Lee Bermingham is a Queensland business leader with over 40 years experience in government, public policy, project delivery, property development, construction management and international trade.

With a focus on infrastructure development and growing regional industry, Lee utilises his expertise with government approval processes and his ability to liaise with impacted stakeholders, Lee identifies opportunities for win-win outcomes for all parties.

Politics

A former Labor Party government advisor in the 1990s, Lee was the Executive Director for Regional Economic Development for the Queensland Government and a Special Advisor to the Minister for Business, Industry and Tourism.

Of particular note was Lee’s involvement in a comprehensive employment strategy for the Maryborough and Fraser Island region, which re-engaged hundreds into the Queensland workforce.

His involvement in politics extends beyond Australia – having worked in the United States on the Democratic campaign during Bill Clinton’s successful re-election in 1996.

Trade deals

In recent years, Lee has acted as the overseas consultant for ChongQing General Trading Group. In this role, he has brokered landmark deals with Australian companies to export local produce to the Chinese market.

Lee was instrumental in arranging a 5-year, $100m deal with Bega Cheese to supply 400 Chinese supermarkets with substantial milk and cheese products, as well as a deal with Stanbroke to export red meats to Asian markets. His ability to connect the agricultural sector, state governments and international buyers together and orchestrate agreements is a testament to his unique skills.

Development and accommodation

In the 2000s, Lee was the Queensland Executive Manager for a national developer responsible for the delivery of over $500m of projects in residential, commercial and retail sectors. Through his own company, UAA Property Advisory, Lee spearheaded a number of property developments – including supermarkets and mixed-use projects.

Lee is currently General Manager at Qantac, which delivers accommodation support for the Queensland resources and infrastructure sectors. An industry leader in constructing and managing temporary worker accommodation, Qantac maintains over 2,000 rooms across Queensland – working with the likes of Hitachi, Westfarmers, Aurizon and Queensland Rail. As a prominent figure in this industry, Lee is involved in the social and policy environments of major mining and gas regions.

Recently, Lee has striven for more involvement in the renewable energy industry – having provided accommodation for workers to construct the largest solar panel farm in Australia.

Community engagement

In all of his business dealings, Lee preferences solutions that benefit the entire community. When constructing employment accommodation in the Sarina area, he spearheaded many other initiatives, including:

• Building of recycled water pipelines;
• Restoration of, and financial support for, local facilities (golf courses and football clubs);
• Engagement with the Bendigo Bank to fund local projects.