Over the weekend, the Queensland Division of the Property Council made history with the state’s inaugural People in Property Awards taking place.
Queensland’s property industry is made up of the most creative, resilient and innovative people and the inaugural People in Property Awards provided the perfect platform to celebrate these people.
Property Council of Australia’s Queensland Executive Director Jess Caire said the awards were all about recognising the people behind the industry in Queensland.
“Queensland’s property industry is about so much more than bricks and mortar; it is the people behind the projects that make it such a success and these awards are all about recognising their passion and talent,” Ms Caire said.
“The inaugural awards were hotly contested with quality nominations across the five categories, and the judges really had their work cut out for them selecting the winners.”
At the gala night, it was announced that the Rising Star Award would now be known as the Matthew Schneider Rising Star Award as a way to continue to celebrate and nurture the bright futures of those who follow in his footsteps.
Tim Winterflood from Cedar Pacific Investment Management was announced as the inaugural winner of the Matthew Schneider Rising Star Award sponsored by Urbis with judges recognising his outstanding commitment to the industry and the community.
Joshua Lancini from Lancini Property Group received Judges Highly Commended in the category, with judges recognising his drive and energy.
Rikki Cooper from BGIS was announced as the inaugural winner of the People First Award with judges recognising the evolution of her role that has seen her work recognised on a local, national and international level.
Lendlease’s Abigail Heywood was crowned inaugural recipient of the Pathfinder Award sponsored by NBN Australia for her work pioneering fossil fuel free construction trials and her passion for reducing carbon emissions in the construction sector.
Dr Connie Susilawati from Queensland University of Technology received a Judges Highly Commended for her work fostering the next generation of property professionals through the Past Presidents’ Scholarship.
In the Industry Impact Award sponsored by The University of Queensland it was Michael Rayner AM of Blight Rayner Architecture who took home the award with judges recognising the extraordinary range of buildings he has designed across sectors in Queensland as well as his advocacy and contribution to enhancing the skills and knowledge of future generations.
This hotly contested category saw two Judges Highly Commended awarded, the first to Debbie McNamara from Economic Development Queensland for her impact across different sectors and to Brad Williams from RPS Australia for being a strong advocate for the industry on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast and beyond.
In the Team of the Year Award it was BHC’s Development Team that took home the award – in the first 20 years they delivered approximately 1,800 homes, they currently have 290 homes under construction.
The team at CBRE’s 66 Eagle received a Judges Highly Commended for their work in delivering an exceptional experience to their tenants through place creation, connection and curation.
The final award of the night was the Legacy Award, this award is not nominated for but rather the recipient is chosen by a group of property industry leaders, the Legacy Award celebrates the individual whose achievements and contributions to the industry will be remembered for generations to come.
Queensland’s inaugural Legacy Award recipient was Consolidated Properties Group CEO Don O’Rorke with judges recognising his long term advocacy to the sector and his impact on shaping the state.
Mr O’Rorke who served as President of the Property Council’s Queensland Division from 1997 to 1999, said the award was a testament to the work his team has done over the years.
“It’s a great recognition of what we have been able to achieve as team over a very long period of time. We are very fortunate to have a mixture of long term and short term employees, ensuring a great mix of stability and innovation,” Mr O’Rorke said.
“I think about business being a collaborative team-based enterprise, for us to create a project we need to bring together a really diverse group including Councils, great Architects, Hutchinson Builders and Financiers.
“That collaborative approach has seen significant parts of the landscape of Brisbane change and also parts throughout Australia.
“Our hard work is very permanent – when we build something, it’s there for a long time and it effects how people think about their city as they drive past it,” he said.
Queensland’s inaugural People in Property Awards would not have been possible without the support of Principal Sponsor NBN Australia.