Australians buying lease to Kaikōura seaside holiday park to improve it

The Kaikōura holiday park, which Australians can buy for a secret sum.

The lease to a South Island seaside camping ground is being sold, not to bar holiday makers or be developed, but so facilities can be expanded.

Toitū Te Whenua Land Information New Zealand (Linz) has consented to Australians with business interests in New Zealand to buy the lease to the Kaikōura TOP 10 Holiday Park, saying they plan to develop it by investing more money.

Hampshire Holiday Parks, fully Australian-owned, got consent to buy the lease to the 2ha property at 34 Beach Rd, fully owned by New Zealand interests.

The applicant is a subsidiary of Australian AZZ Pty which invests in New Zealand, Linz said.

“The land is currently used as a holiday park. The applicant plans to develop the park through proposed capital upgrades. The main benefits to New Zealand are likely to be increased capital expenditure, job creation and advancement of the Government’s tourism strategy,” the approval said.

But no price was declared on the lease purchase.

The lease runs for 48 years and the land is classified as sensitive because it is across the road from the beach.

Property records show the Kaikōura District Council owns the land.

The park has a swimming pool, games and movie room, adventure playground, private spa and conference facilities.

Hampshire Holidays already advertises this park on its New Zealand website.

The same business offers accommodation at holiday parks in Queenstown, Wānaka, Arrowtown, Glendhu Bay and Albert Town near Wānaka.

The business offers holiday accommodation throughout Australia with pet-friendly facilities, advertised under the BIG4 brand.

Meanwhile, the Herald has reported how a nearby camping ground could close.

Kaikoura's Peketa Beach Holiday Park. Photo / George Heard

Peketa Beach Holiday Park, a camping spot for many South Island families, faces closure as local iwi opt not to renew the lease.

That has led to frustration among long-term campers and residents, the Herald reported in February.

The campground is south of Kaikōura and also on the coast.

The owner of the site, Ngāi Tahu, gave notice more than 18 months ago to operators of the Peketa Beach Holiday Park, saying their lease for the land wouldn’t be renewed.

The iwi said there were health and environmental risks from outdated wastewater infrastructure and has yet to reveal its plans for the future of historically significant pā, the February article said.

Other foreign investment approvals

In other Linz decisions just released, Goodman Property Trust has been granted consent for the internalisation of its management. The value of assets involved was put at $264m and the vendor is Goodman Group which is 46 per cent Australian owned.

Goodman Property Trust is an NZX-listed unit trust investing in Auckland industrial property.

The unitholders wish to internalise the management and the transaction is intended to replicate an NZX-listed unit trust structure from a control perspective, the decision said.

Fletcher Residential won consent for a $20.6m deal, buying 10ha of land at Park Estate Rd, Papakura for development. The vendor was Derryyeagh Development, Gateway Auckland and Park Green Residential.

Fletcher intends to develop housing in three stages, subdividing nine super lots and building 354 residences in a village town centre. That is to be called Park Green, the decision said.

In a second deal, Fletcher Residential won consent to buy further land classified as sensitive, this time just under 1ha at 32, 34 and 38 Swanson Rd and 4, 6 and 8 Sturges Rd, Henderson.

The vendors were John Boers and Rosemary Wallbutton as attorneys for Valerie Boers, Xiuhe Tian, Anish Jose and Resmi Mariyam Mathai, Aaron Paul Jenkinson and the Public Trust, Hsiu-Chiang Cheng and Ling Ying Zhang.

Fletcher plans 55 new homes on that plot of land.

That business builds hundreds of new homes annually, mostly in Auckland.

Anne Gibson has been the Herald’s property editor for 24 years, has won many awards, written books and covered property extensively here and overseas.