New Zealand Property Media Awards call for entries

News Release 20 August 2008

Melview Developments New Zealand Property Media Awards call for entries

The search for this country’s top property news media begins this week with the opening of entries for the 2008 Melview New Zealand Property Media Awards. Entries will be for items published for the 12 month period to July 31 2008.

Started in 1989, the Awards will again be sponsored by Melview Developments Ltd, in conjunction with the New Zealand Property Council.

The Awards are the premier acknowledgement of property journalism excellence as they recognise news media across the entire property spectrum.

Melview founder and Managing Director Mr Nigel McKenna said today that the Awards
provide an ideal opportunity to promote and recognise excellence in property journalism.

“Property continues to grow from something of a niche topic to one which has become an integral part of the New Zealand news media, and given the events in the property market and in the wider economy in the last 12 months, we look forward to some particularly interesting entries.”

“Property is such a vital part of New Zealand’s infrastructure and key sectors such as tourism and retailing which are reliant on a vibrant property market to ensure their vital infrastructure continues to develop.

“Property journalism plays an important role in both good times and bad and the changing economic environment for both residential and commercial property development and investment in the last year has seen journalists having to extend themselves to cover the growing complexity of the market’.

New Zealand Property Council Chief Executive Mr Connal Townsend said the Council was pleased to be involved in the Awards as its members had a strong interest in seeing the development of increasingly well informed and analytical commentary of the property sector.

“Our members play a huge role in the economy and it is essential that their activities and objectives are well understood and conveyed, often through the media, to the wider public” Mr Townsend said.

The Award categories include Best Property Portfolio, Best Property Investment Portfolio, Best Commercial Property Portfolio, Best Tourism, Resort and Leisure Property Portfolio, Best Lifestyle and Design Portfolio and, the Overall Winner.

The Overall winner will receive $1,500, and, in addition to the Melview Trophy, will attend the Property Council conference in Brisbane in 2009, as a guest of the Council and Melview. Award category winners will receive $500 each.

Past judge Terry Hall has decided to retire from judging the Awards and he will be replaced by another senior journalist, Karl Du Fresne.

Mr Du Fresne has been a journalist for 40 years, working on newspapers and magazines in New Zealand and Australia. A former editor of The Dominion, he now lives in the Wairarapa and works as a freelance writer, columnist, editorial consultant and blogger. His work has appeared in publications as diverse as the National Business Review, the Listener and Cuisine. He has previously been a judge in the Qantas Media Awards.

In addition to Mr Du Fresne, the Property Council will this year have an involvement in the judging through its nominee, senior Property Council member Stuart Kendon who has had a distinguished career in the property industry with over 35 years experience in the development and management of a variety of commercial and industrial properties in Auckland and Wellington, including 27 years with the Fletcher Challenge Group. He currently runs his own property consultancy practice.

Entries will close on September 30, with results to be announced at a function in November.

ENDS

URL: www.melview.co.nz
www.kawaraufallsstation.co.nz

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