Two bodies found on Bay of Plenty property were Vanuatu citizens
Thursday, 8 January 2026
The man and woman found dead at a Bay of Plenty kiwifruit property were from the same village in Vanuatu.
Emergency services were called to the Old Coach Rd address belonging to a company headed by former Zespri chairman Bruce Cameron in Pukehina on New Year’s Day at around 3pm after a woman was found dead at the address.
The following morning at 2.10am police discovered a man deceased at the same property.
Police have not revealed how the pair died but Eastern Bay of Plenty Area Investigations Manager Detective Senior Sergeant Paul Wilson said a 50-year-old man had been arrested and charged with assault on a person in a family relationship in relation to the woman’s death.
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The man’s death is currently being treated as unexplained.
Overnight a recruitment agency in Vanuatu told Stuff the pair were “nice” and were from Tanna Island.
President of the Ni-Vanuatu Bay of Plenty Association Billy Kueiey Lop confirmed the pair were from Vanuatu.
Lop said he had been told by police and family “back on the island” not to talk to media about what had happened.
Immigration New Zealand National Manager Pacific Loua Fesola’i-Ward said they were advised one RSE seasonal worker from Cameron Orchards died on January 2 and at the same property, an individual visiting was also found deceased the day before.
“Our sincere condolences to their friends and whānau. Support is being provided to family and the RSE workers at the site, and we are working closely with the Vanuatu Liaison Officer,” Fesola’i-Ward said. “We cannot provide any further detail while investigations are underway.”
According to the NZ Herald, the man that has been charged is a foreign national who has interim name suppression.
He appeared in the Tauranga District Court on Wednesday but did not enter a plea and was remanded in custody until his next appearance.
Stuff understands the property is owned by Gilston Mains Ltd - a company listing Bruce and Gillian Cameron as directors alongside Rikki James and Andrew Hans Meier.
On Wednesday Bruce Cameron told Stuff “there are suppression orders on facts and identities” but refused to answer any further questions, including if either of the pair were RSE seasonal workers.
Cameron Orchards Ltd which operates in the area, hires a number of seasonal workers to help in the production of Kiwifruit - particularly from Vanuatu.
They also employ backpackers.
The orchard often posts on Facebook about their Vanuatu workers. Last September they shared a post thanking local businesses for donating $30,000 of sports apparel to their RSE team.
“Lamkail Village and School on Tanna Island Vanuatu are going to get huge surprise when this turns up at the port,” the post said.
Bruce Cameron is a long-standing figure in New Zealand’s horticultural and rural business communities, known primarily for his leadership roles within the kiwifruit industry and broader agricultural sector.
He has been actively involved in commercial farming since the late 1970s, with interests spanning dairy, sheep, beef and kiwifruit operations.
His involvement with Zespri Group Ltd began in 2010 when he joined the company’s Board of Directors. In February 2019 he was appointed Chairman, a role he held for five years until stepping down in early 2024.
Police are asking anyone with information, or anyone who visited the property between 7pm on Wednesday and 3am on Friday to come forward.
CLARIFICATION: An earlier version of this story said two seasonal workers were found dead. MBIE says one was a seasonal worker, and another was visiting. (Amended 5.11pm on January 8, 2026)