James Cameron buys more Kiwi land

Hollywood blockbuster director James Cameron has snapped up more New Zealand farmland.

The man behind Avatar and Titanic has added another chunk of land to his $20 million Wairarapa estate after being given the go-ahead to buy a neighbouring lifestyle block.

Last month, Cameron was given approval to buy two large farms - a 250-hectare working dairy farm and 817-hectare hillside property overlooking Pounui - in the South Wairarapa and he signalled his intentions to reside indefinitely in New Zealand.

Now he has been granted consent by the Overseas Investment Office (OIO) to buy 10 hectares of freehold land adjoining the Pounui farm and mainly comprises of native bush.

Although the cost of the land is listed by Land Information New Zealand as confidential, it was understood to have been on the market for about $350,000.

The OIO summary states: "James F. Cameron and his family intend to reside indefinitely in New Zealand.

"They are acquiring the land as part of a larger acquisition of land in South Wairarapa which they will use as a residence and working farm.

"The overseas investment transaction has satisfied the criteria in section 16(1)(e)(i) of the Overseas Investment Act 2005."

The 57-year-old movie mogul intends to join fellow director Sir Peter Jackson as a Wairarapa resident.

He has applied for residency under Immigration New Zealand's Investment Plus scheme for those investing more than $10m.

Cameron will have to spend at least 44 days in New Zealand each year in the final two years of a three-year investment period and he has vowed to work on the Avatar sequels while living here.