The top 10 most powerful people in the Sunshine Coast, Noosa in 2022

The region’s movers and shakers of 2022 have been narrowed down to deliver you the Sunshine Coast and Noosa’s 50 most powerful people of the year. See 10-1 of the list here.

POWER 50: 10-1 of the Sunshine Coast and Noosa's most influential people revealed.

The 10 most powerful and influential people on the Sunshine Coast and Noosa of 2022 can now be revealed.

We’ve been counting down the top 50 all week and can now present the top 10, but spoiler alert, our number one isn’t a local!

This year, our two mayors and two state MPs aside, we’ve tried to avoid including politicians in the list in a bid to cast the net wider, but we acknowledge the efforts and influence wielded by all of our federal, state and local representatives.

Power List: 20-11 of Sunshine Coast, Noosa’s most influential of 2022 revealed

Stay tuned for our Power Sport list, which will be revealed on Saturday, December 3, shining a light on the heavy hitters on and off the field in 2022.

Here’s 10-1 of the Sunshine Coast Daily’s Power 50 for 2022:

Noosa Shire Council mayor Clare Stewart.

10. Clare Stewart:

Clare Stewart says it has been a “huge privilege” to be the first female mayor for Noosa Shire Council after being elected in April, 2020, a role she describes as being a mix of hard work and satisfaction.

“It’s all about being present for our community,” she said.

Ms Stewart was elevated onto the Brisbane 2032 board of directors in mid-2022, selected by the South East Queensland Council of Mayors to represent the body on the organising committee for the Games.

After more than two years as mayor, the Noosa resident and mum of three said some of her key achievements had been working on disaster management, a housing strategy, and against domestic violence.

In October, the Local Government Association of Queensland recognised Mrs Stewart for her work raising awareness of domestic and family violence across Noosa Shire.

Earlier this month, Mrs Stewart said she was also proud to become the first patron for local not-for-profit organisation Youturn, tasked with helping to address homelessness and mental health issues in the area.

Next year, Mrs Stewart said she was focused on investing in Noosa’s hinterland, sports community, and working on transport and congestion.

Mrs Stewart was born in Brisbane before marrying long-term Noosa resident Cam Stewart in June 2010, and moving to the tourist town.

As if her list of achievements wasn’t long enough, the talented woman was also an author, board director of national charity Youngcare, and founder and chief executive of Dear Molly, an online platform designed to inspire and connect women around the world.

Partners Matt Hepburn and Christen McGarry of Your Mates Brewery.

9. Christen McGarry and 8. Matt Hepburn:

It feels like you can’t escape the Your Mates guys in 2022.

Everywhere you turned they were kicking another goal as the business surged post-pandemic.

A major expansion has enabled them to increase production sixfold, while a crowd-funding project had also been launched.

Their production had already scaled up from 50,000 litres a year to 750,000, but demand was high for more and the boys had expansion plans in mind with more venues on the horizon.

Your Mates Brewing co-founder Matt Hepburn told the Sunshine Coast Daily said fulfilling his and Christen McGarry’s joint dream of owning a brewery was their biggest achievement of the year.

“I think it’s every young bloke’s dream to own their own brewery and we’ve achieved that, our expansion that has happened over the last couple of months has definitely blown our dreams and expectations out of the water,” Mr Hepburn.

“It’s been plenty of blood sweat and tears throughout the years … looking back to when we were in Moffat Beach in our garage it’s very surreal.”

The new brewery, that had been almost 10 years in the making, will be launched officially on December 10, 2022.

Mr Hepburn, 32, said the $11.5m project could boost production from 800,000 to 4-5 million litres of beer each year.

He said he longed to open a new production facility and was “super fortunate” to land an initial nine-year lease at 43 Technology Drive.

The co-owner said the restrictive period was difficult through Covid-19, but felt a sense of positivity in the air after a tough year.

“What we’re really trying to do now is celebrate the wins together and with our community and continue to embrace what we’ve created and really try to enjoy it,” Mr Hepburn said.

“I’m really proud of the culture we’ve created, we’re not just talking about the dream we’re actually going out there and living it, being a part of our community and being real.

“We’re drinking good beers with good mates and having a good time, that’s our motto and that’s what we live by.”

Instagram image of Robert Irwin with an Echidna.

7. Robert Irwin:

From feeding crocodiles in front of cheering crowds to appearing on American late night shows, Robert Irwin, 18, has quickly become a global conservation celebrity while growing up at his home in Australia Zoo.

