Bob Manning (mayor)

Robert "Bob" Charles Manning OAM (born 1945) is the mayor of the Cairns Regional Council, Queensland, Australia. In 2004 Manning was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia for "service to the community of the Cairns region through the development and promotion of the tourism, maritime and aviation industries". In 2002 he was awarded Cairns Citizen of the Year.

Manning was born in Cairns, and attended Edge Hill State School, and Cairns State High School. He also received a Bachelor of Business (Accounting) from the University of Southern Queensland. Manning served three years in the Australian Army including in Vietnam 1970-1971.

Manning's first major position was as CEO of the Longreach Shire Council for eight years. In 1984 he returned to Cairns and became Secretary and then CEO of the Cairns Port Authority (including the Cairns Airport) for eighteen years from 1984 to 2002. After resigning his role at the portas a stand against "bullying tactics" by the Queensland Government, Manning began consulting work in Jordan and South Korea. In 2004 Manning became the General Manager of NQEA Australia Pty Ltdbefore heading overseas again to take up the role of CEO of Hermes Airports Ltd (including Larnaca International Airport and Paphos International Airport) in Cyprus until 2008.

He has had a lengthy involvement with the Airports Council International from 1993-2000 (including president, vice-president and vice-chairman) and was the director/chairman of Tourism Tropical North Queensland (previously Far North Queensland Promotion Bureau) for eleven years from 1986 to 1997.

In 2012, the same year as he was elected Mayor of Cairns along with the "Unity 2012" team, Manning purchased nationally acclaimed company Events NQ. In February 2015, Events NQ was put into liquidation, with staff left without their entitlements and creditors unpaid.

In 2012 Manning announced his intention to run for mayor of the Cairns Regional Council with a team of candidates under the name "Unity 2012". This is not to be confused with Kevin Byrne's former "Cairns Unity Team". Manning considers his team to be apolitical and has publicly stated that Unity 2012 have no political affiliation and most of the candidates have a business background.

Bob is married to Claire Manning and has two grown children (Mark and Belinda). Bob Manning's father founded the iconic local Manning's Pies.