The bonds are part of a refinancing programme and the proceeds will be used for general corporate purposes.

Heartland, the combined Marac Finance, CBS Canterbury, and Southern Cross Building Society, is considering launching a bond issue as part of its funding strategy.

TrustPower (NZX: TPW) is considering a bond issue of up to $100m in a bid to repay debt and boost its maturity profile.

In a statement to NZX today, the electricity generator said it intends to offer up to $75m in senior bonds with the option to accept up to $25m in oversubscriptions at TrustPower’s discretion.

The senior bonds will have a term of about seven years, maturing on 15 December 2017.

Fonterra will cap its latest New Zealand bond offer at $250 million in contrast to its oversubscribed effort in February last year.

Late yesterday Fonterra confirmed it was considering making an offer of senior unsecured bonds.

The dairy co-operative’s treasury general manager Stephan Deschamps told NBR the details of the offer would be announced in the next few weeks but was firm on its upper limited.

Early last year, Fonterra was seeking to raise $300 million with bonds offering a minimum 7.75% return, but with an ability to accept over subscriptions.

Energy company Trustpower has capped off a busy week that started with the naming of a new chief executive by declaring that no oversubscriptions to a $75 million bond issue will be accepted and expressing disappointment over some aspects of the electricity industry review.

Earlier this week, the power company revealed that Vince Hawksworth would become chief executive in April.

Auckland City Council is set to launch a bond issue in late February but the funds aren’t just for itself.

The governing body of central Auckland (for now, until the super city comes in to force) is going to try to raise $350 million in a retail bond issue which will open 26 February.

The funds will be used for funding new projects that councils across the Auckland region are working on, and also refinancing existing debts that might be about to expire.