Sunshine Coast Daily reveals the top 10 most powerful people in the region for 2021

The Sunshine Coast Daily is counting down the region’s top 50 most powerful people. This is the final countdown from 10 to one.

The Sunshine Coast’s most powerful people have maintained successful businesses, driven major projects and supported worthy causes during a pandemic year.

The Daily has compiled a list of the Sunshine Coast’s 50 most powerful people.

Here are the top 10, but for the full list visit the Sunshine Coast Daily’s website.

Peter Folker and Andrew Stevens, right, of Project Urban at the Sunshine Coast Design Forum, Design Shaping Our Future, at Venue 114, Bokarina.

10. Andrew Stevens

Anyone trying to get a development approved on the Sunshine Coast would have heard of or even worked with Project Urban.

Mr Stevens is managing director of the prominent development consultancy firm.

Despite Covid-19 hitting businesses and the economy development applications lodged with Sunshine Coast Council appeared to not slow down.

With the region expected to go through unprecedented growth in coming years, Project Urban’s work will only become more important.

Mr Stevens is also the former president of the Urban Development Institute of Australia Sunshine Coast branch, a foundation member at University of the Sunshine Coast and had been a member of the board of Matthew Flinders Anglican College, Flinders Rugby Club and a former director of the Sunshine Coast Grammar School.

(L-R) Robert Irwin, Terri Irwin, Bindi Irwin with Baby Grace, and Chandler Powell.

9. The Irwins

If the Prime Minister is going to answer anyone’s call from the Sunshine Coast, it would likely be from the Irwin’s.

Terri and children Bindi and Robert Irwin continue to make headlines internationally for their work at Australia Zoo and in wildlife conservation.

Bindi, 23, reached a new life milestone this year, with the arrival of hers and husband Chandler Powell’s first child, Grace. 

But the Daily is confident it’s Robert who is starting to gain momentum through his wildlife photography and social media presence.

Andrew Eves-Brown, left, and Paul Martins. Picture: Warren Lynam

8. Andrew Eves-Brown:

Andrew Eves-Brown has taken on a crucial Sunshine Coast Council role at a time the region is planning for a population boom of 170,000 people over two decades.

He was appointed head of economic development last year, taking over from Paul Martins who departed for a new role at Moreton Bay Regional Council.

Mr Eves-Brown was no stranger to Coast business, having served as chief operating officer at Gourmet Garden and chief executive officer of Coyo Australia before shifting into council.

Noosa Mayor Clare Stewart.

7. Clare Stewart:

Her first 12 months as a local council mayor has not been as picture perfect as the shire she oversees but Clare Stewart has taken it all in her stride.

Ms Stewart topped incumbent Noosa Council Mayor Tony Wellington at the 2020 March election and became the region’s first female leader.

A former barrister-at-law and small business owner, Ms Stewart’s start to her local government career has been tumultuous, with the tourism-reliant region hit hard by the pandemic.

Ms Stewart is becoming a strong voice in the chamber for housing affordability and accessibility.

She also has not been afraid to take on the short stay accommodation industry by backing a new rates categories and policies for holiday homes and units.

6. Scott Whitaker:

The state government is spending hundreds of millions of dollars on road upgrades across the Sunshine Coast and many of those projects are overseen by Scott Whitaker.

The Transport and Main Roads North Coast regional director plays a key role in prioritising the region’s large number of upgrades including to the Sunshine Motorway and Bruce Highway.

Mr Whitaker previously worked as district director for Wide Bay/Burnett and as a program manager at MJM Developments.

The department is also investigating potential upgrades that could bust congestion at the Buderim-Mooloolaba interchange of the Sunshine Motorway.

5. Dirk Long

The man whose company redeveloped The Wharf at Mooloolaba is now doing big things at the Maroochydore City Centre.

Mr Long, who owns Evans Long with his mate Matthew Evans, last year opened the new city centre’s first commercial building, aptly named Foundation Place.

The fully-tenanted $30m office building features two Tony Kelly-owned restaurants, Giddy Geisha and Market Bistro.

Construction is expected to start soon on his second CBD building, named A1, which will have “ultra modern” offices and a cafe and restaurant precinct.

The $18.8m development is expected to offer everything you’d expect in an inner-city complex.

Supplied Editorial Photos Sunshine Coast Daily

4. Craig Hawkins

From hotel quarantine to border restrictions and policing incoming and outgoing flights, Craig Hawkins has overseen the Sunshine Coast Police during a period like no other.

The superintendent of Sunshine Coast Police was tasked with keeping the community safe throughout the pandemic, as well as the usual roles that come with the top job.

Supt Hawkins moved from Wide Bay-Burnett in 2020 to replace the former head of police Darryl Johnson.

He was heavily involved in the police response to outlaw motorcycle gangs in the early-mid 2000s and was involved in the establishment of a number of key task forces, including Task force Maxima.

Sunshine Coast Council Mayor Mark Jamieson

3. Mark Jamieson

Sunshine Coast Council Mayor Mark Jamieson has been a staunch advocate for state and federal funding for the region as well as the 2032 South East Queensland Olympics bid.

Mr Jamieson was involved in discussions in 2015 for the regional Olympics bid when it was an ambitious goal among the 11 southeast Queensland mayors.

Securing the 2032 Olympics was seen as a way to unlock unprecedented infrastructure funding needed for the extra two million people predicted to live in the southeast corner by 2041.

However Mr Jamieson’s prominence in the council chamber has shifted since the March 2020 elections.

This become apparent in several key votes including the controversial mass transit plan.

Mr Jamieson was one of three in a minority of councillors who voted against delaying the major public transport plan to allow for more public feedback.

Because of that vote the council released the full options analysis document for public comment – a six-month process that comes at a cost of about $300,000.

2. Emma Thomas

Experienced businesswoman Emma Thomas was appointed as Sunshine Coast Council’s chief executive on a $485,000 a year contract in November 2020 to replace Michael Whittaker.

Ms Thomas previously worked for Queensland Department of Transport and Main Roads, and as the director-general of Transport Canberra – where she helped deliver light rail – and was a partner in PwC‘s infrastructure and urban renewal team.

She is expected to make some big decisions in respect to the Sunshine Coast’s public transport.

Ms Thomas also took on the major role at an important time for the region as the council starts work on a new planning scheme to guide future development.

1. Lang Walker

Powerhouse property tycoon Lang Walker’s influence on the Sunshine Coast reached a whole new level when Walker Corporation was handed exclusive development rights at Maroochydore CBD in November, 2020.

The director and executive chairman of Walker Corporation will oversee the development over 20 years which was expected to bring $2.6b in investment.

The development agreement gives Mr Walker’s firm a unique opportunity to build a future-proof CBD largely from scratch but consistent with council’s city centre vision.

Mr Walker, AO, is also among a growing list of powerful people pushing to ensure heavy rail is connected to Maroochydore.