We started October on a high after winning the AFL Grand Final followed by the NRL and NRLW Rugby Grand Finals. What an amazing accomplishment Queenslanders, as they say winners are grinners.

October saw a ceasefire and the release of the Israeli hostages and return of Palestinians to Gaza. Let’s hope peace continues. Our PM had a successful meeting with the US President, and they have brokered a lucrative and beneficial deal for the export of our rare earth minerals. This is great news for regional Queensland with several key projects underway in the north and west of the state.

Congratulations to the winners of both the Chamber of Commerce and Tourism Awards the events highlighted the outstanding passion and achievements of both business and individuals across broad sectors of our community from both large and small operations. As a judge in the Chamber awards I was impressed by the high calibre of the submissions which made the judging challenging and rewarding.

The results of our industry leader’s forum this month indicated that Business Confidence remains steady with the identified opportunities for business growth and employment opportunities brought by utilising AI. Several platforms were discussed with the key take away advice to research available tools, to try them and be fluid in what you use, being flexible to explore new platforms and not afraid to ‘push the buttons’. AI has been identified as a critical tool for your business if you want to stay relevant, and indeed still be in business/employed in the next 5-10 years. Three platforms that are mentioned positively on a regular basis are ChatGPT, remaining a strong reliable tool, Otter for meetings and Perplexity for research. There are constantly new and many other platforms that are being introduced so keep watching the space. Remember AI is a tool to help us but don’t accept everything it tells you and don’t forget being human and the personal approach is still the most important factor for success.