BIAQ reflects

Officially incorporated in 1974 to represent Queensland’s recreational and light commercial industry, Marine Queensland has been part and parcel of the industry for its entire 41-years, and can lay claim to being the 'spokesman' for many of the most successful and best-known companies in Australia.

Queensland is home to some of the most renowned boat manufacturers in the land, among them Quintrex, Riviera, Maritimo and Stacer to mention just a few.

The founding board of the association was comprised mainly of representatives from many of these leading boat manufacturers, together with a number of leading marine dealerships.

Primary focus of the board was the promotion of the recreational boating lifestyle to the community at large.

Under the founding constitution of the BIAQ (as it was then known), its board comprised a President, Vice President, Treasurer and up to six committee members.

The constitution called for the board to be elected by members of the association and it was charged with the association’s overall governance and operation.

As it operates on a not-for-profit basis, all activities and resources of the association are directed towards advancing the interests of its membership and industry.

In a practical sense, this meant undertaking activities that promoted the industry State-wide, such as organising boat shows and related activities all aimed at encouraging increased participation in marine recreation.

As anyone looking at a map of Australia would be aware, Queensland comprises a massive area, its coastal ‘strip’ alone encompassing thousands of kilometres, from the Gold Coast north to Cairns.

It’s a credit to the association that it has managed to encompass promotion of boating over such vast distances.

In 1960, a group of enthusiastic marine dealers unveiled the first Brisbane Boat Show; it’s a source of pride to the association that it is still playing a major role in promoting the boating lifestyle 55-years on.

The Brisbane Boat Show has moved around somewhat since its birth when it was staged in the Brisbane Town Hall, right in the centre of downtown Brisbane.

Since then it has been staged at the RNA Showgrounds (its current home) and the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre 

In 2008 the association undertook a major change in its strategic direction, which included a name change from BIAQ to Marine Queensland.

Aims of these major changes were to facilitate the consolidation of various industry stakeholders, to place them under a “peak association umbrella” to reduce industry fragmentation and increase whole-of-industry performance and efficiency.

In conjunction with these changes, a number of separate and disparate sector associations became either affiliated with the new peak body or merged with it.

The consolidation enabled the presentation of a single industry 'voice', particularly to Government.

It proved useful indeed with discussions on a broad range if key issues that had been viewed as obstacles to ongoing industry growth and performance.  

Examples of these issues included marine infrastructure, regulations, and industry development measures such as enhancing the manufacturing sector throughout the state.

The consolidation of many sectors of the industry has led to a number of new divisions being established within the association as well as regional interest groups being formed to address a range of key issues for the industry and the boating community.

Attending to industry needs across such a vast area has really kept the association on its toes.

Understandably, Brisbane, the State Capital, heads the list of regions the association is responsible for, followed by the Gold Coast, Moreton Bay, Sunshine Coast, Mackay, Townsville, Logan/Ipswich, Cairns, Redlands and the Fraser Coast.

Of course, the day-to-day operations of such a body require people and the association has been extremely fortunate in having on board some of the best-known and most successful identities in the marine industry.

The association has seen fit to bestow the honour of Life Membership on 17 of its leaders.

It’s a list which gives rise to recreational boating being a “family past time” with no less than five members of two families accorded Life Membership.

They include the father and son team of Keith and Greg Nickerson (Keith was the first Life Member) and the Nichols family, Roy and sons Barry and Kevin.

Others holding Life Membership who are equally as well-known outside Queensland include Barry Jenkins, of Sanctuary Cove Boat Show fame, marina operator Jeff Leigh-Smith, former Volvo Penta chief Graeme Avers , leading marine dealer Tom Wyld and, the association’s most recent inductee to Life Membership, Senator Ron Boswell.

It’s worth noting that the total of registered recreational vessels in Queensland, currently sitting at just a shade under 255,000, has increased every year since 2010.