The zookeeper and wildlife enthusiast has become the spitting image of his dad, Steve Irwin, the legendary and famous crocodile hunter who tragically passed away following a stingray attack in late 2006.

While he had big boots to fill as Steve Irwin’s son, he has been well up to the challenge.

The young man, under the wing of mum Terri Irwin and sister Bindi, has played a lead role at Australia Zoo, educating and entertaining crowds at its Wildlife Warriors Show in the Crocoseum, and taking part in annual crocodile research trips to Steve Irwin Wildlife Reserve.

But while it was in his blood to be involved in nature, Mr Irwin, who has 3.6 million followers on Instagram, has also become a hit outside of his zoo.

Telling detail in Robert Irwin’s birthday photo

The young man, often seen as the “baby” in the Irwin family, has revealed his modelling potential after featuring on the front cover of Australia’s Stellar Magazine this year.

His photo shoot was a hit, but Mr Irwin was normally on the other side of the camera, being a keen and gifted photographer himself.

In fact, he unveiled his first photography book, Robert Irwin’s Australia, in October.

“It’s a proud moment for me and a passion project that has been years in the making,” he said on his Instagram.

Michael and Kerri-Lyn Stewart.

6. Kerri-Lyn Stewart and 5. Michael Stewart:

Sunshine Coast parents Michael and Kerri-Lyn Stewart are living every parent’s worst nightmare, after their 16-year-old son, Balin Stewart, was allegedly stabbed in the chest and bled to death outside his Buddina home on January 20, 2022.

A 17-year-old boy was later charged with Balin’s murder, but in the wake of his death, Mr and Mrs Stewart started the Balin Stewart Foundation and kickstarted the campaign Bin the Blade for Balin in the hopes of ensuring no other parent has to live their same experience.

Their message is clear – keep your children safe and keep them away from knives.

Mr Stewart said his role in the foundation consisted of attending different schools to share the confronting truth about youth knife crime, while Mrs Stewart is at the helm of organising the events in support of the foundation’s cause.

“I make (the presentations) … fairly hard hitting to get the point across,” Mr Stewart said.

“If someone else had given that style of talk that I’m giving to (Balin’s) school or the person that committed the crime, there’s a good chance they might not have carried a knife in the first place. If the knife wasn’t present, there was no harm.”

Mrs Stewart said in a perfect world, she and Mr Stewart would be continuing their cause with Balin by their side.

She said more needed to be done about youth knife crime, and the progress they’d achieved through their efforts were “just the tip of the iceberg”.

“It’s a growing epidemic … the government needs to get behind it a bit more for education, just to create a bit more awareness,” she said.

She and Mr Stewart agreed their proudest achievement was the concert the held at NightQuarter in Balin’s honour for what would have been his 17th birthday.

“It was just to have a party for him and to get the awareness out,” she said.

Mayor Mark Jamieson.

4. Mark Jamieson:

Sunshine Coast Mayor Mark Jamieson’s tenure since his election in 2012 has culminated in not only the growth of the region but a push to future proof the council area for its inevitable population growth in the next half century.

Originally taking the top job during the global financial crisis, Mr Jamieson was able to harness the Sunshine Coast’s economic potential which has led to significant growth in the region.

But that growth hasn’t come without critics and the mayor has become a polarising figure in the region.

It’s yet to be seen whether his involvement in the 2032 Olympics and Paralympics bid to secure infrastructure needed for the growing region will pay off, or in what shape the infrastructure will be delivered.

Among his other notable achievements included was the council’s push to raise Sunshine Coast average household incomes above the state’s average, the development of the Maroochydore CBD and the expansion of the Sunshine Coast Airport.

The council secured a UNESCO Biosphere classification this year and delivered its first significant public facilities along the Mooloolaba foreshore as part of regeneration works.

Lang Walker, chief executive of Walker Corporation. Picture: Toby Zerna

3. Lang Walker:

Powerhouse property icon Lang Walker has continued his influence across the Sunshine Coast through his help in the masterplan for Maroochydore’s CBD development.

The Walker Corporation director and executive chairman along with Sunshine Coast Council and SunCentral Maroochydore were working to deliver the future proofing of Maroochydore’s CBD, with the 53ha project estimated to be worth $2.5bn.

