public land is made inaccessible due to blocking through access.
    Note a high proportion of large corporate dairy farms are fully or partially overseas owned.
    The easy comeback is that “They can’t take it with them”. My view if Kiwis cannot cross overseas owned land it may as well be taken offshore.

  4. Alan+Rennie says:

    Hi all,
    We need to be like Fiji and only lease land from today on and a really great conduct code for what can be planted , where, native boundry forests never to be felled, on river margins, steep gullies , etc , Code of conduct for harvesting as well .

  5. S. B. says:

    That’s been going on far too long. The MEMBERS of O I O should be sacked. Needs questions in Parliament ? Where are the Opposition parties?

  6. Lewis Hore says:

    Another 2,500 hectares sold in Palmerston Sth to Austrians I think. If carbon farming is going to return eventually more than lamb and beef how will you be able to stop landowners selling?

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