Part 2: Queensland’s 100 most influential people - Positions 85-71
QUEENSLAND’S list of most influential people features two Brisbane NRL heavyweights currently locked in a major power struggle. Whoever wins that duel wins the balance of power at the Broncos.
QLD News
Don't miss out on the headlines from QLD News. Followed categories will be added to My News.
- Part 1, 100-86: Who’s really running our state?
- Part 3, 70-56: He’s given $100m to benefit our state
- Part 4, 55-41: Labor’s ‘agent on infection’
ELCOME to the Power 100 – a who’s who of Queensland’s most influential people.
This week, couriermail.com.au will countdown to the top 10. On Saturday, we gave you the first 15 movers and shakers. Today, it’s 85 to 71 on our list.
Some of the top 100 you will know, others you won’t – but they all hold immense influence in our state.
And we want you, our subscribers, to have your say. Who do you think are Queensland’s most powerful people?
Post your nominations in the comments section below or email to editor@couriermail.com.au.
And don’t miss our special Power 100 edition of QWeekend magazine on Saturday, July 7.
Queensland’s 100 most influential people: Positions 85-71
85 - CATHERINE HOLMES, SUPREME COURT CHIEF JUSTICE
Chief Justice Catherine Holmes took on the top judicial role in the state amid a blaze of controversy.
The incredible achievement of being Queensland’s first female chief justice was overshadowed by unprecedented unrest in the ranks of judges following the appointment of her predecessor, Tim Carmody, and she had one goal – to achieve some stability.
It has largely worked, and Queensland’s first female chief justice has commanded respect with her cool head despite confessing initially to some trepidation in taking on the role.
The most memorable hiccup for Justice Holmes was being one of three judges who granted Gerard Baden-Clay’s appeal, downgrading his murder charge to manslaughter.
Public outrage followed, and it was later overturned by the High Court after successful lobbying on behalf of the Director of Public Prosecutions by Walter Sofronoff, who later became the Court of Appeal President.
But the legal fraternity stood by Justice Holmes and her legal acumen is often praised.
While she was seen as a safe choice in the wake of Justice Carmody, her extensive experience on the bench – she was appointed in 2000 at the age of just 44 – should not be ignored.
84 - LEANNE CODDINGTON, TOURISM BOSS
Tourism is worth a whopping $25 billion to the state’s economy and Leanne Coddington, the CEO of Tourism and Events Queensland, has the job of marketing Queensland to the world.
More than 220,000 people are employed in the tourism industry from Coolangatta to the tip of Cape York.
As CEO, Ms Coddington is in charge of a $100 million tourism industry and ensuring the money gets to the right places to continue drawing tourists and new major events to the Sunshine State.
Ms Coddington studied hospitality at the Queensland Agricultural College in Gatton. Her first job landed her the Student Waiter of the Year for Queensland in 1983 – a title that sparked her love of hospitality and served as a springboard to hotel management and ultimately the role job at Tourism and Events Queensland.
83 - TREVOR LEE, AGRIBUSINESS OWNER
Trevor Lee may have a low public profile, but the businessman runs one of the most successful agribusinesses in Queensland.
The husband of fashion designer Keri Craig-Lee, controls the vast cattle rearing and meat processing business, Australian Country Choice. Based in Cannon Hill since 1972, it has supplied beef exclusively to Coles Supermarkets and a number of export customers.
Today, it is the principal northern supplier and processor of beef products to the supermarket giant. The Lee Group began as an earthworks and civil construction company founded by Henry Lee and his son Norm, a minister in the Bjelke-Petersen government.
Lee and his wife own the Keri Lee III, a 54m six-cabin superyacht based in the Mediterranean, which costs at least $275,000 a week to charter.
Their Ascot home is regarded as one of Brisbane’s finest houses.
82 - IAN STEWART, POLICE COMMISSIONER
From a higher quota of women police officers to a rehabilitation-style approach to youth crime, to overseeing security risks at the Commonwealth Games, Commissioner Ian Stewart is the main influence behind the state’s law and order.
Reappointed in 2017 for a further three-year term, Mr Stewart said one of his main concerns was to move away from simply “putting more people in jail” – particularly when it comes to juvenile offenders. Mr Stewart also issued a directive that 50 per cent of new recruits be female. Male officers currently outnumber female three to one.
81 - RAG UDD, COAL BOSS
Canadian Rag Udd heads up the state’s most powerful coking coal producer BHP Billiton Mitsubishi Alliance (BMA) as asset president.
