Mayor of Queanbeyan

Queanbeyan mayor Tim Overall is preparing to hit back at Coda Conduct's comical attack on his beloved hometown with his very own rap.

Yes, the city councillor is penning a song in response to Is it a Quanger?!, which was recently performed by Canberra all-girl rap duo Sally Coleman, 23, and Erica Mallett, 22, as part of the weather forecast on Triple J's breakfast show Matt and Alex.

"Queanbeyan! What a wannabe! Copied our forecast, got it free. But it's not a shock, cos you're basically... just part of the ACT," its most offending line reads.

Queanbeyan's opening hours, oversupply of takeaway joints and residents' tendency to don socks and sandals did not escape the girls' wrath.

Quanger rapper: Mayor Tim Overall hits back.
Quanger rapper: Mayor Tim Overall hits back.  Photo: Digitally altered
Cr Overall said he was impressed with Coda Conduct's wit but a reactionary rap was underway and set to be a social media sensation. 

"I thought it [Is it a Quanger?!] was clever and amusing but totally out of order," he said.

Canberrans and Queanbeyanites will have to wait in anticipation for more with Cr Overall remaining tight-lipped about the remainder and launch of the ditty.

But a performance could be in the works with the mayor "talking to a local rap group".

He said he was confident his rap would go viral and expected Coda Conduct's reaction to be one of "shock and horror".

No word if light rail or Skywhale feature.

"It is critical it goes viral to restore the integrity and prestige of Q town," he said. 

"There is no way anyone can claim it will be nil cost after year six as at the moment we don’t have any financial information, a business plan or a business model from the proponent."

Cr Overall said ‘‘game playing’’ by a few councillors was obstrucing progress after five years of investigations and nine months of ‘‘detailed negotiations’’.

He said the proposal had been thoroughly scrutinised through three workshops with councillors and senior staff, market studies and analysis as well as 20-year financial and funding plans that had been ‘‘worked and reworked’’.

“If I sound frustrated, I am – so much time and energy to bring another priority of the community’s vision to fruition to be wasted in a few moments by game playing by some [not all] and being disguised as a lack of due diligence,” Cr Overall said.

“I can assure residents that the cinema proposal ticked all the boxes as a low risk, no-cost-to-ratepayers project, and it is a travesty that it has not proceeded to the next stage, which is a memorandum of understanding that would allow things to move forward to the next level.”

The memorandum was needed to secure the cinema operator’s confidence in Queanbeyan.

"It’s been 18 years since we last had a cinema proposal in Queanbeyan,’’ he said.

"Should we not support this it will be many years, if at all, until we see a cinema complex in Queanbeyan."

Cr Overall said a Facebook page had been created to provide the community with the facts.



Queanbeyan

Queanbeyan, is a regional centre on the Southern Tablelands in south-eastern New South Wales adjacent to the Australian Capital Territory. The city's mixed economy is based on light construction, manufacturing, service, retail and agriculture. It is the council seat of the Queanbeyan-Palerang Regional Council. At the 2011 census census, Queanbeyan had a population of 37,991.


Following the founding of Canberra, Australia's federal capital, just 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) to the west, Queanbeyan has become an integral part of the capital city's economy. The word Queanbeyan is the anglicised form of Quinbean – an Aboriginal word meaning "clear waters".

Mayor of City of Sydney

Clover Moore (née Collins, 22 October 1945) is an Australian politician. She has been the Lord Mayor of the City of Sydney since 2004. She was an independent member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly from 1988 to 2012, representing the electorates of Bligh (1988–2007) and Sydney (2007–2012). Moore is the first popularly elected female Lord Mayor of Sydney.

Moore resigned as a state MP as a result of new state laws (labelled in the media as the "Get Clover" laws) preventing dual membership of state parliament and local councils. Following her re-election as mayor in the 2012 elections, she was forced to resign the state seat she held for 24 years before the first meeting of the new council. This resulted in a 2012 Sydney by-election on 27 October in which she endorsed independent candidate Alex Greenwich of the Australian Marriage Equality who won in a landslide victory.

