Overseas investment decision for case 201620096 - Creswell NZ Limited

The Applicant is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Nongfu Spring Co. Limited, a large bottled water supplier based in China.  The Applicant has been granted consent to acquire the land identified above upon which there is an existing water bottling facility and kiwifruit orchard.

The Applicant intends to expand the water bottling facility and, in particular:

• introduce into New Zealand approximately $42 million within four years to improve the plant and to introduce two high speed bottling lines;
• increase productivity on the Land as a result of increasing daily bottling capacity by approximately 900%;
• create full-time equivalent positions on the Land, and retain existing jobs associated with the water bottling business bringing FTE jobs to a total of 60 once the water bottling facility reaches full capacity; and
• generate more than $65 million in new export receipts.

We consider that these benefits are substantial and identifiable in the context of the land being acquired, being approximately 6 hectares of rural land, and with reference to the nature and extent of the Applicant’s proposed investment,

As a condition of consent, the Applicant may only acquire the Land if relevant regional and district councils grant to the Applicant the required resource consents to undertake certain activities necessary to give effect to the Investment.