Pānui - January 2026

Kia ora koutou

Happy New Year and welcome to our first Pānui for 2026. Our office reopened on 5 January, and work is well underway for the year.

As I advised in the December Pānui, the Overseas Investment (National Interest and Other Matters) Amendment Bill was passed by Parliament on Friday 12 December. The changes are not yet in effect, and the current law continues to apply.

The changes include consolidating the national interest, benefit to New Zealand, and investor tests into a single test for all assets other than farmland, fishing quota, and residential land. The changes will also allow investor class visa holders to apply for consent to buy or build a house worth more than $5million.

The Overseas Investment team is preparing to implement the new provisions when they come into effect. We will provide information and resources to assist applicants and their advisers in the coming weeks.

We are aware that there is interest in when the new provisions will come into effect and what transitional arrangements may be required. We will be in touch to let you know about the date of implementation for the new legislation as soon as possible.

Ngā mihi
Rebecca McAtamney
Head of Regulatory Practice and Delivery
Toitū Te Whenua Land Information New Zealand

Ngā Hui Whakamārama – law changes

We will be holding a Ngā Hui Whakamārama session on the changes to the Overseas Investment Act and how we plan to interpret and apply them on 25 February from 10:30 to 12:00.

These sessions are technical in nature and designed specifically for lawyers who regularly advise overseas investors. You will have received an invitation to the hui if you’ve attended a previous one.

Please use our new application form

Our updated application form is now in effect and must be used for all new applications.

The updated application form includes targeted questions about the investment and a new section focused on the scope of the consent required and conditions likely to be imposed.

The purpose of this is to streamline our assessment process to ensure we have the information we need to draft consent wording and, where possible, reduce consultation during the application process.

The updated form is available at:
Application forms and information sheets

You can contact us at oio@linz.govt.nz if you have any questions about the changes.

Decision summaries

Benefit to New Zealand

202500587 - B.S.A. SAS
202500612 - BENZ Somerton Limited
202500743 - Rakau Bidco Limited
202500474 - Aquila Capital SG Holdco Pte. Ltd.
202500407 - John Laing Investments NX2 Holding Limited
202500636 - Craigmore Farming NZ Limited Partnership

Significant Business Assets only

202500741 - WCP II CF, LP - WCP II CF, LP
202500766 - Stanley Limited Partnership
202500581 - Accenture Australia Holdings Pty Ltd

Special Forestry

202500697 - Ingka Investments Forest Assets NZ Limited and Ingka Investments Management NZ Limited
202500699 - Ingka Investments Forest Assets NZ Ltd and Ingka Investments Management NZ Ltd

Residential Land Development

202500719 - Lift Holdings No. 4A Limited and Lift Holdings No. 4B Limited
202500577 - Neil Construction Limited
202500750 - Vital Healthcare Property Trust
202500672 - Powerco Limited

Exemption - Discretionary

202500688 - Stonepeak Alps Holdco Limited
202500797 - Withheld under s9(2)(b)(ii)

See Register: Discretionary exemptions

Exemption - Farm land advertising

202500760 - Vendors of Indus Valley Limited or one of Indus Valley Limited’s subsidiaries
202500720 - M Renewables NZ Developments PTY Limited and Poolburn Project Pty Limited
202500751 - Agright New Zealand Holdco Limited

See Register: Exemptions from farm land advertising requirements