Clover Moore (nee Collins) (born 1945), grew up in the suburb of Gordon, on Sydney's North Shore. She attended Loreto Kirribilli at Kirribilli, before going on to study teaching at Sydney University. While at university, she married Peter Moore, an architect. After graduating from university, the pair moved to London, United Kingdom for five years, settling in the inner city suburb of Redfern on their return. She was elected to the South Sydney Council in 1980. Moore is a Catholic.

In early 2004, the Australian Labor Party government, under Bob Carr, sacked and re-amalgamated the City of Sydney and South Sydney Councils. The move came largely as a surprise, with then-Lord Mayor Lucy Turnbull (the wife of now Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull) being notified by a fax posted under her door. The decision to amalgamate the two councils was widely interpreted by the media as an attempt to get the Labor candidate, former federal minister Michael Lee, elected as Lord Mayor, as it would bring a large area of largely Labor-voting suburbs into the City of Sydney. However, several of these suburbs also made up Moore's state electorate of Bligh.

When Turnbull announced soon after that she would not seek re-election, Lee appeared to have the position won. Then, on 24 February, Moore entered the race, labelling the council's sacking a "cynical grab for power" and sharply condemning the sacking of a democratically elected mayor, despite her ideological differences with Turnbull. By the following day, The Sydney Morning Herald was already predicting that she would present a serious challenge to Lee.

Despite a spirited challenge from Lee, who was supported by much of the business community which had concerns about Moore's anti-development stance, Moore won. She finished with more than double the vote of her nearest rival, Lee, and ABC election analyst Antony Green announced that she would "romp through" to win, only 90 minutes after counting began.

Though she had made a point of not directing voting preferences in her four election campaigns in the Legislative Assembly, Moore decided to support a team of independents for the council race. This turned out to be quite successful, with four of her team of six - John McInerney, Robyn Kemmis, Marcelle Hoff and Phillip Black - being elected to council.

At the local government elections held on 13 September 2008 Moore was re-elected as Lord Mayor of Sydney.

After introducing bike lanes through many parts of inner Sydney, Moore broke an ankle on Ride to Work Day in October 2010, while dismounting from her bike, necessitating that she attend some events in a wheelchair.


Since becoming Mayor, Moore has been able to bring to completion the construction of several buildings and pieces of infrastructure.

Ian Thorpe Aquatic Centre (formerly "Ultimo Aquatic Centre") by Harry Seidler
Surry Hills City of Sydney Library by FJMT (Francis-Jones Morehen Thorpe)
Paddington Reservoir Gardens by TZG (Tonkin Zulaikha Greer)
Redfern Park by BVN (Bligh Voller Nield)
Reg Bartley Oval grandstand and kiosk,Rushcutters Bay, by Lacoste+Stevenson
Pirrama Park in Pyrmont by ASPECT Studios
Prince Alfred Park makeover near Central railway station by Rachel Neeson and Nick Murcutt.
Burton Street Tabernacle (to become the new Tabernacle Theatre)
There are also:

On 27 October 2007 Moore proposed a Private Members Bill that would ban the sale of dogs, cats and other mammals in NSW pet stores, and effectively ban the breeding of crossbred dogs. The Pet Industry Association responded with a petition opposing the legislation. The RSPCA Australia has given its support to the measure, although it was rejected by NSW purebred dog breeders.

Bike lanes constructed through Sydney angered many local residents for reducing parking and critics attacked the cost while other groups, including local headmasters and school groups, applauded them. The Bourke Street Cycleway won a Sydney Design Award in 2012.
The "City of Sydney Amendment (Elections) Amendment Bill", became law in September 2014, replacing one optional vote per business with two compulsory votes and it has been alleged that this is one of "two statutes designed to bar her from public life".





City of Sydney

The City of Sydney is the local government area covering the Sydney central business district and surrounding inner city suburbs of the greater metropolitan area of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.

