Robert Charles Manning OAM (born 16 October 1945) is an Australian former politician who served as mayor of Cairns from 2012 until his resignation in 2023.

[4] After resigning his role at the port [5] as a stand against "bullying tactics" by the Queensland Government,[6][7][8] Manning began consulting work in Jordan[9] and South Korea.

[13] In February 2015, Events NQ was put into liquidation, with staff left without their entitlements and creditors unpaid.

[14] In January 2012, Manning announced his intention to run for mayor of Cairns at the upcoming local government elections with a team of candidates under the name "Unity 2012".

[19] In 2004 he was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia for "service to the community of the Cairns region through the development and promotion of the tourism, maritime and aviation industries".