Famed filmmakers Sir Peter Jackson and Dame Fran Walsh have been quietly expanding their land empire, spending hundreds of millions of dollars on properties across Wellington and Queenstown.
Their recent purchase of land in Wellington’s Shelly Bay has seen a long-mooted new housing development scrapped, with the couple planning to return much of the land to nature.
As much of the country grapples with a housing crisis, some critics have questioned why Jackson and Walsh have built up $350 million in property.
So why are he and Walsh buying up all this land? And should we be concerned about wealthy people flexing their financial muscle to grab as much land as they can?
NZ Herald investigative reporter Matt Nippert joins Damien to discuss the details around more and more of Aotearoa becoming Jackson’s personal Middle Earth.
Follow The Front Page on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.
You can read more about this and other stories in the New Zealand Herald, online at nzherald.co.nz, or tune in to news bulletins across the NZME network.
Host: Damien Ventuto
Producer: Shaun D Wilson
Executive Producer: Ethan Sills
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
24/7 News: The Latest
The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.