The top 20-11 most powerful people in the Sunshine Coast, Noosa, 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 20-11 of the list here.
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The region’s most powerful and influential movers and shakers have been compiled for the past year, in what was another testing 12 months in many ways.
From major housing projects to the region’s largest education institution, these people have risen above the challenges and cemented themselves among the heavy-hitters on the Coast this year.
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: 30-21 of Sunshine Coast, Noosa’s most influential of 2022 revealed
We’ll roll out 10 a day, with the top 10 to be revealed on Friday, December 2, while our Power Sport list will be revealed on Saturday, shining a light on the heavy hitters on and off the field in 2022.
Here’s 20-11 of the Sunshine Coast Daily’s Power 50 for 2022:
20. Andrew Eves-Brown:
Sunshine Coast Council’s head of economic development Andy Eves-Brown was appointed to the role in 2020, taking over from Paul Martins who departed for a new role at Moreton Bay Regional Council.
Mr Eves-Brown previously served as chief operating officer at Gourmet Garden and chief executive officer of Coyo Australia before making the move to council.
In recent months discussions have been under way within the council, with talks of a significant global services company eyeing off a Sunshine Coast expansion.
The firm, which employs more than 100,000 people over 30 countries, has applied to the council under its investment incentive scheme and if it comes to fruition could be a major coup for Mr Eves-Brown.
19. Craig Hawkins:
The Sunshine Coast’s top cop was appointed during the pandemic and has gone from strength to strength ever since.
Superintendent and District Officer Craig Hawkins moved to the Coast from the Wide Bay-Burnett region and steered the area through the Covid-19 crisis.
Since cases have slowed, the region’s top cop has looked to keep the region safe, recently spearheading operations this year to save lives during Road Safety Week.
In his earlier years 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.
18. Travis Schultz:
As one of the state’s highest-rated compensation lawyers as well as a board member on major charities and organisations, solicitor Travis Schultz holds considerable influence on the Sunshine Coast.
The public liability lawyer has made a name for himself through his successful practices and multiple legal accolades, expanding his eponymous firm Travis Schultz and Partners to Brisbane and Cairns and recently winning the Sunshine Coast 2022 Business of the Year.
Mr Schultz is also entrenched in his community and is a board member for the LifeFlight Foundation and has raised money for Wishlist, Sunshine Coast Health Services, and SunnyKids.
17. Andrew Brodie:
Sunshine Coast airport boss Andrew Brodie weathered the storm of the pandemic, pushed for air travel to be revived through international flights and has landed a new domestic airline partnership.
Mr Brodie ascended to the role in February 2019, with the chief Executive faced with the tough task of lobbying those in power to ensure the longevity of the Sunshine Coast asset.
Since the pandemic flights have begun to take the air again, with a large influx of travellers and millions of tourist expenditure expected to hit the Sunshine Coast through the airport’s partnership with the new domestic airline Bonza.
16. Tony Kelly:
Tony Kelly is the owner of nine of the most popular eateries on the Sunshine Coast, including Rice Boi, Market Bistro and Giddy Geisha.
Mr Kelly said the food and beverage scene from Caloundra through to Noosa was experiencing an exciting period where new restaurants were opening and old favourites were thriving.
“It feels like the Sunshine Coast has grown up … there’s a lot of well educated, well travelled people that live here now and their expectations are good food, good service and nice wine and drinks,” Mr Kelly said.
His latest offering, Bocca Italian, at Bokarina Beach, has opened to much fanfare in the beachside precinct.
“We’ve always tried to target the locals as our bread and butter, they’re what makes our restaurants successful, the tourists put a bit of a cherry on top,” he said.
“I think it’s just all this Covid nonsense that has certainly highlighted what a great place we have here.”
15. Sonia Martin:
Nambour resident and registered nurse Sonia Martin co-founded her unique healthcare service, Sunny Street, from the boot of her car in 2018 and has never been more relevant than right now as a housing crisis grips the Sunshine Coast.
Sunny Street was designed to support those experiencing homelessness and vulnerability.
Ms Martin’s 35-staff business, which started with her then business partner Dr Nova Evans, now has a clinic in Maroochydore, services South East Queensland, and has had 35,000 consultations so far.
