Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary wins Gold Coast Business Excellence Award

Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary has taken out an award for Gold Coast Business Excellence, Alceon Group grows its Glitter Strip influence and more Gold Coast business snippets

Currumbin Sanctuary staff member Brendan Mulhall with Big Bird the Macaw, one of the feathered stars of the Wild Skies Free Flight Bird Show at Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary.

THE much-loved Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary has been honoured with another award.

The sanctuary, which attracts 570,000 visitors a year, was named the August winner of the Tourism, Hospitality and Events Award at the Gold Coast Business Excellence Awards

ceremony held at Bond University.

Awards president Ian Cousins said the Sanctuary also played an important role in the Gold Coast caring for injured wildlife.

The organisation annually admits more than 11,500 animals to its wildlife hospital, including

more than 500 koalas. Run by the National Trust, the Sanctuary is also involved in 16 conservation projects and six major research projects.

Mr Cousins said Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary was an icon in the city’s tourism industry and more than half of the 570,000 annual visitors were international tourists.

The winners of the other categories were:

● The Mayor’s Innovation GC Award: Cloud Assess

● The Student Employability Award: Gold Coast Hospital and Health Service

● The Family Business Award: Plant Doctor

● The Health and Wellbeing Award: Paradise First Aid

● The Professions and Business Services Award: Place Design Group

● Retail, Wholesale and Distribution Award: Totally Workwear Gold Coast

● The Construction and Trades Award: Pensar Utilities

● The Manufacturing Award: Mass Products

● The IT and Digital Business Award: ThoughtWare

● The Emerging Business Award: Armourcon

The awards, now in their 24th year, aim to foster pride in the city’s business community and highlight its important as a business hub. Some of the city’s best-known companies can claim to have been winners.

Monthly winners in each category then vie for the annual awards, including the coveted Gold Coast Business of the Year, to be awarded at a gala event in November.

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Imogen Newman, 5, from Highland Park meets the Gruffalo at Currumbin Sanctuary. Pic: Adam Head

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IS it just us or is Alceon Group spreading its influence more and more on the Glitter Strip?

In 2018 creditors to SurfStitch agreed to the investment group acquiring the Gold Coast e-tailer after a disastrous few years on the stock market.

Earlier this year the group decided buy a vacant site once slated for Gold Coast City Council’s ill-fated “Taj Mahal” headquarters at Robina.

Stage one of the Acuity Business Park is now under way and brings the first significant office development in years to the Gold Coast.

After enthusing over the prospects for SurfStitch, Alceon director Richard Facioni turned his attention to Lego, announcing the group had acquired the rights to open a string of stores in Australia.

One of these stores will be located at Robina Town Centre. Shopping centres, struggling with dire retail spending, have welcomed the idea of introducing the concept.

Which brings to mind, what next for Alceon on the Gold Coast?

We’re not sure but we can say its love affair with the Glitter Strip is far from over.

Alceon Group has announced it will open two new Lego stores in Queensland, including one at Robina Town Centre

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TWO Gold Coast businesses have produced Australia’s best calendar.

Fast Proof Press and Art-Work Agency will now be able to showcase their innovative print work at parliament after winning Gold at the 36th Media Super National Print Awards.

The awards were held earlier this month at Sydney’s Waterview in Bicentennial Park.

“The award coincides with FPP’s 40th year in business, and is testament to the hard work of our staff and our company’s culture of innovation,” Fast Proof Press owner Daniel Whitton said.

“The awards were judged by an international panel, for the first time in their history. This means that the work we are producing out of the Gold Coast is recognised internationally — it’s a significant achievement to have received this accolade.”

Fast Proof Press and Art-Work Agency will now go on to showcase their winning entry at Print to parliament, an exhibition taking place in Canberra in October.

Established in 1984, The Media Super National Print Awards are the premier print awards in Australia and recognise industry excellence.