Library plans dropped as town calls for action on prime site & Nambour sends clear message: put building to work

Nambour’s Eddie De Vere Building is seen as an under-utilised asset.

Nambour residents have sent a strong message about the future of one of the town’s most valuable public assets just as Sunshine Coast Council has confirmed its previously proposed Library+ style redevelopment is no longer provided for in its 10-year Capital Works Program.

Instead, Council says it wants to work with the Nambour community and other stakeholders to explore the best long-term use of the Eddie De Vere building, Nambour Library and surrounding Council-owned assets, including opportunities for government, community and private sector investment.

Mayor Rosanna Natoli said Council still wanted to be ambitious about the precinct and “unlock their full potential”, describing its future as being about much more than one building.

The statements come as more than 100 community suggestions have been tallied in the week after the Sunshine Valley Gazette revealed concerns over the severe underutilisation of the Council-owned Eddie De Vere building in the heart of the CBD.

The response has now been compiled into a Community Sentiment Report, prepared by Nambour Groups chair Rhonda Billett, which is being provided to Sunshine Coast councillors, Mayor Natoli and Council chief executive officer John Baker.

While the responses are not a scientific community survey, they provide a snapshot of sentiment generated across the Gazette’s Facebook page and the Living In Nambour Facebook community following last edition’s front page report, ‘Handbrake on Nambour’.

The most common response was simply to “fill the space”, attracting 22 suggestions and reflecting frustration that such a prominent CBD asset remained significantly underused.

Establishing a university or TAFE campus was next with 17 responses, followed by calls for Council staff to move back into the building with 12, an arts or creative space with 11 and an expanded library with eight.

Together, those five ideas accounted for about two-thirds of the suggestions.

Other ideas included housing, businesses and retail, a hotel, medical practices, community facilities, a music campus, regional gallery, entertainment hub and film school. Four respondents suggested Council should sell the property.

The feedback follows concerns raised by Ms Billett, last edition, about the economic impact of Council relocating hundreds of workers from Nambour to Maroochydore City Hall from 2022.

The building once accommodated about 600 workers a day, compared with an estimated 100 to 150 now. “When you take 400 or 500 people a day out of the CBD, you take away people who were buying lunch, grabbing a coffee, shopping before or after work and generally contributing to the economic tapestry of the town,” Ms Billett said.

Cr Joe Natoli said he had placed the issue for discussion at the next councillor-only session. “I accept the information sent through however I won’t comment publicly until we have had that discussion,” he said.

Division 10 Cr David Law has also backed calls for greater activation of the site, saying the previously proposed $55 million redevelopment would have created an integrated library and community hub with Council offices and customer services.

He said the proposal was expected to attract about 10,000 visitors a month before Council cancelled the redevelopment in June 2025 and pushed the funding beyond 2032/33.

“Nambour has enormous potential and Council continues to ignore it. This is not good enough for our people and businesses,” Cr Law said.

Council maintains the Eddie De Vere building remains an important operational asset, with about 210 staff based across the building and neighbouring Nambour Library.

It said the building supported disaster management, staff training, corporate services and customer service, while the Namba Meeting Place was available for community use.

For Ms Billett, the community response reinforces the argument that the building’s future should not be allowed to drift.

“We need to evaluate whether continually spending money maintaining a substantially underutilised building is delivering the best outcome for Nambour,” she said.

“This is an important piece of community real estate. It could provide places for people, jobs, education or another economic use that brings people back into the CBD.”

Council confirms plans have been shelved for Library+ option

Sunshine Coast Council has confirmed its current 10-year Capital Works Program does not provide for delivery of the previously proposed Library+ style redevelopment in Nambour.

Council said it was instead continuing to explore the future of the Eddie De Vere building, Nambour Library and surrounding Council-owned assets.

“Improvements planned for this financial year will reactivate previously closed areas of the Eddie De Vere building and provide additional capacity and upgraded workspaces. Council’s broader investment in Nambour is also continuing, with the first stage of the town centre revitalisation progressing through contractor procurement.

“Rather than predetermining a single solution for these strategically located assets, Council wants to work collaboratively with the Nambour community and key stakeholders to explore their best long-term use, including opportunities for government, community and private sector investment.”

The change means the focus has shifted from delivering the previously proposed Library+ concept to considering a broader range of options for the Council-owned precinct.

Mayor: ‘unlock the next chapter for Nambour’

Despite the Library+ style redevelopment no longer being provided for in Council’s 10-year Capital Works Program, Mayor Rosanna Natoli says Council wants to be ambitious about the future of the Eddie De Vere precinct.

“These are valuable community assets right in the heart of Nambour and we want to work with the community to unlock their full potential,” Mayor Natoli said.

“We should be asking how these sites can bring more people, jobs, services and investment into the centre of Nambour, and who we can partner with to make that happen.

“We are not coming to the community with a predetermined answer. We want to build the answer with them.”

Mayor Natoli said the discussion extended beyond what should happen to the Eddie De Vere building itself.

“This is bigger than the future of one building. It is about unlocking the next chapter for Nambour.”

Cr Law disappointed by budget uncertainty

Cr Law said he continued to work hard to ensure the best outcome for the next use for the Eddie De Vere building and activating the CBD. “Thanks to Rhonda for providing the community feedback which is helpful,” he said.

“The remedial works on the roof and windows are completed and the fit out will commence soon. This will result in the building occupancy increasing. I do not know who will be filling the space but it will be fully occupied. This is minimum expectation for Nambour given what happened last year (when plans to upgrade the space were scrapped).”