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Advance Cairns

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Advance Cairns is the peak regional economic development and advocacy organisation for Tropical North

As the Committee for Tropical North Queensland, our vision is for a self-sustaining, resilient and prosperous Tropical North Queensland community.

28/10/2026

Deep roots fuel a passion for FNQ ❤️
A family history stretching back to Cape York in the 1870s has helped shape a lifetime of passion for the Far North for business and tourism leader George Chapman.

Early years living in the tiny town of Mt Molloy, George developed a strong connection to the region. His family later moved to Cairns when he was 14, then a city of about 20,000 people.
In 1961, aged just 23, George established a surveying practice in Cairns. But he soon recognised that the region needed to attract more people, businesses and industries to secure its future.

In 1967, he helped establish the Cairns Regional Development Bureau to promote regional growth. The organisation later became the Far North Queensland Promotion Bureau before evolving into Tourism Tropical North Queensland.
“Tourism was quickly recognised as a major growth industry,” George recalls.
But the founder of the iconic Skyrail Rainforest Cableway also saw a growing need for a dedicated voice championing broader business development.

In 2001, then-mayor Kevin Byrne established Advance Cairns with financial support from the city council and port authority, inviting George and Keith De Lacy to serve as Deputy Chair and Chair respectively.
George, now a patron, has been part of the Advance Cairns story ever since and will join members and special guests on October 29 to celebrate 25 years of regional advocacy.

As we look back on our history, we celebrate the people whose vision and commitment have helped shape the region we know today.
Read the Advance Cairns story:
https://www.advancecairns.com/ac-25th/ -df_17082/27/

27/10/2026

Last chance for tickets 🔥
Four mortgage rate hikes, low consumer confidence, falling house prices and flagging productivity.
Then there’s the Iran War, crazy fuel prices and who knows what Donald Trump will do next.
… And yet the Australian economy continues to grow.
What the?! 🤔

Don’t miss Turbulence and Tenacity: A 2026 Economic + Political Review, an Advance Cairns and Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD) event on November 2 at the Pullman Reef Hotel Casino.
Hear from AICD chief economist Mark Thirlwell and political and international relations expert Dr Anna Hayes as they take a deep dive into the past year, our role in the Indo-Pacific and what it means for the Far North.

Book now: https://www.advancecairns.com/events/

22/10/2026

And Action! 🎞️📽️

On Thursday Screen Queensland presented a 'State of Screen' breakfast. CEO Jacqui Feeney gave an overall picture of SQ and the and head of studios and physical production Mark Melrose ran through some significant stats. Screen Queensland operates studios in Brisbane and Cairns. Tucked away in what most of us know as the old Bunnings in Portsmith is a state-of-the-art facility to be proud of. Internationally lauded for productions such as Black Snow season 3 (coming to a streaming service near you). A standout figure from one production alone was 8,313 nights of accommodation. The diversity of opportunity is outstanding - from makeup artists to florists, sound engineers to caterers and everything inbetween. What can't the Far North do?

Screen Queensland David Janetzki MP Bree James - Barron River MP John-Paul Langbroek Terry James MP Matt Smith MP

18/10/2026

🎉 Celebrating 30 years of the Cairns Convention Centre
With its distinctive roofline and stunning interior, the Cairns Convention Centre has become an iconic part of our city’s skyline and a landmark for the region.

From hosting world-class, five-star conferences to bringing the Taipans’ Orange Army together in the Snake Pit, the centre is much more than an economic driver. It’s a place for celebration, collaboration and connection.

Advance Cairns congratulates general manager Janet Hamilton and her fantastic team on this significant milestone. We’re proud of our longstanding advocacy for the centre and were delighted to raise a glass to its success at a special celebration in the beautiful Trinity Room.

Here’s to 30 years of achievement and another 30 years of putting Cairns on the map! 🥂

Caption: Advance Cairns CEO Jennifer Spilsbury, Cairns Convention Centre general manager Janet Hamilton and Advance Cairns director and Cairns Regional Council CEO Ken Gouldthorp.

14/10/2026

Advance Cairns and the Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD) are proud to present Turbulence and Tenacity: A 2026 Economic + Political Review.