The central business district of Sydney is roughly bounded by Circular Quay and Sydney Harbour to the north, Macquarie Street to the east, Darling Harbour to the west and Liverpool Street and Central railway station to the south.

On 6 February 2004, the former local government area of the City of South Sydney was formally merged into the City of Sydney. Suburbs within the boundaries of the City of Sydney before the merger include the central business district of Sydney itself, Pyrmont and Ultimo to the west, Haymarket to the south, and other suburbs. Suburbs within the City of South Sydney before the merger included Woolloomooloo, Alexandria, Darlington (now mostly occupied by the University of Sydney), Erskineville, Newtown, Redfern, Glebe, Waterloo, most of Surry Hills and a portion of Paddington.

The leader of the City of Sydney holds the title of the Lord Mayor of Sydney. The current Lord Mayor is Councillor Clover Moore who has been in office since 27 March 2004.

Mayor of Sunshine Coast

I love the Sunshine Coast – our fantastic natural assets, our landscapes and the outstanding lifestyle we enjoy. It is why I choose to live here.But the Sunshine Coast is much more.
Right now, we are writing a significant page in the history of our region. We are building a new economy, shaping a strong community and ensuring we remain second to none when it comes to our environmental credentials.
As one of Queensland’s fastest growing regions and in the nation’s top ten significant urban areas, the Sunshine Coast is fast becoming one of Australia’s leading city regions for the 21st century.
A smart, healthy, sustainable region – with its own identity but intimately connected to the world.
This is my vision for the Sunshine Coast – and I am working hard to make this vision a reality. Building on the past, being decisive now and charting a clear and prosperous future for our community.
We have a long and proud history on the Sunshine Coast – stretching back over many thousands of years during which the spectacular Glass House Mountains were formed and the peoples of the Kabi Kabi First Nation made this their home.
Today, we are a community that welcomes all and offers outstanding opportunities. Through the efforts of the Council I lead, we are building a Sunshine Coast that is a true economic powerhouse in an idyllic environment. A vision that is becoming the reality.
Sunshine Coast Mayor Mark Jamieson





Sunshine Coast

Sunshine Coast is a metropolitan area and the third most populated area in the Australian state of Queensland. Located 100 km north of the state capital Brisbane in South East Queensland on the Pacific Ocean coastline, its urban area spans approximately 60 km of coastline and hinterland from Pelican Waters to Tewantin. The estimated urban population of Sunshine Coast as at June 2014 was 297,380.,making it the 9th most populous in the country.

The area was first settled by Europeans in the 19th century with development progressing slowly until tourism became an important industry. The area has several coastal hubs at Caloundra, Kawana Waters, Maroochydore and Noosa Heads. Nambour and Maleny have developed as primary commercial centres for the hinterland.

Mayor of Wollongong

The City of Wollongong local government area is represented by a Council comprising a Lord Mayor and 12 Councillors. Both the Lord Mayor and the Councillors are popularly elected, that is they are elected by persons enrolled on the Commonwealth electoral roll.
The City is divided into three Wards with four Councillors elected from each Ward.
The current Lord Mayor and Councillors were elected for a one-off, five year term on 3 September 2011.
The next Council elections are scheduled for September 2016 and Councillors will be elected for a term of four years. Voting is compulsory for all persons on the Commonwealth electoral roll at that time.
The Lord Mayor and Councillors phone and email contacts are listed below:
Lord Mayor Councillor Gordon Bradbery OAM
Lord Mayor Councillor Gordon Bradbery OAM comes to Wollongong City Council from a strong background in the community. He has been Chaplain to NSW Police, Rural Fire Service, RSL Padre and Administrator of Wollongong Mission of the Uniting Church and Minister of the Church on the Mall for the past 15 years. His services to the community earned him an OAM.
For 15 years he also served as Chairperson of Lifeline South Coast, was a board member of Unanderra Care Services (aged care service) and served as an advocate for homeless and mental health services.
He has supported individuals and groups in business and entrepreneurial initiatives in Wollongong City.

