Queensland premier Annastacia Palaszczuk officially launched the state’s 2023 Export Awards, with this year including the inaugural First Nations category.
Palaszczuk opened the awards at Bundaberg Brewed Drinks, last year’s Queensland Exporter of the Year, in Bundaberg.
and Member for Bundaberg Tom Smith
(back to camera) at the launch of the
2023 Queensland Export Awards.
Palaszczuk said, “What better place to launch the 2023 awards than in Bundaberg. Bundaberg Brewed Drinks is a great regional Queensland success story that started local and went global, now exporting to around 60 countries.”
The awards officially open for entries on 2 May, with 13 national and two state-based categories. There are separate categories for the Small Business Award, Regional Exporter Award and Emerging Exporter Award, so exporters of all sizes or locations can enter and be competitive.
Queensland national category winners go on to represent the state at the National Export Awards in November.
The premier said the state has a $145 billion export industry and one-in-five jobs are linked to the export sector.
“Our regions play a huge role with around 40 per cent of more than 7000 exporting businesses based in regional Queensland,” she said.
Bundaberg Brewed Drinks CEO John McLean said it was rewarding to be recognised at the level of the awards. The company also won the Agribusiness, Food and Beverages category last year.
“The competition is at such a high level, and across a diverse range of industry. As a regional business, Bundaberg Brewed Drinks is very proud of winning this award and we thank the Queensland government for the opportunity to participate,” McLean said.
Member for Bundaberg Tom Smith said Bundaberg Brewed Drinks had humble beginnings to now operating on the world stage.
“Demonstrating a combination of primary and value-add industries that are critical to the region, they are a significant local employer of more than 260 Bundy workers,” Smith said.
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