The joint venture company pours millions into the Treasury each year and is one of the biggest employers in central Queensland, as well as being the biggest exporter of seaborne coking coal in the world.
The sheer weight of money commanded by Mr Udd would be enough to afford him influence but he also holds the position of president of the Queensland Resources Council and holds a big sway in Queensland policy. He’s been in charge of BMA since 2015.
Previously he has held various roles at BHP Billiton Iron Ore.
He has a Bachelor of Applied Science in mining engineering, a Masters of engineering, and an MBA.
80 - ROS McLENNAN, COUNCIL OF UNIONS
One of the most powerful figures in the union movement is the general secretary of Queensland’s Council of Unions, Ros McLennan. She has, through the organisation, taken a lead role in elections by co-ordinating targeted campaigns in marginal seats around the state.
Ms McLennan is not just the face of the union movement. She also has a role in many behind-the-scenes political negotiations in the lead-up to state and federal elections.
She has also led major campaigns for workers’ rights under the QCU banner.
Ms McLennan was appointed assistant general secretary in 2014 and general secretary in July 2015.
79 - DAMIAN McGREEVY, LOBBYIST
He is the go-to guy for Green groups seeking to influence political policy, and companies aiming to cash in on the renewables wave.
A registered lobbyist at state and federal level, his clients include leading environmental organisations World Wildlife Fund (WWF Aust), Australian Conservation Foundation, the Australian Marine Conservation Foundation and Pew Charitable Trusts.
He also has links to The Wilderness Society, Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth.
They have been involved in campaigns ranging from landclearing laws and protection for the Great Barrier Reef to wild rivers legislation.
Mr McGreevy also consults for the Australian Solar Council, Smart Energy Council and Brisbane-based solar energy capture and storage company Redback Technologies.
Highly respected in the sector, seven years as a senior policy adviser to state environment ministers – and 11 years as deputy chief of staff to former premiers Peter Beattie and Anna Bligh – have given him an extensive network of powerful contacts.
He has the ear of several ministers including Deputy Premier Jackie Trad.
78 - JODY ALLEN, MUMPRENEUR
Never underestimate the power of the stay-at-home mum.
With two kids under two and having just been made redundant, Jody went in search of advice online about how she could feed her family for $50 a week – and ended up creating a multimillion-dollar empire.
She offers advice on family budgets, parenting, children’s health, online shopping and IVF and mums all around the world are lapping it up.
Her website Stay At Home Mum has one million unique users every month. She has more than 500,000 followers on social media and has shot a pilot with Channel 7 to turn her website into a TV show.
She has written three books and her How to Live on $50 a Week became a bestseller.
77 - DAME QUENTIN BRYCE, FORMER GOVERNOR-GENERAL
One of the most respected people in the country, Dame Quentin has been a leader and a voice for women, human rights and a range of social justice issues throughout a career spanning half a century.
In 2003, she was appointed Queensland governor, and was governor-general of Australia from 2008-2014 – the first woman to hold the position.
She gave high priority to indigenous matters and, unafraid of controversy, spoke out in support of same sex marriage and Australia becoming a republic while holding the role of the Queen’s vice-regal representative.
Dame Quentin chaired the taskforce which delivered the groundbreaking “Not Now, Not Ever” report into domestic violence in 2015, and has fulfilled a pledge to continue to raise the issues at every opportunity since.
76 - PAUL WHITE and WAYNE BENNETT
A joint entry, because of the current power struggle at the Brisbane Broncos. White’s aborted push to replace Bennett with Craig Bellamy forced the Broncos to back Bennett for next season, and gave the coach a new grip on power. Bennett wants to continue on beyond 2020. Whoever wins that duel wins the balance of power at the Broncos.
Brisbane Broncos chief executive Paul White is one of Australia’s most versatile administrators. Mastercoach Bennett, one of the greatest NRL mentors with seven premierships, needs no introduction. He has immense gravitas at the Broncos and is in charge of a team gunning for the 2018 finals.
White has gone from no-nonsense bush policeman and Mt Isa detective, to mining executive and Broncos boss. He has deployed his rare skill-set to help turn Queensland’s flagship sporting team into the NRL’s financial powerhouse.
Since being appointed Broncos CEO seven years ago, White has driven a culture that has seen the club break records for revenue, membership, sponsorship and attendance.
A respected former footballer with Central Queensland, White’s mantra is giving life a “red hot crack” and last November he was nominated for Queensland’s Australian of the Year for his administrative achievements and services to the community.
In his official nomination, he was lauded as an “unstoppable force”. In June 2015 White was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumour, but took his battle head-on and continued in his role as Broncos CEO.
