SIXTY of the region’s most outstanding businesses and individuals have been recognised, with Scenic Rim Regional Council announcing the winners of the 2025 Scenic Rim Business Excellence Awards at a sold-out gala event at the Boonah Cultural Centre.
More than 210 guests attended the evening, which showcased the very best of the region’s enterprise, innovation and local produce.
A paddock-to-plate three-course menu, created by Scenic Rim Food Ambassador Daniel Groneberg and catered by Kooroomba Vineyard and Lavender Farm, highlighted the strength of the Scenic Rim’s celebrated agritourism and culinary identity.
Locally sourced food and beverages featured throughout the night, including signature drinks from The Cauldron Distillery.
Mayor Tom Sharp said the calibre of nominations reflected the extraordinary depth of talent across the region, with businesses not only delivering high-quality products and services but also creating jobs, building community and shaping the future of the Scenic Rim.
The prestigious Scenic Rim Business of the Year Award was presented to My Country Escape, recognised for its leadership, community impact and contribution to the region’s visitor economy.
The Canungra-based retailer has grown beyond a boutique store to become a vibrant community hub, employing 12 local staff and championing Australian-owned and locally sourced products.
Winners were selected from 60 nominations across 10 categories, recognising excellence in hospitality, accommodation, tourism, education, health and wellbeing, sustainability and innovation, retail, agriculture and construction, emerging business and vocational training.
Category winners included Roast Beef & The Frog for hospitality, Clandulla Cottages and Farmstay for accommodation, Kalbar Sunflowers for tourism, Boonah State High School for education and Tamborine Mountain Psychology for health and wellbeing.
Other winners included Edge Hairdressing for sustainability and innovation, Franklin Plumbing and Gas for agriculture, trade and construction, and Canungra Beauty as most outstanding new business, while Rose Heggie was named trainee/apprentice of the year.
Mayor Sharp said the awards play an important role in strengthening business capability, celebrating innovation and reinforcing investor confidence in the region.
He said the diversity of winners highlighted the Scenic Rim’s growing economic strength, from agritourism and hospitality to education and small business.
Nearly 17,300 jobs are based locally, with close to 22,000 residents employed across industries, and around 5000 businesses operating in the Scenic Rim.