Join us as AICD chief economist Mark Thirlwell and political and international relations expert Dr Anna Hayes take a deep dive into the past year.

Further info and booking: https://www.advancecairns.com/event/turbulence-and-tenacity-a-2026-economic-political-review/

13/10/2026

Primed for Army's next-gen fleet 💪
With the capacity to support vessels and barges up to 100m in length this $12m super barge ramp on Smiths Creek would be able to play a major role in Defence’s Land 8710 program with its ability to take every vehicle in the Army’s inventory up to and including the Abrams main battle tanks.

The investment that has been made in Cairns’ marine precinct in infrastructure, workforce and training over decades is going to reap big benefits for the Far North in the future.

Read more about what makes Cairns the major Defence maintenance and sustainment hub of Northern Australia in the comments.

Matt Smith MP Ports North Norship Tropical Reef Shipyard Austal Pat Conroy MP Richard Marles MP

09/10/2026

Disaster to delight: Let’s celebrate! 🎉🥂
Far North Queensland will head into this year’s wet season with a huge weight off its shoulders.
It cannot be overstated how important it is that the Federal Government has overturned its proposed 50:50 Disaster Recovery Funding split with the State Government.

We were proud to support the LGAQ, all our regional councils and major advocacy organisations during our recent visit to Canberra spreading the message that the funding change would be catastrophic for the Far North.

Disaster recovery funding isn’t about electorates, councils or governments – it’s about people and their right to be safe and supported.
Congratulations and thank you to the Federal Government for listening. 🙏

29/09/2026

OPV X 2!
Always excited for breaking news like this! Thanks Matt Smith MP for your tireless advocacy and for bringing Pat Conroy MP to town for the announcement.

22/09/2026

Member Spotlight: Norship strengthening the Pacific

For Chief Executive Officer Olav Groot, Norship is about more than ships - it’s about people, capability and the incredible lifestyle of Far North Queensland.

A marine engineer by trade, Olav has been with Norship in Cairns for 11 years and says the people are what he loves most about the business. With about 200 staff, Norship is an important part of Cairns’ established marine industry specialising in repair, maintenance, ship building and fleet support.

Olav believes Cairns can play a much greater role in Australia’s Defence and national security strategy, particularly as the focus turns to building resilience and industrial capability across Northern Australia.

“Strengthen the North and you strengthen the Pacific.”

With Cairns’ established workforce, infrastructure and decades of shipbuilding expertise, Olav believes the region has a strong foundation to build on.

He also sees opportunities through the Land 8710 program and the development of the Cairns Common User Facility.

As Olav says: “It takes a long time to develop a viable marine precinct; it doesn’t happen overnight.”

That’s why investing in the industry, skills and infrastructure we already have is so important.

A big thank you to Olav for sharing the Norship story and continuing to contribute to the strength and capability of our region.

Our Member Spotlight series celebrates the people and businesses helping drive our region forward.

18/09/2026

Taking the Far North’s message to Canberra 💪
Our message to Canberra this week was clear - the Far North has what it takes to become a major Defence maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) and sustainment hub for Northern Australia.

With more than 4600 marine industry workers, HMAS Cairns, the Cairns Marine Precinct, the emerging Common User Facility, Cairns Airport, education and training expertise, our region has the workforce, infrastructure and strategic location to support Defence and our allies across the Indo-Pacific.

We’re continuing to advocate for Cairns to play a role in the Land 8710 program, including the potential to homeport new amphibious and littoral vessels and Offshore Patrol Vessels.
Through great infrastructure investment in our region, we’re looking to sweat the assets and plan for the future.
The Far North is ready. ⚡

Thanks to Leichhardt MP Matt Smith and his team for keeping up this fight and helping us navigate the halls of Parliament!

Pat Conroy MP
Catherine King
Cairns Airport
Ports North
JCU: James Cook University, Australia
CQUniversity Australia
TAFE Queensland

Address

Level 1, Ports North Building, Cnr Grafton And Hartley Streets
Cairns, QLD
4870

Opening Hours

Monday	8am - 5pm
Tuesday	8am - 5pm
Wednesday	8am - 5pm
Thursday	8am - 5pm
Friday	8am - 5pm

Website

http://www.advancecairns.com/

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