STAFF WRITER
The 2026 Business NSW Northern Rivers Regional Business Awards included 260 businesses across the region and the list of winners are at the end of the story.
The local awards had 648 entries, with local chamber awards program winners progressing to become finalists in the Northern Rivers Regional Business Awards.
Casino Truck Show won the Outstanding Visitor Experience category.
Mememe productions won the award for Excellence in Creative Industries and Cate McQuillen from mememe won Outstanding Business Leader
Richmond Mushrooms at Doonbah were Highly Commended in the Excellence in Agriculture & Primary Industries and Neale Genge from Club Evans won an Outstanding Business Leader award.
Kyogle business Ataraxis Farms who grow lavender received a Highly Commended for Outstanding New Business.
More local mentions include Andrew Presbury (APRACS), Agnieszka Cole (Richmond Dairies), Tiahn Fairfull (Coraki Hotel), Woodburn Health, and Cicon in Casino.
Congratulations to everyone who entered. See the full list below.
Winners & Highly Commended Recipients
Excellence in Retail & Personal Services
Winner: South Lismore Post Office, Lismore
Highly Commended: Maclean Medical, Clarence Valley
Excellence in Trade, Construction & Manufacturing
Winner: Norco Cooperative, Lismore
Highly Commended: Chinderah Motors, Tweed Shire
Highly Commended: Joel Jensen Constructions, Lismore
Excellence in Business & Professional Services
Winner: ENV Group Pty Ltd, Ballina
Highly Commended: Bookeze, Tweed Shire
Highly Commended: Intelligent Directions, Lismore
Excellence in Health, Care & Wellness Services
Winner: Our House, Lismore
Highly Commended: Biala Support Services, Ballina Shire
Highly Commended: Coolangatta Tweed Osteopathy, Tweed Shire
Excellence in Agriculture & Primary Industries
Winner: Mountain Blue, Lismore
Highly Commended: Australian Medicinal Herbs, Clarence Valley
Highly Commended: Richmond Mushrooms, Richmond Valley
Excellence in Creative Industries
Winner: mememe Productions, Richmond Valley
Highly Commended: Byron Bay International Film Festival, Byron Bay
Highly Commended: Specialty Pianos, Lismore
Outstanding Visitor Experience
Winner: Casino Truck Show, Richmond Valley
Highly Commended: Adhere Marketing, Byron Shire
Highly Commended: Better by Bike, Byron Shire
Highly Commended: Coldstream Gallery, Clarence Valley
Highly Commended: HOME Alstonville, Ballina Shire
Highly Commended: Nightcap Ridge, Lismore
Highly Commended: Silt Studio, Lismore
Highly Commended: Valley E-Bikes
Outstanding Visitor & 24 hr Economy Collaboration
Winner: Original Sound Lounge, Clarence Valley
Highly Commended: 187 Cantina, Lismore
Highly Commended: Northern Rivers Traveller & Byron Inside Out, Byron Bay
Outstanding Community Organisation
Winner: Social Futures, Lismore
Highly Commended: Ballina Shire Meals on Wheels, Ballina Shire
Highly Commended: Plan C, Lismore
Highly Commended: Shaping Outcomes, Tweed Shire
Excellence in Diversity & Inclusion
Winner: Sistability, Ballina Shire
Highly Commended: Beyond Barriers Support, Byron Shire
Highly Commended: Full Circle Support, Tweed Shire
Highly Commended: Mountain Blue, Lismore
Outstanding Employee
Winner: Josie Want, Norco Cooperative, Lismore
Highly Commended: Agnieszka Cole – Richmond Dairies, Richmond Valley
Highly Commended: Chelsey Malivanek, M|Arts Precinct, Tweed Shire
Highly Commended: Scott Redford, Ballina RSL Club, Ballina Shire
Outstanding Young Business Leader
Winner: Joel Jensen, Joel Jensen Constructions, Lismore
Highly Commended: Chris Photiou – The Trident Fish & Grill, Ballina Shire
Highly Commended: Joshua Bacon, Stable Home Care, Tweed Shire
Highly Commended: Tiahn Fairfull, Coraki Hotel, Richmond Valley
Outstanding Business Leader (20 employees or under)
Winner: Cate McQuillen – mememe Productions, Richmond Valley
Highly Commended: Andrew Presbury – APRACS, Richmond Valley