Born and initially raised in Tamworth, Bradbery moved to Sydney and was schooled at Barnardos Children's Home in Normanhurst between the ages of 10 and 16; an experience Bradbery refers to "being raised at the school of hard knocks".

The majority of Bradbery's 25 years as an ordained minister was spent at the Wollongong Mission of the Uniting Church, known as the "Church on the Mall" in Crown St, Wollongong. In addition to his ministerial duties, Bradbery was also responsible for the Wollongong Community Care Centre that runs regular welfare programs for the disadvantaged, including a popular soup kitchen. Bradbery also worked actively with various elements of the community, adopting specialist areas in community development and social justice programs, as well as trauma and bereavement counselling. Bradbery has been recognised through numerous awards for his work with the disadvantaged, the traumatised and the vulnerable.

In addition to his work as a minister and in the community, Bradbery also undertook continued education, earning bachelor's degrees in psychology, sociology and divinity at the University of Sydney.

Following a meeting of the Presbytery of Illawarra of the Uniting Church, the decision was made not to extend Bradbery's term as the head of the Wollongong Mission beyond 2011, with the Chairman, David Jones citing "need to undertake succession planning for Ministry Leadership given the length of time Gordon has been in this placement". There was significant uproar among parts of the Wollongong community as a result of this decision, largely due to Bradbery's extensive community service work.

In 1996, Bradbery was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia, "in recognition of service to the community, particularly for his role during the 1994 Sydney bushfires and the subsequent relief efforts for those affected".

In 1996 and again in 2009, Bradbery was awarded Rotary International's Paul Harris Fellowship Medal for outstanding community service.




Wollongong

Wollongong, "The Gong", is a seaside city located in the Illawarra region of New South Wales, Australia. Wollongong lies on the narrow coastal strip between the Illawarra Escarpment and the Pacific Ocean, 82 kilometres (51 miles) south of Sydney. Wollongong's Statistical District has a population of 292,190 (2010 est.), making Wollongong the third largest city in New South Wales after Sydney and Newcastle, and the tenth largest city in Australia.

The Wollongong metropolitan area extends from Helensburgh in the north to Shell Cove in the south. It sits within the Wollongong Statistical District, which covers the local authority areas of Wollongong, Shellharbour and Kiama, extending from the town of Helensburgh in the north to Gerroa in the south Geologically, the city is located in the south-eastern part of the Sydney basin, which extends from Newcastle to Nowra.

Wollongong is noted for its heavy industry, its port activity and the quality of its physical setting, occupying a narrow coastal plain between an almost continuous chain of surf beaches and the cliffline of the rainforest-covered Illawarra escarpment. It has two cathedrals, churches of many denominations and the Nan Tien Temple, the largest Buddhist temple in the southern hemisphere. Wollongong has a long history of coalmining and industry. The city attracts many tourists each year, and is a regional centre for the South Coast fishing industry. The University of Wollongong has around 37,000 students and is internationally recognised.

The name "Wollongong" is believed to mean "seas of the South" in the local Aboriginal language, referring to NSW's Southern Coast. Other meanings have been suggested, such as "great feast of fish", "hard ground near water", "song of the sea", "sound of the waves", "many snakes" and "five islands".

Mayor of Hobart

Preferences from two Greens candidates and one independent helped to propel Ms Hickey over the line by 892 votes.

The businesswoman and former Miss Tasmania will become Hobart's second female Lord Mayor.

In 2011 she ran for the State Parliament as a Liberal Party candidate for the seat of Denison.

Alderman Hickey holds a Master of Business Administration and won the Tasmanian Businesswoman of the Year award in 2007.

She became one of 14 new mayors across the state's 29 Local Government areas.

In Kingborough, former bank manager and deputy mayor Steve Wass secured the Mayor's office.

Mr Wass beat recent state Liberal candidate Nic Street with 55.33 per cent of the vote after preferences.

Preferences are yet to be distributed in Burnie, but incumbent Steve Kons already conceded Alderman Anita Dow had won.

