French couple knocked back on Waiheke art centre plan

By ANNE GIBSON



The Overseas Investment Commission has rejected a proposal to build an international art centre on Waiheke Island because it did not comply with foreign investment rules.

Serge Marquie and Sally Anne Wilkinson of France applied for approval to buy 7.2ha of land at Cowes Bay from Macula Holdings for $1,293,750.

"The applicants proposed to acquire the subject property to establish a high-quality international art centre that was to consist of a commercial art space to provide a facility to display art for both local and international artists to sell their works," the commission said. They also proposed building a public gallery and establishing a 1ha olive grove to produce olive oil.

But the commission said the application did not meet the lifestyle policy, which required applicants to take up permanent residency within a year, undertake significant property development or have other investments here.


All other applications that went to the commission in April were approved.

Japan's Nikken Seil - formerly Nikken Foods - was cleared to buy 148ha of land outside Oamaru to expand its planned natural food project on the former Teschmakers school site. Nikken will pay Taipo Downs $2.3 million for the land.

"The applicant's chairman has discovered North Otago is the perfect setting for the international expansion of the research and development programme," the commission said, referring to the 29ha purchase of the Teschmakers site in 2000.

Malaysia's Tiong family won approval to buy just under half a hectare of land at 5-7 Aviemore Dr, in Auckland's Highland Park from the Crown for $1.4 million. The former police station site is to become a commercial office park. The Tiongs made the application through their New Zealand vehicle, Neil Construction.

Claire Donella and the Richard John family trust of Britain were cleared to buy a 13.9ha property at 20 Thorps Quarry Rd, Clevedon, for $1,068,750. They plan to use the property for equestrian activities, including show-jumping and training.

Heywood Forest Partnership, partly owned by American interests, got approval to buy 373ha of forestry and agriculture land near Gisborne for $805,849.

Framingham Wine, 40 per cent owned by Swiss interests, was cleared to buy 5.9ha of Marlborough land for $352,375 and will develop a vineyard.

A British couple got approval for buy 6ha in Canterbury for $202,000, and French-owned Pernod Ricard Australia was cleared to buy 10ha in Marlborough for a vineyard.