Highly Commended: Hayley Hodgson – Maclean Medical, Maclean Radiology, AveNuPlus and Halind Health, Clarence Valley
Outstanding Business Leader (21 employees or over)
Winner: Andrew Bell, Mountain Blue, Lismore
Highly Commended: Alexander Scully – Summergrove Estate, Tweed Shire
Highly Commended: Michael Kinahan – Grafton District Golf Club, Clarence Valley
Highly Commended: Neale Genge – Woodburn Evans Head RSL Club, Richmond Valley
Highly Commended: Todd Yourell – St Andrews Ballina, Ballina Shire
Excellence in Sustainable Tourism
Winner: Vision Walks – Valley E-Bikes, Tweed Shire
Highly Commended: Byron Bay Bikes, Byron Shire
Highly Commended: Clarence Harvest Celebration, Clarence Valley
Employer of Choice (20 employees or under)
Winner: Sistability, Ballina Shire
Highly Commended: Full Circle Support, Tweed Shire
Highly Commended: PJ’s Fruit & Veg, Lismore
Employer of Choice (21 employees or over)
Winner: Biala Support Services, Ballina Shire
Highly Commended: Joel Jensen Constructions, Lismore
Highly Commended: Norco Cooperative, Lismore
Outstanding Local Chamber
Winner: Business Murwillumbah
Highly Commended: Alstonville Wollongbar Chamber of Commerce
Highly Commended: Business Lennox Head
Highly Commended: Business Lismore
Highly Commended: Maclean District Business Chamber
Highly Commended: Tweed Chamber of Commerce & Industry Inc
Excellence in Innovation
Winner: ENV Group Pty Ltd
Highly Commended: Honey Bee Homes, Byron Shire
Highly Commended: Mountain Blue, Lismore
Excellence in Sustainability
Winner: Norco Co-operative, Lismore
Highly Commended: Off the Rails, Byron Shire
Highly Commended: Summerland Bank, Lismore
Highly Commended: Woodland Valley Farm, Tweed Shire
Excellence in International Business
Winner: Mountain Blue, Lismore
Highly Commended: SAVVY Beverages, Byron Bay
Highly Commended: Tweed Eco Cruises, Tweed Shire
Excellence in Workplace Health & Wellbeing
Winner: Biala Support Services
Highly Commended: Human Nature, Ballina Shire
Highly Commended: Maclean Medical, Clarence Valley
Highly Commended: Sistability, Ballina Shire
Highly Commended: Social Futures, Lismore
Highly Commended: Southern Cross Credit Union, Tweed Shire
Outstanding New Business
Winner: Lismore Cinemas, Lismore
Highly Commended: Ataraxis Farms, Kyogle Shire
Highly Commended: AveNuPlus, Clarence Valley
Highly Commended: House of Matcha, Byron Shire
Highly Commended: Noah’s Mini Golf, Ballina Shire
Highly Commended: Sunflour Canele, Byron Bay
Highly Commended: Witheriff Group, Tweed Shire
Highly Commended: Woodburn Health, Richmond Valley
Excellence in Micro Business
Winner: DR MOOSE
Highly Commended: AURUM, Byron Shire
Highly Commended: Cicon, Richmond Valley
Highly Commended: Corporate Culcha, Tweed Shire
Highly Commended: Good Cover Pty Ltd, Byron Shire
Highly Commended: Hemp Collective, Byron Shire
Highly Commended: Intelligent Directions, Lismore
Highly Commended: ODYSSEY Campers, Richmond Valley
Highly Commended: ODYSSEY Captured, Richmond Valley
Highly Commended: Off the Rails, Byron Shire
Highly Commended: SAVVY Beverages, Byron Shire
Highly Commended: Silt Studio, Lismore
Highly Commended: South Lismore Post Office, Lismore
Highly Commended: Spectrum Signs, Clarence Valley
Highly Commended: Valley E-Bikes, Tweed Shire
Excellence in Small Business
Winner: Maclean Medical, Clarence Valley
Highly Commended: Bookeze, Tweed Shire
Highly Commended: mememe Productions, Richmond Valley
Highly Commended: Sistability, Lismore
Excellence in Medium Business
Winner: ENV Group Pty Ltd, Ballina Shire
Highly Commended: Blair & Sons Engineering Contractors
Highly Commended: O’Brien Electrical & Plumbing
Excellence in Large Business
Winner: Mountain Blue, Lismore
Highly Commended: Norco Cooperative, Lismore
Highly Commended: Summerland Bank, Lismore
Northern Rivers Business of the Year: Mountain Blue, Lismore