Afternoon Tea for the finalists of the Premier of Queensland’s 2026 Export Awards

Minister for Finance, Trade, Employment and Training, the Honourable Ros Bates MP; Trade Investment Queensland Board Members, Dr Erin Rayment and Ms Lisa France; General Manager, Queensland Operations, Mr Tim Green; finalists and supporters of the Premier of Queensland’s Export Awards; distinguished guests; ladies and gentlemen.

I begin by acknowledging the Original Custodians of the lands around Brisbane, the Turrbal and Jagera people, and pay my respects to Elders past, present and emerging, and to any First Nations people here this afternoon.

As Governor of Queensland, I am delighted to welcome you to Government House and to once again host this special occasion to honour the finalists in this year’s Premier of Queensland’s Export Awards.

This gathering allows us to acknowledge and celebrate the remarkable achievements of all 48 Queensland businesses named as finalists across 14 industry categories in these awards, to be presented at the Convention and Exhibition Centre tomorrow night.

I note in particular that almost half of this year’s finalists come from regional Queensland — a powerful reminder that our entrepreneurial spirit and outstanding capabilities are not concentrated solely in the south-east corner, but flourish across the state.

As our state’s top exporters, I congratulate all of you on your impressive and sustained forays into international markets. Despite global uncertainty, shifting supply chains and tariff volatility, you have embraced overseas markets with confidence, demonstrating that Queensland businesses can stand proudly alongside the best in the world.

Your success is underpinned by innovation, research and development, and the hard work and determination of you and your teams — qualities that continue to benefit your businesses and Queensland’s economy.

This afternoon, I want to acknowledge in particular Queensland’s PWR Advanced Cooling Technology, one of five Australian businesses to be inducted into the Australian Export Awards Hall of Fame in Canberra next month in recognition of its outstanding and sustained contribution to Australian exporting.

The company is a global leader in the design, manufacture and supply of high-performance cooling solutions for the motorsports, aerospace and defence sectors. I offer my sincere congratulations on this national recognition and on the company’s enduring success in global markets.

As we know, exports are central to Queensland’s prosperity, and during the past 12 months exports have generated one-hundred-billion-dollars for our economy — a truly remarkable result.

These important awards enable us to showcase the breadth and depth of our exporting talents in sectors like agribusiness, advanced manufacturing, resources and energy, digital and smart technology, health, and professional services, to name but a few.

I acknowledge and thank the Premier, and Trade and Investment Queensland for continuing to support these prestigious awards, along with the sponsors, judges and others who also make them possible. I also thank the Board and senior staff of Trade and Investment Queensland and the Commissioners who help ensure our companies have the skills, connections and market intelligence to successfully access overseas markets and emerging investment opportunities.

To all our finalists: I wish you the very best at tomorrow evening’s Gala Awards here in Brisbane. I also wish every success to those selected to progress to the national awards in Canberra next month.

As Governor, and on behalf of all Queenslanders, I thank you for your contribution to our state’s prosperity and international reputation, and I wish you and your businesses every success for the future. Please enjoy this celebratory occasion.