Sue Hickey FAICD (born c. 1958) is the Lord Mayor of Hobart. She defeated sitting Lord Mayor Damon Thomas at the 2014 Tasmanian local government elections.

Hickey first entered public life when she won the Miss Tasmania quest 1979. She later worked in a number of retail and service positions, before starting a career in marketing. In 1991 she established her own marketing business, Slick Promotions. Hickey won the Tasmanian Businesswoman of the Year award in 2007. Hickey obtained an MBA from the University of Tasmania in 2012.

She intended to stand as a candidate for the Liberal Party of Australia in the 2010 state election, but was unable to do so due to a conflict of interest with her business. She was a successful candidate for the Hobart City Council in the 2011 Tasmanian local government elections.


Hobart

Hobart, is the capital and most populous city of the Australian island state of Tasmania. Founded in 1803 as a penal colony, Hobart is Australia's second oldest capital city after Sydney, New South Wales. The city is located in the state's south-east on the estuary of the Derwent River, making it the most southern of Australia's capital cities. Its harbour forms the second-deepest natural port in the world.

In June 2013, the city had a greater area population of approximately 217,973. Its skyline is dominated by the 1,271-metre (4,170 ft) Mount Wellington, and much of the city's waterfront consists of reclaimed land. It is the financial and administrative heart of Tasmania, serving as the home port for both Australian and French Antarctic operations and acting as a major tourist hub, with over 1.192 million visitors in 2011/2012. The metropolitan area is often referred to as Greater Hobart, to differentiate it from the City of Hobart, one of the five local government areas that cover the city.

Mayor of Geelong

Darryn Lyons (born 19 August 1965) is an Australian media personality, entrepreneur and politician, who rose to prominence in Australia and the United Kingdom as a paparazzo. He held the position of Mayor of Geelong from 2013 to 2016.

DARRYN Lyons says he may have been “vilified and hounded from office”, but Geelong has not heard the last of him.

“I will continue to raise the city’s profile, to broaden its job base to attract investors and to enhance the community’s pride in this great place,” he said in a farewell message as mayor. “Like it or not, you haven’t heard the last of me. I’m not going anywhere else.”

Lyons’ message came as the Geelong council was sacked with ratepayers to go to the polls next year.

A Bill dumping the regional council passed the Legislative Council on Thursday evening, after the Andrews Government agreed to bring an election forward by three years.

The Government had originally wanted to boot the council on Tuesday and keep administrators in place until 2020.

The amended bill to sack the Geelong council tonight returned to the Lower House where it was ticked off.

In 2013, Lyons announced his candidacy for the City of Greater Geelong 2013 mayoral election. At the start of the election he was quoted as saying "As I have learnt from my time in the UK every election needs a comedy candidate and also as I've seen from Tony Abbott's example the electorate respects a man with great abs". Despite this he then campaigned heavily for the position with a "presidential-style mayoral campaign", including having a plane tow a banner across the sky in the city. He was declared elected after the distribution of preferences on 25 November 2013; Lyons garnered almost 30 per cent of the first preference votes, more than double the primary votes than the second-placed candidate. Lyons was sworn into office on 26 November 2013.

As mayor, Lyons has focussed on lobbying for the city, creating publicity and lifting the city's profile in order to attract tourism and investment.

Lyons has advocated for building a cruise ship pier on the Geelong waterfront in order to boost the city's economy with tourism. The pier would also incorporate a convention centre and cultural centre.

Other initiatives introduced by Lyons include improving the city centre by making street parking free on weekends and planting plants in the streets.

On 16 April 2016, the Victorian Government dismissed Lyons along with the rest of the Greater Geelong City Council, following a Commission of Inquiry which found that the council is riven with conflict, unable to manage Geelong's economic challenges, has dysfunctional leadership and has a culture of bullying. The government appointed administrators to run the council until council elections are held in 2017.

Lyons is a member of the Liberal Party of Australia and resides in the Western Beach area of Geelong. His fiancee is Elissa Friday, a former model and a student. He was formerly married to Melanie Whitehead, who left him in 2000. Lyons is a personal friend of Melbourne mayor Robert Doyle, who supported Lyons during his 2013 electoral campaign. Lyons has acknowledged drug abuse, binge drinking and heavy gambling during his life abroad.





Geelong

Geelong, is a port city located on Corio Bay and the Barwon River, in the state of Victoria, Australia, 75 kilometres (47 mi) south-west of the state capital, Melbourne. It is the second largest Victorian city, with an estimated urban population of 184,182 as at June 2014, having grown 1.4 percent since June 2013.

Geelong runs from the plains of Lara in the north to the rolling hills of Waurn Ponds to the south, with Corio Bay to the east and hills to the west. Geelong is the administrative centre for the City of Greater Geelong municipality, which covers urban, rural and coastal areas surrounding the city, including the Bellarine Peninsula.

Geelong City is also known as the 'Gateway City' due to its central location to surrounding Victorian regional centres like Ballarat in the north west, Torquay, Great Ocean Road and Warrnambool in the southwest, Hamilton, Colac and Winchelsea to the west, and the state capital of Melbourne in the north east.

Geelong was named in 1827, with the name derived from the local Wathaurong Aboriginal name for the region, Jillong, thought to mean "land" or "cliffs". The area was first surveyed in 1838, three weeks after Melbourne. The post office was open by June 1840 (the second to open in the Port Phillip District). The first woolstore was erected in this period and it became the port for the wool industry of the Western District. During the gold rush, Geelong experienced a brief boom as the main port to the rich goldfields of the Ballarat district. The city then diversified into manufacturing, and during the 1860s, it became one of the largest manufacturing centres in Australia with its wool mills, ropeworks, and paper mills.

It was proclaimed a city in 1910, with industrial growth from this time until the 1960s establishing the city as a manufacturing centre for the state, and the population grew to over 100,000 by the mid-1960s. During the city's early years, an inhabitant of Geelong was often known as a Geelongite, or a Pivotonian, derived from the city's nickname of "The Pivot", referencing the city's role as a shipping and rail hub for the area. Population increases over the last decade were due to growth in service industries, as the manufacturing sector has declined. Redevelopment of the inner city has occurred since the 1990s, as well as gentrification of inner suburbs, and currently has a population growth rate higher than the national average.

It is known for being home to the Geelong Football Club, the second oldest club in the Australian Football League.

Today, Geelong stands as an emerging health, education and advanced manufacturing hub. The city's economy is shifting quickly and despite experiencing the drawbacks of losing much of its heavy manufacturing, it is seeing much growth in other sectors, positioning itself as one of the leading non-capital Australian cities.

Mayor of Townsville

Cr Hill is dedicated to ensuring that the future of Townsville is prosperous and progressive.

She wants to ease the cost of living for residents and focus the council on services and programs that build a strong community, support business and employment, and safeguard Townsville’s lifestyle.

Cr Hill is also committed to developing a strong council team to serve the city over the next four years. Essential to this is ensuring that all councillors work in the best interests of the city.

Councillor Hill was born and educated in Melbourne, Victoria, and graduated from LaTrobe University with a Bachelor of Science in 1981. The following year she moved to Townsville with her fiancé who was enlisted in the Australian Army.

Cr Hill has 23 years’ experience as a scientist with mining companies, the Department of Primary Industries, James Cook University and Townsville Hospital. She has also completed a Masters of Public Health and Tropical Medicine at James Cook University, which included management, economics and accounting.

In 1986 she joined the Army Reserve, first serving in the Royal Corps of Australian Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (RAEME), maintaining and recovering defence vehicles, and then becoming one of the first women in Australia to complete full infantry training.

Cr Hill has 12 years’ service in local government. In 2012, she was elected the first female mayor of Townsville.

Family and Interests

Cr Hill is married with two adult children, a 23-year-old daughter and an 18-year-old son. She is passionate about Townsville and its tropical lifestyle. She is a car enthusiast and is a keen supporter of junior sporting clubs and school P&C committees. On the national sporting scene, she supports the Cowboys NRL team but is still an avid fan of her AFL club, Collingwood. She loves reading and enjoys strategy games.

The official title of the Mayor is Cr Jenny Hill, Mayor of the City of Townsville.

In the second reference, this form of address becomes Cr Hill. If you are writing to the Mayor, the appropriate salutation is “Dear Cr Hill” or “Dear Mayor”.




Townsville

The City of Townsville is an Australian local government area (LGA) located in North Queensland, Australia. It encompasses the city of Townsville, together with the surrounding rural areas, to the south are the communities of Alligator Creek, Woodstock and Reid River, and to the north are Northern Beaches and Paluma, and also included is Magnetic Island. It currently has a population of 175,542 residents, and is the 18th largest LGA in Australia.

Mayor of Cairns

Robert "Bob" Charles Manning OAM (born 1945) is the mayor of the Cairns Regional Council, Queensland, Australia.In 2004 Manning was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia for "service to the community of the Cairns region through the development and promotion of the tourism, maritime and aviation industries". In 2002 he was awarded Cairns Citizen of the Year.
Manning was born in Cairns, and attended Edge Hill State School, and Cairns State High School. He also received a Bachelor of Business (Accounting) from the University of Southern Queensland. Manning served three years in the Australian Army including in Vietnam 1970-1971.

He has had a lengthy involvement with the Airports Council International from 1993-2000 (including president, vice-president and vice-chairman) and was the director/chairman of Tourism Tropical North Queensland (previously Far North Queensland Promotion Bureau) for eleven years from 1986 to 1997.

In 2012, the same year as he was elected Mayor of Cairns along with the "Unity 2012" team,Manning purchased nationally acclaimed company Events NQ. In February 2015, Events NQ was put into liquidation, with staff left without their entitlements and creditors unpaid.

In 2012 Manning announced his intention to run for mayor of the Cairns Regional Council with a team of candidates under the name "Unity 2012". This is not to be confused with Kevin Byrne's former "Cairns Unity Team". Manning considers his team to be apolitical and has publicly stated that Unity 2012 have no political affiliation and most of the candidates have a business background.

Bob is married to Claire Manning and has two grown children (Mark and Belinda). Bob Manning's father founded the iconic local Manning's Pies.

Bob Manning OAM is a Vietnam Veteran and former CEO of the Cairns Port Authority and Longreach Shire Council.

He was awarded Cairns Citizen of the Year in 2002, and was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia in 2004 for his service to the Cairns region community through the development and promotion of the tourism, marine and aviation industries.

Mayor Manning's Profile ( PDF, 0.1 MB )

Contact information

For meetings with the Mayor, requests for the Mayor to speak and/or provide letters of support please contact the Mayor's Personal Assistant by email mayorspa@cairns.qld.gov.au or (07) 4044 3083.

If you would like to invite the Mayor to participate in your event, please complete the request form ( DOCX, 0.05 MB ) and return it by email with a covering note to mayorspa@cairns.qld.gov.au. The Mayor's schedule will be checked and you will be advised of his availability or otherwise within five days.

To contact the Mayor directly please send an email to b.manning@cairns.qld.gov.au


Cairns

Cairns, is a major city on the east coast of Far North Queensland in Australia. The city is the 5th most populous in Queensland and 14th overall in Australia. Cairns was founded in 1876 and named after William Wellington Cairns, Governor of Queensland from 1875-1877. It was formed to serve miners heading for the Hodgkinson River goldfield, but experienced a decline when an easier route was discovered from Port Douglas. It later developed into a railhead and major port for exporting sugar cane, gold and other metals, minerals and agricultural products from surrounding coastal areas and the Atherton Tableland region. The estimated residential population of the Cairns urban area in 2016 was 157,847. The region has experienced an average annual growth rate of 2.8% over the last 10 years.

Cairns is a popular travel destination for tourists because of its tropical climate and access to the Great Barrier Reef, one of the seven natural wonders of the world.