Wellington investor makes $63m property deal for Christchurch tech campus

Wednesday, 24 June 2026

Tait’s office and factory headquarters in Christchurch have been sold in one of the city’s biggest property deals for some years.

In one of Christchurch’s biggest commercial property deals for some years, North Island property investor Willis Bond has bought the Tait Communications campus for $63 million.

The 5.4-hectare Burnside property is Tait’s central headquarters, housing its offices and factory.

The deal follows Willis Bond’s $40m purchase of Eastgate Mall in Linwood, and the $50m EntX entertainment centre in central Christchurch, both in 2024.

The offices of Tait Communications, with the round manufacturing plant pictured behind.

Willis Bond is a major property developer and investor whose biggest assets include the Manukau Supa Centre in Auckland.

Tait campus manufactures radio systems and exports around the world. Founded in 1969 by Sir Angus Tait, it is one of Canterbury’s most successful exporters and is now 40% owned by Japanese communications company JVC Kenwood.

The Christchurch site’s current annual rent of $4.86m is due to rise to $5.09m in September.

Tait founder Sir Angus Tait, pictured in 2002.

The campus is on the corner of Wairakei Rd and Wooldridge Rd and is part of Canterbury Technology Park.

Willis Bond bought the property from syndicated property investor GEK Property Nominees, the investment arm of Auckland law firm Glaister Ennor.

GEK Property Nominees had bought the property for $58m from Tait in 2017.

Willis Bond did not respond to a request to comment on the purchase.

Hamish Doig, managing director of commercial real estate firm Colliers, which negotiated the deal, said Willis Bond’s offer was unconditional and was one of several received for the property.

“They are excited by the opportunities in Christchurch. We’ve worked with Willis Bond for a number of years and it’s only in the last two years we’ve seen some traction.

“We used to fly up there to try and promote Christchurch. Now we don’t need to. We are very much on the shopping list.

“You can’t have billions of dollars worth of earthquake repairs sloshing around in the system and not get economic growth. It was an inevitability that we we’d get a strong economy.”