“I’m pretty bloody driven,” she said.
Ms Martin said one of her biggest achievements this year was being awarded a Churchill Fellowship by Winston Churchill Memorial Trust of Australia to travel to six countries next year, learning about healthcare along the way.
“It will be profound,” she said.
For Sunny Street next year, Ms Martin said she wanted to strengthen its foundations, expand its team and work on rolling out nationally.
14. Don O’Rorke:
Consolidated Properties Group chairman Don O’Rorke said the developer had invested in the Sunshine Coast “for 40 years” and had completed projects from Caloundra to Noosa and in hinterland regions.
“We’re still looking for opportunities,” he said.
“We have a large holding in Coolum Beach, which we’re exploring opportunities for.”
Consolidated Properties Group has a current $2.3b development pipeline, but all eyes in the region are on the Coolum flood plain he has currently earmarked for a World Surf League wavepark project.
13. Emma Thomas:
Sunshine Coast Council CEO Emma Thomas has been in her position for two years, but in that time has cemented herself as a powerful political figure.
Ms Thomas took on her new role at a crucial time for the Sunshine Coast region, as the council navigates a new planning scheme for future developments and the region experiences monumental growth.
In 2022, Ms Thomas took part in the inaugural CEO Wheelie Challenge, where she spent one day living life in a wheelchair to raise funds for the Sporting Wheelies and Disabled Association.
12. Melva Hobson:
The Organisation Sunshine Coast Association of Residents president Melva Hobson is most proud of how the community group “brings people together” and forms a consensus on how it will tackle issues across the Sunshine Coast.
“People are willing to share their time and skills,” Ms Hobson said.
OSCAR played a key role in several big wins for the community this year, including at Twin Waters West and Sekisui House’s proposed site in Yaroomba, supporting the key work undertaken by Development Watch on the Yaroomba proposal.
In her working life, the “young 76-year-old” took advantage of her love of geography.
She was a high school geography teacher for about 30 years before holding positions with the Department of Primary Industries and the Department of Natural Resources.
She said even when she was the Redland City Council mayor, from 2008 to 2012, having geography skills came in handy.
Upon retirement, she turned her focus to her grandchildren and OSCAR, which keeps a close eye on the Noosa and Sunshine Coast councils’ development decisions and planning scheme amendments.
She said the diversity and experience in OSCAR was vast.
“Retirement doesn’t mean not doing anything,” Ms Hobson said.
She said other OSCAR members included a retired town clerk, a deputy director general and a federal policy officer.
“Plus we have members who understand trade work and who understand operational matters,” Ms Hobson said.
“The wealth of life experience the community has is incredible and I remind organisations with whom we interact of that fact.”
Her other great love is her grandchildren and “not even OSCAR” stops her from regularly picking them up from school and looking after them.
“When they are 20 years old, I hope they remember me,” Ms Hobson said.
11. Clayton Williams:
Prominent publican Clayton Williams is one of the most influential hospitality industry figures in the region.
His stable includes the Duporth Tavern, the Commercial Hotel at Nambour, Four Pines at Mooloolaba, the Rolling Surf at Kings Beach and Four Pines at Noosa.
Mr Williams told the Sunshine Coast Daily that 2022 had been a challenge with the rebound of the hospitality industry after Covid-19 and it was now so important to support local businesses.
“We had staff shortages but with the borders opening back up we’re hoping it will be game back on,” Mr Williams said.
“I think the growth of the Sunshine Coast has been positive and seeing the tourists come back.”
Mr Williams is also a major investor in The Sports Hub Sunshine Coast facility at Lake Kawana, which he said was “charging on”.
The businessman has also helped build the Brothers Rugby Club out of Bokarina, having spent a decade establishing the organisation.
“We support a lot of sporting organisations, giving back is a big part of what we do,” he said.
Mr Williams said he was excited to see the Broncos coming next year for a week and the activity at the Sunshine Coast Stadium increasing.
“I’m looking forward to the continued growth of the Coast and it’s growing multiculturalism,” he said.
Stay tuned as we roll out 10 more of the list each day, with the top 10 to be revealed on Friday, December 2.
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