He’s described by local media as one of Queenstown’s biggest landlords. But Tony Butson (pictured at left with former Queenstown Lakes mayor Clive Geddes) hasn’t always been in the property game. He started out in insurance before moving into property ownership in the southern tourist mecca.
In partnership with Johnny Stevenson and local accountant Chris Duffy, Butson owns almost 60% of Westwood Group Holdings, which owns an extensive portfolio of commercial retail properties in downtown Queenstown.
Collectively managed by Coronet Property Management, the portfolio boasts several landmark properties including the old Steamer Wharf. Valued at $37 million, it has become Queenstown’s premium lakeside eating, drinking and entertainment destination – and a magnet for millions of tourists who can also enjoy the SkyCity Casino upstairs.
Acquired in 2003 from the estate of the late South Island entrepreneur Howard Paterson, the wharf started life as a private jetty built in 1863. It was rebuilt in 1912 to accommodate the newly commissioned Earnslaw, which continues to dock at the Steamer Wharf several times a day.
Westwood’s most controversial project was the $35m redevelopment of the heritage Mountaineer building, which drew a mixed reaction when it reopened in 2009. With the original 1880s façade preserved, the property has two new floors, which include a Quest Hotel and commercial offices. “We wanted people to either love it or hate it,” co-developer Stevenson told local media.
Educated at Southland Boys High in the 1960s, Butson started out in the insurance business in 1973. He co-founded Commercial and General Insurance brokers, which had branches throughout the country, before merging with Rothbury Insurance Brokers in 2005 to create a New Zealand-wide broker network. In 2009, Butson became president of the Insurance Brokers Association but caused a stir in the industry when he stepped down as Rothbury’s chairman in 2014.
As chairman of the Wakatipu Community Maritime Preservation Society, Butson was at the forefront of community efforts to save the historic Frankton marina boatshed from demolition. The organisation undertook an $800,000 restoration project, which transformed the building into the Boatshed Café & Bistro. The building, which dates back to 1869, features relics from the past.
Butson’s family company also owns the Hush Spa and Salon (renamed Forme), which is managed by his wife Janice. The couple live in a $7m property in Queenstown’s Kelvin Heights – regarded as one of New Zealand’s most expensive suburbs.
Photo: Otago Daily Times