Sir Peter Jackson tipped as new owner of Lyall Bay mega-block

Wednesday, 21 August 2024

Film power couple Sir Peter Jackson and Dame Fran Walsh are tipped to be the new owners of a large block of Lyall Bay land (Composite image).

A massive block of Lyall Bay land, right next door to a waterfront section already owned by Sir Peter Jackson and Dame Fran Walsh, has changed hands with the Hollywood power couple understood to be the new owners.

The site – between big box stores The Warehouse and Bunnings – was to be a new Metlink bus depot, but the Greater Wellington Regional Council this month ditched the site in favour of one on the eastern fringe of the airport runway.

Regional council transport committee head Thomas Nash said the new site worked out better, but he could not comment on the Lyall Bay site the council was originally going to use.

Sections of land at Lyall Bay have already been cleared.

However, multiple sources have confirmed Jackson has snapped up a large portion of the block. Many of the buildings have already been removed, with residents in one remaining building confirming it was due for demolition but others, to the north of the block, understanding they could keep operating.

The Post in December revealed Jackson and Walsh had bought a block of land bordered by Lyall Parade, Kingsford Smith St, McGregor St, and Tirangi Rd ‒ understood to be the site of a long-planned film museum.

Work on levelling most of the that site has mostly happened.

But the new section, immediately to the north and significantly larger, is where the Lyall Bay rumour mill about the film powerhouses is now focused.

Multiple sources have confirmed that Jackson is the new owner.

The block is made up of multiple property parcels and at least some have “pending” transactions.

It adds to Jackson and Walsh’s growing portfolio of land, which recently included a large parcel of land at nearby Shelly Bay, where they had opposed a mega-development planned by developer Ian Cassels.

Many sites over many years have been touted for Jackson's film museum.

A plan to build one at Shelly Bay fell flat around 2012. Then a plan emerged in 2015 to incorporate it in to what is now the Wellington City Council's Tākina conference centre, but this also fell flat after differences between the Jackson camp and the council in 2018.

Jackson’s office was approached for comment.