Since its inception in 2005, the South Island Education Trust (SIET) has served as a quiet force for professional development in the South Island’s property sector. Built on the vision of the then South Island Branch Executive of Property Council, the Trust remains steadfast in its mission: to equip South Island property professionals – whether students, emerging specialists, or experienced leaders – with the education, exposure, and confidence they need to shape the future of our region.
This year marked the inaugural year of the SIET Grants programme – a targeted initiative offering financial support to employees of Property Council New Zealand member companies across the South Island. The grants cover event and course fees for flagship industry events – such as The Property Conference, Reset, the Property Council Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Summit, RECON/Retail Conference – and a full slate of DevelopU training courses. To ensure accessibility regardless of cost, we also provided a travel allowance of up to NZ$750 + GST per recipient.
Our evaluation panel – comprising industry experts drawn from across the South Island together with the Property Council chief executive, Leonie Freeman – thoroughly reviewed all submissions, assessing applications against criteria that reflected both professional merit and alignment with SIET’s mission. Applicants were informed in late March this year, with a public announcement following on April 1.
I’m proud to congratulate the eleven outstanding recipients of the 2025 grants:
- Beth Chisolm (Project Manager, University of Otago)
- Mira Neuman (Solicitor, Anderson Lloyd)
- Ernette Hutchings‑Mason (Strategic Project Lead, ChristchurchNZ)
- Briar Philip (Property Officer – Commercial, Dunedin City Council)
- Ben Hoffman (Junior Quantity Surveyor, WT New Zealand)
- Karla Sellwood (Property Manager, University of Otago)
- Chris Hebson (Quantity Surveyor, WT New Zealand)
- Debs Tikao (Business Support Manager, Ngāi Tahu Property)
- Matt Marr (AW Interiors Manager, Armitage Williams Construction)
- Tom Chatterton (Director, Rider Levett Bucknall), and
- Kirsten Eichstaedt (Senior Project Manager, University of Otago).
This group represents not just exceptional talent, but also a diversity in roles, organisations, and career experience.
These grants will enable recipients to attend events and training that build capability, broaden perspectives, and connect them with others working across the property sector. Importantly, the impact can extend beyond the individual – enhancing team performance and contributing to stronger outcomes for their organisations and the communities they serve.
So, why apply next year?
The funding helps remove cost as a barrier to professional development. The evaluation panel ensures that recipients are selected on merit and relevance. And as our sector continues to evolve – particularly around ESG, urban development, and governance – the value of staying informed and connected has never been greater.
I encourage you to start thinking ahead to the grant opportunities that will be live in early 2026. If you work in the South Island, are supported by a Property Council NZ member organisation, and see value in upskilling through national events or training – this is a great opportunity to make it happen.
On behalf of the South Island Education Trust, I’d like to thank this year’s applicants and recipients – and encourage more of you to apply in 2026.
Author
Simon Taylor
Chair, South Island Education Trust
Simon is a Cosgroves Director with over twenty-five years’ experience in building services design and consulting. His engineering passion is in the design of spaces that are comfortable, intuitive and function well for their users and produce truly sustainable solutions to minimise the impact buildings have on our environment. His background both in New Zealand and the UK has provided a track record in managing complex multi-disciplined projects and working in large design teams. Simon’s other passion is getting into the outdoors, he’s never far away from the next adventure into the backcountry, mountain biking, hunting, diving and snowboarding.