Michael Bloyce - Candidate for Mayor of the Sunshine Coast

PROFESSIONAL

Michael’s professional life has involved over 35 years in the fields of public venue management, arts and event administration, including time as an artistic director, administrator, venue manager, college lecturer and consultant.

Educated in Economics and Law at the University of Queensland, with an MBA from the University of the Sunshine Coast, Michael is a former Venue Hiring Manager and Executive Assistant to the Director of the Queensland Performing Arts Centre. In 1989 he moved to the Sunshine Coast and took up the position of Manager of the then newly constructed Nambour Civic Centre.

During his term as Nambour Civic Centre Manager (from 1989 to 2005), Michael was instrumental in initiatives such as the presentation of Sunshine Coast-wide community musicals, an immensely popular music concert series in Buderim Forest Park, the establishment of the Nambour Film Club and the development of the first accredited performing arts courses on the Sunshine Coast, based at the Civic Centre.

During his time at the Civic Centre, its subsidy represented the smallest percentage of Council budget expenditure of any such venue in Queensland, at one point being as low as 0.14% of total Council outlays.

In 2000, he founded the Suncoast Sinfonia, a chamber orchestra that achieved an enviable reputation for fine music presentation. For almost 20 years Michael was closely associated with the Sunshine Coast Arts & Exhibition Centre project, culminating in a major Research and Study Report he prepared in 2007.

More recently Michael held the post of Community Events & Celebrations Manager for Sunshine Coast Council, having responsibility for such major events as the Caloundra Music Festival, New Years’ Eve Celebrations at Mooloolaba, Citizenship Ceremonies, Carols by Candlelight and Council’s Australia Day Awards. He left Council in July, 2010.

For fifteen years he served on the Executive of the Northern Australian Regional Performing Arts Centres Association, including a term as its President. He is a member of the Venue Management Association of Australia and was an Inaugural Fellow of the Australian Institute of Arts Administration. He was a Board Member of Events Sunshine Coast and is a former judge of the Sunshine Coast Tourism Awards.

As a performer, Michael appeared with the Queensland Light Opera Company, Opera Queensland and Arts Theatre, and was a clarinettist with the Australian Naval Reserve Band.  For over 40 years he was a chorister at St John’s Anglican Cathedral, Brisbane.

Importantly, Michael has also spent significant periods of his working life employed in the private sector, in the fields of life insurance, hospitality management and as a business and arts consultant. At one point, he managed a Sizzler outlet with over 50 casual staff and a customer base of over 5,000 people per week.

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT

Michael is dedicated to community service and is involved with a number of community organisations. He currently serves as Deputy Chair and Director of Matthew Flinders Anglican College. He is also a Director and Chair of the Events Committee of the Buderim Foundation Limited.

As previously mentioned, he played an active role in producing Coast-wide community musicals, the Buderim Forest Park Concert Series and other community events. He founded the Suncoast Sinfonia Chamber Orchestra.

He is active in his congregation at St Mark’s Anglican Church, Buderim and in the philanthropic charitable Order of St John of Jerusalem. He is a collector for the Heart Foundation.

Michael is an accomplished public speaker and is often called upon to chair community meetings, public events and ceremonies. He has won State-wide public speaking competitions on two occasions.

Michael has been involved in conservative politics and holds membership of the LNP, though he currently holds no elected office within the Party.

PERSONAL

At 52 years of age, Michael is fit and healthy and exercises regularly, putting him in good shape to face the rigours of the position of Mayor. He has been married but is currently separated. He has a 21-year old son.

Michael is dedicated to serving the people of the Sunshine Coast and has chosen to devote the next 4.5 months to full-time campaigning. He is very keen to attend community meetings and meet representatives of community organisations over this period.

MICHAEL BLOYCE
BEcon, LLB, GDipBA, MBA, Cert AssessWp/Trg.