Community Profile - Rob Outridge of Maleny IGA

Rob Outridge and his wife Samantha at the Maleny IGA which they have owned since 1995

Birth date and/or star sign: 7 September 1964 - Virgo

Where did you grow up? Gympie for Primary School and Toowoomba for high school and Uni.

The last television show or movie you loved?  “Gold Rush”. Finding gold really appeals to me! Must be my Gympie roots.

One thing on your bucket list? To visit WW1 Australian battlefields in France and Belgium (I’m a military history buff).

What has been your most memorable moment?. Outside of family – probably when we ran our 100 year history back in 2005, over 4 days. The community involvement and appreciation shown towards us was really amazing and overwhelming.

What’s one thing you love about your job?  I love making decisions which add value for as many stakeholders as possible.

What is something people don’t know about you? I love history, particularly military history. My Dad told me that if we did not understand our past, we were destined to repeat our mistakes. History is so important for this reason.

What one thing would you like to see happen in the local area? High rise across the Range. No I’m joking! Oh goodness that’s really going to get me into trouble.

Best local activity & why? Coffee in one of our wonderful local cafes.

Best thing about your town (apart from the people)? Maleny is so picturesque, quaint and beautiful! It’s just the right size. The air is fresh. The community is vibrant, artistic and passionate. Everything grows exceptionally well here and the views speak for themselves.

Is there a local business, community group, club or person you’d like to give a shout-out to?  All of our 150-plus community groups that we contribute to via our local Community Benefits Program. We’ve raised $1.54m since 2006.

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