http://www.yellowpages.com.au/
The Yellow Pages search tool is very effective.
To use it to find a local business of the type you are after:
Enter the type of business (Ex. Electrician) and the state (Queensland) then click Find. This brings up all the electricians for Queensland.
Now choose the Sort by ‘distance from me’ option. It will ask you to enter your address and either travel by car or foot. Then press Enter. This now sorts them starting with those closest to you.
NOTE: This will not find all local businesses. There are a lot of people with tiny businesses working from home who are not registered with Yellow Pages. Look on the Find a Local Business listings on this site and on the Forums – Business – Local Businesses on this site for these.