Z sells Havelock station option

Shell Havelock North is one of nine North Island service stations on the market for sale and leaseback as Shell stations rebrand to Z Energy, with 12-year leases and rights of renewal on most of the properties.

Shell Havelock North occupies a 700sq m corner site on Havelock Road and Porter Drive.

A 12-year lease with three rights of renewal of six years each will be in place, with net annual rental amounting to $90,000.

Z Energy, formerly Greenstone Energy, is jointly owned by Infratil and the New Zealand Superannuation Fund.

Gail Calder, asset manager at Z Energy, said Z is selling the freehold interest in the properties to release capital for reinvestment.

"It's an opportunity for us to direct capital into building new sites, while keeping these service stations operating in our network," she said.

Z Energy owns and operates the downstream fuel assets sold by Shell New Zealand in 2010, including more than 300 service stations and truck stops nationwide.

Lyn Hann, of Colliers International in Napier, said the Z offerings presented a special opportunity for local property investors to be part of New Zealand's only major Kiwi fuel company.

"Infratil and the New Zealand Super Fund have taken a big bold step in investing in a local company to go head-to-head with the international fuel giants which have a long-standing presence in this country.

"However, Kiwis are known for their loyalty towards home-grown businesses and we think Z will soon become a household name and a familiar presence on New Zealand roads."

Colliers International's auction manager John Bowring said the stations would be a popular offering.

"Taken individually, or as a mini-portfolio of two or more service stations, the properties offer simple investments in a popular asset class. There is something here for a range of buyers, so we expect a lot of interest from investors who are attracted to the long-term, income-generating nature of the portfolio as well as the chance to invest in the future of a new Kiwi company."

Ms Hann said the geographic diversity added to the investment's security.

"The properties are well-located in thriving towns and cities around New Zealand. They occupy high-profile sites carefully chosen for their high volumes of passing traffic and proximity to arterial roads," she said.

"The re-brand means the properties will also be presented in a modernised condition to start their new lives as Z stations."