2025 – A Year in Review
As we say farewell to 2025, and we welcome the new year with open arms, Chamber looks back on a MASSIVE year of Advocacy, Collaboration, Support and Community Initiatives.
We welcomed a record number of businesses to our Chamber Membership in 2024/2025:
– Agro Group Pty Ltd
– Ando Compact Tractor Services
– B & D Artisans
– Busy at Work
– Carey Accountants
– Channel Inn Lucinda Pty Ltd
– Community Solutions
– Cosca Accountants
– Cover Me Sweet
– Department of Youth Justice, Employment, Small Business and Training
– Donnie Harris Law
– Elder’s Insurance
– Espiago Foodland
– Fae & Fabl3d
– Felix Reitano Furniture and Real Estate
– Forrest Beach Takeaway
– Frosty Mango
– Gilroy Santa Maria College
– Giudes and Elliot Solicitors
– Gofton Enterprises
– Guido’s Panel & Paint Pty Ltd
– Harmony Nail Designs
– Herbert Agri Services
– Herbert River District Canegrowers
– Herbert River RSL Sub Branch Inc (Returned & Services League of Australia (QLD Branch)
– Hemmet Electrical M&J
– Hinchinbrook Community Support Centre
– Hinchinbrook Honey & Hives
– Hinchinbrook Life Publication
– Hip Pocket Workwear & Safety Ingham
– Ice Cream Sundy
– Ingham Agencies
– Ingham Manufactures – Mitre 10
– Ingham Motorcycles and Mowers
– Ingham State High School
– Ingham Tackle Shop & Ingham Cycle Centre
– Ingham Travel
– Ingham Wholelife Pharmacy
– John White Crash Repairs
– Julie’s Cowhide Creations
– Keir Steele Waldon Law
– Kerri-Ann Burnell Fish and Pet Supplies
– Leonardi Accountants
– Lifelong Supports
– Liquaforce Pty Ltd
– M & L Mina Transport Pty Ltd
– Mackey Wales Law
– Mam’s Plant Hire
– Mandy’s Beauty in the Bush
– McDonalds (Lardner Holding Pty Ltd)
– Moana Solutions
– NBN Australia
– Nick Dametto MP
– NQ Business Support
– NQ Employment
– NQIB NQ
– Travel & Cruise Pty Ltd
– P & B Borger Alloy Eng.
– Ponds Road Pottery
– Powerlink QLD
– Pretty Little Pea Designs
– Quabba Accounting
– Quality Innovation Training and Employment
– Queensland Cane Agriculture and Renewables (QCAR)
– Rachel Cauchi Optometrist
– Ray White Real Estate
– Roped in Bling
– Royal Hotel
– Sadleirs Terry White Chemist
– Selectability
– SNG Machinery Sales
– Spar Halifax
– Spinfx Electrical
– Sportspower/Compleat Angler Ingham
– Steel Pacific Insurance Brokers
– Stone River Station
– TAFE Queensland
– The Paper Shop
– TLA Creations
– Townsville Enterprise Limited
– Townsville Hospital and Health Service
– Trans North Bus and Coach Service
– Tropical Agricultural Services (TAS) & Di Bella Produce and Farming
– Tropical Coast Web Design
– Wild Local
– Wilmar Sugar and Renewables
Hinchinbrook Chamber President Mary Brown’s End of Year Report:
“What a Year 2025 has been for the Chamber!!!! Honestly with so much happening within the organization and the community this year, I am struggling to even know where to start!!! Members will see from the AGM report the absolute enormity of projects, advocacy and representation that Chamber has undertaken this year, however please indulge me as I would like to focus on a few of the key achievements. I will let the report speak for itself as I would like to reflect on the people who have supported the Chamber and enabled the organization to achieve all it has!! I must absolutely express my unqualified appreciation to our Chamber secretary extraordinaire Christina Spencer!!! None of what has been achieved by chamber this year would have been possible without the ever-available Christina. From the very start of the new Chamber year, Christina has been committed to implementing the vision we had to drive Chamber priorities this year, always going above and beyond to deliver!! When the floods hit in February, Christina stepped up and assisted from afar. Not only was she available to try and keep the community informed as things changed, she also made herself available to support Council and the LDMG, in any way she could. Then as soon as the immediate flooding started to retreat, she commenced a communication campaign to ascertain which businesses were open and started marketing them as well as directly liaising with GIVIT to keep them updated on where they could direct funding vouchers within the community.
The GIVIT spending in Hinchinbrook shire, post event was just over $1 million, which provided a massive early boost to get businesses and community back on their feet. Chamber also then took the lead on the distribution of the 38 pallets of donations that were raised by Townsville community to help Hinchinbrook residents get back on their feet after the event. This was a mammoth undertaking and something Chamber has never been involved in previously and whilst it presented some challenges, we are immensely proud of all the assistance we could provide the wider community. Chamber then put their hand up to subcontract to Hinchinbrook Shire council, to deliver the first three months of the Community Recovery Officer position. Once again Christina stepped up and went above and beyond to ensure Chamber could deliver and meet the funding milestones. I must also acknowledge Jane Carne who stepped into the Community Recovery role and embraced a completely new position and all the nuances that came with working in this very diverse and challenging recovery space, assisting community with grant applications, access assistance across many platforms and often simply be a sympathetic ear in a time of need.
I am immensely proud of the role Chamber undertook to deliver the early recovery processes. From establishing the Hinchinbrook Recovery Information Centre, engagement with government agencies, business and community groups, locals across the whole Shire. Jane then went on to successfully quote to deliver another six month contract as Community Recovery officer in her own right, reporting directly to council, however still working closely with Chamber to collaborate and support many of the chamber initiatives, in that role. Markets at the Mosaic has gone from strength to strength this year and you can see those statistics in the AGM report. Once again, none of this growth, would have been achieved without Christina’s monumental effort to co-oridinate with stall holders to manage all communications and stall placements, marketing and everything in between! Feedback from the Townsville stall holders (who attend many markets across the district) consistently tell me that Mercer Lane Markets are the best managed, marketed and with the most concise and regular communication of all they attend.
As if we had not achieved enough throughout the year in the recovery space, Chamber took the opportunity to apply for funding from Tourism and Events Queensland, to deliver the Hinchinbrook Festival of Events!!! Whilst initially we thought the biggest body of work for this project was going to be to achieve the funding to support local projects and have a budget attached to market them……until we were advised the Brisbane company originally tasked with marketing delivery, were unavailable. I cannot begin to express my absolute gratitude to Christina and her husband Chris who stepped up and took the lead on delivering this marketing campaign. I am unable to express exactly how much time, energy, commitment and vision that this dynamic team put into making this campaign a phenomenal success. With the final event for HFoE wrapping up last Thursday evening, the data collected shows over 10000 attendees have participated in these celebrations over the past six weeks. Chamber’s vision was always to enhance the existing events, to draw attendance from local and visitors to help support the local economy, as part of the recovery campaign…….and I feel we achieved that goal with outstanding results!!! I have only touched on a few of the major projects Chamber has delivered and this is over and above “business as usual”.
None of any of this would be possible without the support of the membership, the chamber executive team and the wonderful Christina – my most heartfelt thank you to you all for the faith, support and contribution each and every one makes to continue to enable Chamber to deliver for the business community in this way. Whilst 2025 has definitely been a challenging year for many in our community, I hope you feel your Chamber has been there to support you to get through the year, to be well positioned for a better year ahead in 2026!!”
Achievements, Involvements and Events 2024/2025:
