Regional Supporters

Founded in 1977 as Cairns Earthmoving Contractors, the CEC Group is celebrating a 30 year history that has seen it grow from a small civil construction business to a sophisticated, vertically integrated public company. The CEC Group has played a major role in many iconic infrastructure projects throughout North Queensland.

The CEC Group of today has three core business units – construction, property development and waste management. Supporting each of these units are a host of complimentary businesses supplying products and services including raw materials, machinery and truck maintenance, building services and bitumen and asphalt spraying to mention a few.

As well as being Queensland's regional electricity supplier, Ergon Energy has extensive experience in remote power generation and renewable energy systems. Ergon Energy designs, supplies, installs, and maintains all types of remote area power supply and grid connected photovoltaic systems.

James Cook University is Australia's leading tropical research university. It is a multi-campus university with its main sites based in Townsville and Cairns.

The Cairns campus is utilised by over 3,700 students, including 200 international students. JCU offers more than 170 Undergraduate and 140 Postgraduate courses spanning the full spectrum of academic disciplines.

JCU takes an active role in the community and makes significant contributions to the region. In a recent ranking of the world's top 500 universities, JCU was one of only 17 Australian universities listed (Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Academic Ranking of World Universities 2007).

GHD is an international professional services company and serves the global market sectors of Infrastructure, Mining & Industry, Defence, Property & Buildings and the Environment.

Central to GHD’s clients’ prosperity and GHD’s success are forward-thinking architects, engineers, drafters, planners, scientists, management consultants and economists. GHD embraces the values that have sustained the company since inception – Teamwork, Respect and Integrity.

GHD was established in 1928 and today, is ranked in the world’s top 30 engineering and architecture companies. GHD is committed to its clients and their stakeholders, being a responsible corporate citizen and improving the quality of life around the globe.

HS Vision Group is recognised Australia-wide and globally as a market leader and innovator in residential, tourism and commercial property development and management.

The Group currently boasts more than $1 billion of work in progress and the HS Vision stamp of excellence is already found in such diverse areas as acclaimed childcare centres, world class residential communities and state-of-the-art commercial buildings. Other interests include quarries, holiday resort management, restaurant and golf course management and redevelopment, and a real estate sales agency.

The common thread linking these diverse fields is the uncompromising integrity, professionalism, innovation and vision of the multi-award winning HS Vision Group team. This team is recognized as being constantly at the cutting edge and pushing the boundaries of concept, design and finish. The team’s commitment to service and support is second to none.

From inception the Directors of LHL have focused on innovative business concepts. Founded in 1995 as Local Home Loans, the Directors recognised the opportunity to introduce competition to a bank-dominated mortgage lending industry with outstanding success.

As a market leader in the Cairns region for 11 years, Local Home Loans quickly evolved into the LHL Group. Since the introduction of a strategic international partner, the company has diversified into areas such as Food & Beverages, Finance, Transport and Logistics, Funds Management and Property Development.

In 2006 the LHL group introduced LHL Realty Pty Ltd. The introduction of a Real Estate Division has successfully complimented the Investment and Lending Divisions to offer a one stop property shop.

The Telstra vision is to continue to focus on improving telecommunications and information technology services to its customers living and working in Far North Queensland.

The Telstra Country Wide team in Far North Queensland combines the expertise of Telstra with local knowledge and experience to secure a modern and reliable telecommunications infrastructure for the region's economic, social and cultural development.

BDO is a world wide network of public accounting firms and each independent BDO Member Firm serves local and international clients. BDO Kendalls offers a wide range of accounting and business advisory services to individuals, clients ranging from large corporates, to small and medium growth-focused organisations - representing a broad range of industry sectors, as well as government departments and the public sector.

BDO Kendalls provides the flexible personal characteristics of a local firm, together with the specific expertise, world wide network and strength of the large scale global players and demonstrates an understanding of client needs at the local level, regardless of the client type, size or industry.

MacDonnells Law is an independent full-service commercial law firm recognised as one of Queensland’s top 10 firms.

With offices in Brisbane, Cairns and Townsville, MacDonnells Law provides their clients with access to a connected State-wide network and the strength of resources and expertise across Queensland.

MacDonnells has a long history as a respected Queensland institution spanning more than 120 years. The professionals deliver innovative, yet practical solutions and develop strategies that work because of their knowledge of the Queensland business environment.

Pacific Toyota Group of Companies commenced operation in 1987. Since that time, the Group has expanded and grown to be amongst the "Top Ten" dealerships in Australia and one of the most respected.

It is the largest Toyota Dealership in North Queensland and features one of the most modern and best-equipped Parts and Service Divisions in the field. The Group is at the forefront in innovation, expenditure on new equipment and facilities has placed the operation amongst the most progressive in the country.

Pacific Toyota is an eleven times winner of the President's Award, the most prestigious of all Toyota Awards, which recognises excellence in customer satisfaction and overall performance. This, along with numerous other awards, sees the Dealership as one of the most successful in the Toyota family throughout Australia.