This urban transformation will include commercial and retail space along with residential apartments, encompassing everything from hotels, conference facilities and CBD living.

Mr Walker began his eponymous company with his father in 1964 as a civil engineering and quarrying business, with the business expanding over nearly 60 years from residential housing lots to grand developments.

Almost 15 years ago the development icon saw the potential of Maroochydore when it was a golf course.

Fast forward to 2022 the project has begun to take shape, with Mr Walker being one of several powerful voices pushing for the establishment of the heavy rail to Maroochydore to facilitate the Sunshine Coast’s growth.

Robert Comiskey.

2. Rob Comiskey:

Director and co-founder of Comiskey Group, Rob Comiskey is a force to be reckoned with in the construction and hospitality industry, as one of the names behind the Sunshine Coast and Brisbane’s biggest hospitality attractions.

With developments such as the Sandstone Point Hotel and Eaton’s Hill Hotel already under their belt, and upcoming developments such as the highly anticipated Aura Hotel in Caloundra, Mr Comiskey is at the helm of one of the biggest entertainment and construction companies in the state and its reach is spreading rapidly across the Coast.

“My Mum and Dad were always entrepreneurs … I probably came with the right genes, I suppose, that’s one way to look at it,” he said.

A major pub project is on the way in Doonan and Mr Comiskey is in the middle of a council process to try and deliver on his Coochin Fields music festival vision, with camping and glamping sites also pitched.

He credited his family with instilling the “entrepreneurial spirit of “have a go” through the years of his parents owning and operating various businesses.

But Mr Comiskey would soon follow in his parents’ footsteps, after studying architecture and getting into the hospitality development business.

Then, in 2004, after approximately a decade in the business, Mr Comiskey joined his brother, David, and their father, Paul, at the helm of Comiskey Group.

Now, in 2022, with several big developments already attached to his name and several more in the pipeline, Mr Comiskey shows no signs of slowing down.

“We have just under 500 employees … but in the next few years, we’ll probably double our workforce and have one thousand employees,” he said.

He said the highlight of 2022 was seeing the Sunshine Coast branch of the business grow, and he was excited to see the highly anticipated Aura Hotel come together in 2023.

Queensland Transport Minister Mark Bailey. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Dan Peled

1. Mark Bailey:

He may not be a local, but Transport and Main Roads Minister Mark Bailey has the power to affect every life in the region, both now and into the future, in significant ways.

Desperately needed rail infrastructure, including heavy rail upgrades through to Nambour, a passenger rail line into Maroochydore and supporting transit systems have the potential to transform life for residents of the region.

A reliable 45-minute to an hour trip to Brisbane by train would be the most significant piece of transport progress the region could take and provide a real alternative to Bruce Highway travel.

And Mr Bailey has the power to bring the vision to life.

The community has made its views on a light rail along the beachfront known – a Brisbane Metro-style system or ‘green bus’ system supporting the heavy rail line from Maroochydore appears more palatable than a fixed-line service along some of the region’s best beachfront.

Proper cycling infrastructure, the Mooloolah River Interchange and ongoing road network improvements will all be required to service what is a rapidly growing region, including major upgrades to the Sunshine Motorway north of the Maroochy River.

If the state government is serious about this region, now is the best chance to back it, as the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2032 loom ever larger.

This region is watching very closely what moves the decision makers in George St and their powerbrokers are making.

Mr Bailey said on the Sunshine Coast, Labor was delivering infrastructure totalling more than $3.1bn in projects in this budget alone.

“From expanding the Bruce Highway, building the Bells Creek Arterial new corridor, upgrading interchanges and duplicating the rail line between Beerburrum and Beerwah, an army of high-vis is out on the ground delivering new projects, both road and rail,” he said.

The Minister said the infrastructure was “all the more important” as the state prepared for population growth and the Brisbane Olympics and Paralympics.

“Proper planning is at the heart of success and that’s why we’re doing the necessary planning for a direct rail extension to the Sunshine Coast from Beerwah, mass transit, future Bruce Highway upgrades and more to deliver what this growing region needs,” the Minister said.

“We want to invest in the right new projects and get it right the first time while bringing local residents with us to make sure we deliver the best outcomes possible.”

He said it was a big job.

“But we’ve made great progress already with record Sunshine Coast investments and I’m up for the challenge ahead,” Mr Bailey said.

Stay tuned and vote in our People’s Choice poll on Saturday, December 3.