South Island Region

Welcome to
Te Waipounamu

The South Island is on the cusp of a new era with some of the country’s largest ever projects set to grow and enhance our city centres.

Our region will see the rollout of key regeneration projects for Christchurch’s city centre and the first stage of Dunedin’s new public hospital build. These projects reflect the vision, commitment and leadership of our members and the strength of our communities. 

The often talked about opportunities that would arise, particularly in tourism, hospitality and retail are now fast becoming a reality, and these will continue to drive the South Island’s economy. In Christchurch, the Global Settlement was an important milestone and we’ll continue to work towards the city’s return to local leadership by engaging and assisting local and central government, and key regeneration agencies.  The vision of the Blueprint and Central City Recovery Plan is coming to life in central Christchurch. It reflects the vision, commitment and leadership of property, New Zealand’s largest industry. We have a reshaped city; now it is time to make it thrive.

Our members will benefit from our advocacy across multiple topics as we go into bat on their behalf to open the doors for further development and supporting infrastructure. Key areas include: 

  • Building system reform 
  • Resource management reform 
  • Infrastructure funding and procurement 
  • Local authority funding (including vigilance in respect of inequitable funding models) 

These issues will have a huge impact on the future of the property sector and it’s our job to ensure that the collective voice of our members is heard by policy makers.

Tom Chatterton

Rider Levett Bucknall
South Island Regional Chair

Download the Local Government Briefing Paper

South Island
Advocacy Priority

In the regions, our regular projects include Long-term Plans, Annual Plans, District and Spatial Plans, rates differentials and development contributions. In addition to this, each Regional Committee also choose one priority to focus on for the year, with the South Island’s being:

"Investing in the future of our cities and communities – facilitating certainty and unlocking opportunities for growth through stronger stakeholder relationships."

Regional Events

All Events & Courses

South Island Education Trust Grants open now!

Applications close 27 February 2026

We’re thrilled to continue the South Island Education Trust Grants – aimed at bolstering the education and professional growth of South Island members.

This exciting programme offers funding for employees of Property Council New Zealand member companies in the South Island. These grants cover costs associated with attending a wide array of industry events and training programs, ensuring our members stay at the forefront of industry knowledge and leadership.

Apply Now

South Island
Regional Committee

The South Island Regional Committee assists the Property Council team to formulate our local advocacy strategy and plan member events and initiatives in the region.

The current Committee is in effect from 1 November 2025.

Local Government
Briefing Paper

The Local Government Briefing Paper has been produced in advance of the 2025 Local Government Elections to provide candidates – many of whom are unfamiliar with the property industry – with a simple guide to the challenges faced, solutions available and potential impact for their city or region.

The document outlines five key workstreams: 

  1. Foster stronger relationships with the property sector 
  2. Improve local government funding and financing 
  3. Fairer investment in infrastructure 
  4. Connect regional planning and transport; and 
  5. Increase housing supply and improve consenting. 

Singing off the same song sheet nationwide also helps ensure consistency across our national and regional advocacy workstreams. It is a working document that will evolve over time as policies are announced and issues arise, with the current version available for download by members upon logging in here. 👉

This content is for members only

Join today and help champion the industry that shapes our cities and communities.

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Ngā mihi nui
Thank you

Friday 7 November 2025
Ōtautahi, Christchurch

The South Island Property People Awards celebrate and recognise the people behind the projects in the South Island region.

In 2025, we brought together a crowd of 250 guests for an unforgettable evening of exceptional networking and celebration.

Watch this space for future announcements!

Learn More

Recent Submissions

Submission

Property Council submission on the Buildings (Earthquake-prone Buildings) Amendment Bill

February 16, 2026

On 16 February 2026, Property Council submitted to the Transport and Infrastructure Select Committee on the Buildings (Earthquake-prone Buildings) Amendment Bill. Why this matters to our members The current earthquake-prone building system has created significant uncertainty for the property sector, and reform is long overdue. Moving to a risk-based, proportionate approach ensures that efforts are focused where the risk is highest, prioritising the strengthening of the most vulnerable buildings and better protecting lives. Our view Property Council strongly supports the intent of the Bill and made recommendations to further refine certain provisions as currently drafted. At a high level, Property Council recommended: The establishment of a technical advice panel lead by MBIE, to assist with complex or ambiguous determinations in

Read More »
Submission

Property Council submission to the Environment Select Committee on the Planning Bill and Natural Environment Bill

February 13, 2026

On Friday 13 February 2026, Property Council submitted to the Environment Select Committee on the Planning Bill and Natural Environment Bill. Why this matters to our members The current RMA is no longer fit for purpose, as it has become overly slow and complex, and has often been subject to political shifts with changes in government. We need a system that provides certainty and enables development in the right place at the right time. Our view Property Council commends the Government for taking a major step toward a more outcomes-focused resource management system. Property Council members support many aspects of the proposed framework, including stronger national direction, clearer plan hierarchies, consolidated plan architecture, higher effects thresholds, and enhanced accountability. These

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Submission

Property Council submission to the Commerce Commission on Commission’s Approach Paper on Price-Quality Path for Watercare

February 5, 2026

On 5 February 2026, Property Council submitted to the Commerce Commission on the Commission’s Approach Paper on Price-Quality Path for Watercare. Why this matters to our members Property Council New Zealand (“Property Council”) welcomes the opportunity to submit on the Commerce Commission’s (“Commission”) intended regulatory architecture of a price-quality path (“PQP”) for Watercare. PQP is a binding regulatory decision that structurally sets the maximum revenue a monopoly provider can earn and the minimum service quality it must meet over a fixed period. The framework defines the rules for how long-lived water assets are financially recovered over time. Our members are directly affected by infrastructure growth charges (“IGCs”). IGCs are upfront charges paid by developers to help fund new water infrastructure

Read More »
All Submissions

Contact Us

Help champion the
South Island property industry

Property Council has several dynamic and engaged member taskforces and committees, who provide insight and support our team with a range of initiatives. These groups are ever-changing and are open to all members.

We also have numerous opportunities for sponsors to partner with us to produce and support local events.

Please contact your Regional Manager for further information:

Danielle Brayne

South Island Regional Manager

022 629 2820
danielle@propertynz.co.nz