Auckland, 14 June 2024: Property Council New Zealand has awarded Cantabrian property developer, businessman and entrepreneur, Antony Gough its 2024 Member Laureate at the annual Property Council New Zealand Rider Levett Bucknall Property Industry Awards, held tonight at Spark Arena.
The well-established Property Council New Zealand Members’ Laureate programme honours those who have made outstanding contributions to the organisation and the wider industry.
Born and bred in Christchurch, Antony is a property owner and investor, with a family legacy that dates back generations. He graduated from the University of Canterbury with a Bachelor of Science in 1970 with Honours in Nuclear Science and was awarded an Honorary Doctorate in Commerce in 2014.
A valued Property Council contributor, Antony is a past President and long-standing member of the South Island Executive Committee. He has also been integral to the creation of the South Island Education Trust in 2005. However, Antony’s route to property has been anything but typical; he’s been a computer programmer, a sheep farmer, and even a hospitality proprietor.
When the 2011 earthquakes hit, Antony was thrust into the role of property developer, electing to reinvest his insurance pay out back into the city after losing all 12 of his properties in the quakes. Antony became a vocal and enthusiastic supporter of the central city’s rebuild, fronting a tireless campaign to get the city moving again.
As chairman of the Central City Retailers Association, Antony was instrumental in the development of the Re:Start container mall in Cashel Street, which operated between October 2011 and April 2017.
Post-Blueprint, Antony was amongst the first to start buying central city properties. Bucking the trend, he elected not to maximise the development potential of his site in favour of creating buildings that looked individual and created spaces for people to promenade along The Terrace.
Leonie Freeman, chief executive of Property Council New Zealand, says Antony has been an incredible contributor to Christchurch and the industry over many decades.
“Antony’s choice to ‘build back better’ came at enormous expense, with setbacks threatening to derail The Terrace project. Anyone else may have abandoned challenge, but Antony chose to take the complexity in his stride and that typifies his approach to everything he turns his hand to.”
A true gentleman, Antony has an innate sense of style that extends far beyond his vibrant wardrobe. His commitment to the city and the property sector was recognised in 2015 when he was honoured with the Award for Service at the Property Council Southern Excellence Awards, and again in 2023 when he stepped down from the South Island Executive Committee after a 30-year tenure.
Freeman adds, “It is a privilege to award Antony Gough with the Property Council Member Laureate Award for 2024 – a deserved accolade for one of our industry’s most colourful contributors.”
ENDS