He played a key role in the construction of the Broncos’ new, state-of-the-art $27 million training facility at Red Hill and now has his sights set on the Broncos’ seventh premiership and first in 12 years.
75 - SANDRA HARDING, EDUCATOR
Vice-Chancellor and President of James Cook University in Townsville, Sandra Harding’s influence as a strategic thinker extends throughout north Queensland and beyond.
A prolific and highly-valued contributor to education policy, she is also a leader in development of the world’s tropical zones, which will be home to two-thirds of the world’s children by 2050.
Closer to home, she is involved in developing a blueprint for the economic development of northern Australia.
Prof Harding is on the board of both Townsville Enterprise and Advance Cairns, and only recently stepped down as a director of the North Queensland Cowboys rugby league club.
She recently led the development of a masterplan for JCU’s Townsville campus, which will see $1.9 billion invested over the next two decades, and is also responsible for the university Cairns and Singapore campuses.
74 - CHRIS MOUNTFORD, PROPERTY LEADER
As Queensland executive director of the Property Council, Chris Mountford is the voice of the state’s biggest industry which employs more than 330,000 people and contributes more than $40 billion to the economy annually as well as $11 billion in tax.
Those sorts of numbers open doors. Mr Mountford has a key role in policy and government advocacy and never hesitates to present his views strongly.
He has a background with the Civil Contractors Federation and Local Government Association of Queensland and has been a catalyst in bringing together peak bodies from sectors as diverse as agriculture, mining and tourism to co-operate on policy development and combined lobbying.
Mr Mountford is among the strongest proponents of the “City Deals’’ approach in bringing together federal, state and local governments in committed partnerships to unlock funding for city-building infrastructure.
73 - TOM TATE, GOLD COAST MAYOR
Having his city host the Commonwealth Games gave Tom Tate his moment in the sun, but there are dark clouds hovering.
It has been a tumultuous time as he recently returned to full duties after helping nurse his wife, Ruth, to health after a heart attack and then battled bowel cancer, only to find himself at the centre of a Crime and Corruption Commission probe.
The multi-millionaire’s grip on power in Australia’s sixth largest city looked unassailable. He was re-elected with almost two-thirds of first preferences in 2016.
He has since suffered a series of setbacks, with hopes of a cruise ship terminal and a $3 billion proposal for a casino-resort precinct scuppered by a State Government decision to restrict development on the Southport Spit to low-rise.
72 - MICK FANNING, SURFER
He may have retired from the World Surf League championship tour earlier this year but Gold Coaster Mick Fanning remains Australia’s most iconic and influential surfer.
The triple world champion is a multi-millionaire businessman with interests including Currumbin’s Balter Brewery, which he co-owns with fellow surf stars Joel Parkinson, Bede Durbidge and Josh Kerr. His real estate holdings include a beachfront mansion on the southern Gold Coast as well as investment properties.
Despite his retirement, Fanning still has sponsors such as Mercedes-Benz, Rip Curl and Red Bull and more than two million social media followers. His infamous encounter with a great white shark at Jeffrey’s Bay in 2015 and “good bloke” persona helped cement his place in the pantheon of Aussie sporting legends.
71 - JAMES TUMA, CITY SHAPER
IF YOU are curious about what the cities of the future will look like, ask James Tuma.
The national director of urban design firm Urbis, is a visionary city-shaper.
He played a key role in the Brisbane City Centre masterplan and heads the team which put together the urban renewal strategy for the $3 billion Queen’s Wharf entertainment, hotels, dining and retail precinct which will transform the heart of the city.
His work on “buildings that breathe” showcasing Brisbane’s subtropical climate with vertical and rooftop gardens, and the “river’s edge” strategy will influence much of the city’s future development.
Other Urbis work includes the new masterplan for the University of Queensland’s St Lucia campus, the RNA Showgrounds and Brisbane Racing Club redevelopments, and Herston Quarter medical precinct, as well as the Aura community for 50,000 people on the Sunshine Coast and the northern city centre at Springfield.
Tomorrow: Queensland’s Power 100 - list 70-56
Who makes your Queensland most powerful list? COMMENT BELOW
Top Qld uni falls to eight-year low in global rankings
One of Queensland’s top universities has taken a major slide down the global rankings, while none of our other institutions made the top 200.
‘My dad’s friend is one of my OnlyFans subscribers’
After an odd encounter at a family gathering, an Aussie OnlyFans creator made the shock discovery that one of her dad’s longtime friends was one of her subscribers.