Birch North Forest has been sold by Tararua District Council to Ingka Investments, the investment arm of Ingka Group – the largest IKEA retailer.

In April 2024 Tararua District Council began a one month open tender process through New Zealand Forest Sales Ltd. with the aim of securing a buyer for Birch North Forest, a pre-1990 mixed age forest covering 334 hectares near Weber in the Tararua District.  The tender process closed on 9 May 2024 with a single conditional offer being received from an interested overseas investor.

During Council’s Long-Term Plan 2012/2022 consultation, Council stated that it was their desire to exit commercial forestry through the sale of Birch North Forest.  This became Council’s longstanding position under the Tararua District Council Significance and Engagement Policy.

The tender process commenced in April 2024 and resulted in Ingka Investments Forest Assets NZ submitting a conditional offer of $4,059,642.

Ingka Investments were required to apply for, and gain consent from the Overseas Investment Office (OIO).

Ingka Investments met the OIO criteria and, after Ingka Investments and Council were satisfied the conditions of the sale had been met, the sale and transfer of Birch North Forest to Ingka Investments was completed on 10 December 2024.

“Our forestlands are a long-term commitment, and we want to show that well-managed forests can be both sustainable and a smart investment. Responsible forest management means thinking in terms of generations, not financial quarters. Our approach always takes into consideration the impact we have on local communities and the environment, and we’re look forward to being part of the community”, says Kelvin Meredith, forestland country manager at Ingka Investments.

To date Ingka Investments owns about 25,000 hectares of forestland in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Funding for the Birch North Forest came from the Ministry of Agriculture and Forest, by way of loans. These loans were repaid in 1999 from forest  harvest income.