The new owners return the Mail to private family ownership for the first time since the 1970s. Christchurch-based Mainland Media Ltd, owned by husband and wife Pier and Charlotte Smulders, have bought it along with The Star in Christchurch and six other community newspapers owned by APN New Zealand Media in the greater Christchurch area.
Mr Smulders, the managing director, said yesterday the price paid was confidential, but ''represents a significant investment in the media in these communities because we believe in them''.
Concern over the Mail's future led to a group of North Otago business people investigating bidding, but that never proceeded when the group learnt others were considering buying.
Oamaru businessman Bevan Crombie, who spoke to ''roughly 16 to 18 North Otago business houses'' about buying the newspaper, was pleased with the announcement it had been sold and would continue publishing.
Contacted yesterday, he said when the sale was announced in November he had discussions with business people who felt they had an interest in the ''historic iconic value'' of the newspaper in North Otago.
They felt it was desirable to retain the newspaper and, if necessary, invest to retain it.
''We were, technically speaking, a fall-back group who, if necessary, would do our very best to preserve the Oamaru Mail should the situation of it being closed arose,'' Mr Crombie said.
''We considered putting a bid, but after discussion with other parties [interested in bidding] we felt it was better to sit on the sidelines and see what came to fruition.''
The group was pleased the newspaper had a new owner and would continue, but should there be a change in the future the group ''would keep a close eye on the situation'', Mr Crombie said.
Mr and Mrs Smulders are Mainland's only two shareholders. Chairman of directors is Nicholas Smith, who is also a director of Allied Press, which owns the Otago Daily Times and other publications throughout the South Island.
Mr Smulders said the Mail would be run under Oamaru Media Ltd, a fully owned subsidiary of Mainland, but would share resources with the whole group.
Mainland produced a number of community publications, but the Mail was its first daily newspaper which represented ''a new challenge''. The Star and Oamaru Mail had been telling the stories of their communities for more than 130 years and would have a renewed focus on local news.
Mr Smith said the purchase of a multinational publisher's local interests was great for Christchurch and South Island publishing businesses.
''Local ownership has many benefits as what's good for the community is good for the papers and vice versa. We will ensure we do and must remain connected to readers and advertisers alike with appealing news,'' he said.
Mainland director Charlotte Smulders, Mr Smith's daughter, said coming from a successful, and long-established media family, the acquisition was important to her.
''To own newspapers like The Star and Oamaru Mail, with their history and parochial roots, is an exciting opportunity and an incredible honour, and it's a proud moment to bring these papers back to local ownership,'' she said.
Mainland Media produces Mainland Press, a Christchurch-wide weekly newspaper with a circulation of 75,000, five community newspapers in the greater Christchurch region, the Weekend Gardener national magazine, Buy Sell and Exchange, Best Motor Buys and one-off feature publications and employs more than 50 staff.
The 134-year-old Oamaru Mail, originally an evening daily newspaper, was owned by descendants of the Jones family, in the 1970s was sold to Brierley subsidiary NZ News Ltd, then Wilson and Horton and APN. In November 2011 it switched to a morning tabloid newspaper.
The free twice-weekly, The Star, established in 1868, has the biggest circulation of the newspapers sold, with 71,644. The Oamaru Mail has a paid circulation of about 2900.
The sale is a move by APN NZ to consolidate its holdings to the North Island.
Chief executive Martin Simons said the newspapers had proud histories and the move to sell was based on a decision to concentrate APN's operations in the North Island where most of its businesses were located.
