FMC has recommended that the narrow public interest test in the Overseas Investment Amendment Bill be replaced with a broader one that includes environmental, heritage, and public access considerations.

FMC is also calling for mandatory consultation between the Overseas Investment Office and Te Herenga ā Nuku / Outdoor Access Commission before land purchases are approved, ensuring existing public access arrangements are carried over when land changes ownership, and requiring ministers to consider the full range of national benefits, not just economic outcomes.

Read FMC’s submission here.