A stadium team, a housing pioneer, a heritage specialist, a sustainability leader and a city builder with more than four decades of service were among the winners at the 2026 South Island Property People Awards in Christchurch on 15 October.
Property Council’s South Island Property People Awards have shone a spotlight on the people behind the region’s property industry for over a decade, and this year was no exception – congratulations to our 2026 winners.
Tuatahi First Fibre Supreme Excellence Award
and Veros Best Team Award
Te Kaha Team
Christchurch City Council / Te Kaha Project Delivery, the Crown, Venues Ōtautahi, RCP, AECOM, BESIX Watpac, Populous, Warren & Mahoney, Mott MacDonald, Holmes
The team behind One New Zealand Stadium at Te Kaha took home two awards, including the night’s top honour. Bringing together Christchurch City Council, Te Kaha Project Delivery, the Crown, Venues Ōtautahi, AECOM, RCP, BESIX Watpac, Populous, Warren & Mahoney, Mott MacDonald and Holmes, the team delivered the city’s final anchor project ahead of schedule and $26.6 million under budget. Its open-book approach to cost and risk sets a new benchmark for major projects, and the stadium welcomed 286,900 visitors in its first 60 days.
Savills Property Professional of the Year Award
Cate Kearney
Ōtautahi Community Housing Trust
As the trust’s inaugural chief executive, Cate Kearney has built the South Island’s largest community housing provider. The trust now manages 2500 homes and has built 401 new homes since 2019, many of them award-winning, mixed-tenure communities. Kearney has shown affordable housing can be commercially disciplined, well designed and financially sustainable, and her advice is sought by government and housing providers across the country.
Greenwood Roche Young Achiever of the Year
Kate Butterfield
Southbase Construction
As Southbase’s only dedicated sustainability professional, Kate Butterfield has turned sustainability into a business priority across a construction company of about 220 people. She leads Southbase’s carbon management programme and has worked with the New Zealand Green Building Council on an environmental management template for the wider industry. Outside work, she volunteered as the Sumner coordinator for Surfing for Farmers.
Women in Property Award
Courtney Doig
Colliers Christchurch
Courtney Doig began her career answering phones in her family’s business and is now a director and shareholder of Colliers Christchurch. Over the past decade she has brokered more than $1 billion of commercial property, specialising in earthquake-damaged and heritage buildings, and sits on the board of the Real Estate Institute of New Zealand. Just as important is the room she makes for others, mentoring the next generation of women in commercial property.
BESIX Watpac City Shaper Award
Ōtautahi Community Housing Trust
In a decade, Ōtautahi Community Housing Trust has grown from zero equity to a self-sustaining housing provider, returning more than $130 million to Christchurch City Council in lease payments. Its developments at Willard Street, Carey Street and Elm Grove show what consulting tenants and neighbours can achieve, with construction costs rising about 5 per cent against 30 to 40 per cent nationally.
Hawkins Judges' Choice Award and
Property Council Long Service Award
Mark Noonan
Christchurch City Council
Since joining Christchurch City Council in 1979, Mark Noonan has helped shape many of the city’s most important civic places. His work spans Christchurch Art Gallery, which served as Civil Defence headquarters for seven months after the February 2011 earthquake, Taiora: QEII, Parakiore and Te Kaha, where he was the council’s project director. Colleagues describe a generous mentor who never sought personal acclaim.
