Ken O'Dowd (Flynn, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Today I rise to say goodbye to an old friend of mine and a great mate, Steve Beale, late of Calliope and Yarwun, who passed away unexpectedly on 23 August. He was 54 years old. Steve was husband to Sue, father to Cherie and Tim, Chris and Em, and Geoff and Lee, and a loving pop to nine grandchildren. Honesty, reliability and respect were non-negotiables with Steve. He had the ability to see the positives in every situation. Steve was an extremely loyal person. He had physical presence and a booming voice. He had a generous nature and unwavering support for his family, friends and the community. Despite having a rough and tough exterior, he was really a big softie.

Steve gained great satisfaction seeing people around him get ahead, especially those who worked hard. In 2004, he started MIPEC, a company which is now very big and employs close to 2,000 people, providing opportunities for locals to better themselves, including apprentices and trainees. Steve had a long, strong belief in and a great vision for Gladstone. Steve's Gladstone was a place that we all need to be proud of, a place where anything is possible in the development of the port. RIP, Steve.