- The 2023 Premier of Queensland’s Export Awards has been officially launched.
- The annual awards honour the state’s top exporters across 13 national categories and two state-based categories.
- The top exporter is named Queensland Exporter of the Year.
- Queensland national category winners represent the state at the national export awards in November.
- This year a First Nations category award will be presented for the first time.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has officially launched the 2023 Queensland Export Awards in Bundaberg while visiting last year’s top winner Bundaberg Brewed Drinks.
The Premier today encouraged Queensland’s top exporters to enter the awards with applications opening next week on May 2.
For more than 30 years the awards have showcased the best exporters taking on the world across a wide range of categories from agribusiness to professional services and manufacturing.
Quotes attributable to Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk:
“What better place to launch the 2023 awards than in Bundaberg with the Member for Bundaberg Tom Smith at the reigning Queensland Exporter of the Year – Bundaberg Brewed Drinks.
“Bundaberg Brewed Drinks is a great regional Queensland success story that started local and went global, now exporting to around 60 countries.
“Our state has a $145 billion export industry that goes from strength to strength.
“One-in-five Qld jobs are linked to the export sector and our regions play a huge role with around 40 per cent of our more than 7000 exporting businesses based in regional Qld.
“Queensland is well and truly out front when it comes to exports and these awards are an opportunity for the hard work, perseverance and achievements of entrants to be acknowledged and honoured.
“I’m also proud that we are the first state to introduce a First Nations category honouring Indigenous exporters.”
Quotes attributable to Member for Bundaberg Tom Smith:
“It’s always great to have the Premier in Bundaberg, and there is no better place to launch these prestigious state export awards than at the iconic Bundaberg Brewed Drinks”, he said.
“From humble beginnings, Bundaberg Brewed Drinks has grown from a local Bundy business to a Queensland icon, and now an award-winning exporter 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.
“It was a real thrill to be on hand last year as John and the team took out the title as number one Queensland exporter and encourage all other local exporters to apply for these well-earned awards.”
Quotes attributable to Bundaberg Brew Drinks CEO, John McLean:
“I encourage Queensland exporters to take the time to enter these awards. As a family-owned business, it’s so rewarding to be recognised at this level,” he said.
“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.”