The Piccones family own and operate two successful IGA stores in Cairns and Edmonton, part of the Independent Grocers of Australia brand.

The family’s philosophy of giving back to the TNQ community is evident in their support of local charities, sporting and service clubs.

A reef tourism operator for over 26 years, Quicksilver commenced operations in 1979 with the first commercial cruise to picturesque Low Isles off the coast of Port Douglas. Today Quicksilver has grown to become North Queensland’s leading Great Barrier Reef cruise operator and a major private employer.

The philosophy of in-house services encompasses Quicksilver’s committed approach to quality and includes a Reef Biosearch environmental division, diving, catering and fleet maintenance divisions. The past 12 months have been significant in the continuing development of Quicksilver’s tourism activities. This includes the acquisition of Cairns-based reef operator, Great Adventures and Green Island Resort, and the introduction of the dive and snorkel specialty brand, Silver Series.

Quicksilver’s dedication to environmental management and sustainable marine tourism is evident in its Advanced Ecotourism accreditation and 15 year operational permit granted by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority.

The Sofitel Reef Hotel Casino Cairns is Tropical North Queensland's most prestigious hotel. The hotel’s many attractions such as its contemporary award winning dining, bars, nightclub and casino facilities are utilised by Cairns locals and tourists alike.

The hotel boasts 128 luxuriously appointed rooms and are unmistakably Tropical North Queensland in style, overlooking the city or Trinity Inlet. Other hotel facilities include a rooftop swimming pool, sauna and a gymnasium as well as a variety of conference and function rooms and a fully equipped business centre. The hotel is just a short walk from the Cairns Convention Centre and the popular Cairns Esplanade.

Savills is a leading global real estate service provider that takes a long term view of real estate and invests in strategic relationships, synonymous with a high quality service offering and a premium brand.

Savills Cairns provides a unique combination of local sector knowledge and entrepreneurial flair to give TNQ clients access to real estate expertise of the highest calibre.

Throughout the Asia Pacific Region, Savills manages 63 million sqm of property and is the largest Property Management firm in Hong Kong and China. Savills has 32 offices across the Asia Pacific Region.

Ideally located in the heart of Cairns, Shangri-La Hotel, The Marina, frames the city's foreshore, overlooking the Marlin Marina, Trinity Bay and providing views of the surrounding mountain ranges.

This convenient inner-city location is just a short 10-minute drive to the Cairns International Airport, a 5-minute walk to the Cairns Convention Centre, and a short stroll to the Esplanade Lagoon, Pier Shopping Precinct and Great Barrier Reef Departure Terminal.

The five-star Shangri-La Hotel is one of the city's most distinguished hotels and sets an innovative benchmark in accommodation excellence for the region.

The Suncorp Group is one of Australia and New Zealand’s largest diversified service providers, supplying banking, insurance and wealth management products. Suncorp has a proud heritage of helping Australians achieve financial independence and security, which dates back to 1902.

Suncorp’s success is built on significant industry experience and an in-depth understanding of the local economies in which it operates. The Group is committed to supporting business in the region, with Business Banking Centres in Cairns, Innisfail, Atherton and Mareeba. Suncorp believe business to business should be person to person.

The Cairns and Port Trips & Attractions (CaPTA) Group operates highly successful tourist operations in and around Cairns in Far North Queensland. Locally owned and operated by the Woodward family of Cairns, The CaPTA Group consists of the following companies: Rainforestation Nature Park, Tropic Wings Coach Tours, RnR White Water Rafting, The Rainforest Habitat Wildlife Sanctuary, The Cairns Wildlife Dome, Jungle Tours and Trekking and The Australian Butterfly Sanctuary.

With its origins on the Gold Coast in the late 1970’s, The Omega Group is now firmly based in Cairns and holds substantial business interests in TNQ, United Kingdom, America and China.

Through several joint venture companies, The Omega Group has a diverse portfolio of businesses including Property, Product Import, Distribution & Marketing, Retail as well as Financial and Education Services.

Tong Sing was established in 1927 and is a major exporter of fruit and vegetables, with a specialty in Mangoes, to South East Asian and European destintations and also supply to a range of customers including importers, caterers and supermarkets. The company has also been instrumental in establishing new markets for Lychees into the UK and Mangoes into China.

Tong Sing has also become involved in Self Storage with the purchase of Big Blue Self Storage and intends to expand and develop the existing site to cater for the expanding Southern Cairns area.

The firm attracts and retains outstanding legal professionals, each dedicated team is sensitive to clients’ needs, careful with their money and focused on value. All of WGC’s solicitors hold current practicing certificates from the Queensland Law Society (QLS) with the inclusion of two Family Law Accredited Specialists.

WGC ensures that the most experienced practitioners are available for key clients. The company is organised in specialist law ‘cells’ so that the experience of Partners, Consultants and Solicitors is used to maximum advantage to support clients, assure positive outcomes and develop the staff’s knowledge.