Gallery: Permanent police presence returns to Nambour CBD
Police Minister Dan Purdie, Senior Constable Aaron Caldwell & Nicklin MP Marty Hunt at yesterday’s opening of the Nambour CBD Police Beat.
After more than 20 years of community campaigning, a permanent police presence has returned to the heart of Nambour, with the official opening of the new police beat in Lowe Street this week.
The $1.1 million facility delivers a long-sought shopfront base for police in the CBD, aimed at improving visibility, strengthening relationships with local businesses and restoring confidence in community safety.
Local MP Marty Hunt said the opening marked a major turning point for Nambour, following decades of frustration from residents who felt their concerns were ignored.
“Community safety in Nambour starts here and it starts today,” Mr Hunt said. “The community have been crying out for this for two decades.”
Mr Hunt said petitions calling for a permanent police beat had been raised repeatedly over the years – including one by Nambour Jewellers owner Keira Fiorenza with more than 2000 signatures – but failed to gain traction until now. He said the new facility would support Nambour’s ongoing revival by reassuring locals, shoppers and visitors.
“Nambour is thriving at the moment, and this is going to add to that,” he said. “It’s going to add to community confidence and it’s going to add to community safety.”
The police beat was officially opened by Police Minister Dan Purdie, who acknowledged the length of the campaign and the persistence of local advocates.
Mr Purdie said the Lowe Street location would give police a visible, central base in the CBD, operating during weekday business hours and complementing the nearby 24-hour Nambour Police Station.
“We want people to be safe and we want people to feel safe,” he said. “One way you do that is by having a police beat right here in the heart of Nambour.”
The facility includes interview and meeting rooms, reception and waiting areas, and workspace for a dedicated full-time officer, as well as visiting specialist units such as crime prevention, investigations and child protection. It also works alongside a new CCTV network in the CBD.
Queensland Police Deputy Commissioner Mark Kelly said the beat was about strengthening everyday connections between police and the community.
“This police beat is about connection to the community, retailers and all those people that live in Nambour,” Deputy Commissioner Kelly said.
For long-time community advocate Chrissy Jones, the opening marked the culmination of a campaign she began 20 years ago with a petition outside Nambour Plaza.
“I stood at the bottom of Nambour Plaza and had a petition and I got 1100 signatures in one morning and from there we ended up with about three and a half thousand and it went to parliament,” Mrs Jones said.
She said that original police beat model, with designated officers walking the CBD, made a noticeable difference by improving relationships with businesses and making the town feel safer.
“It takes a long time to get things done, doesn’t it? But it’s done,” she said.
Mrs Jones urged the community to get behind the new police beat and make the most of it.
“We have it in town. There’s been money spent on it. We have a policeman who’s going to be doing the job, and we as a community should support it,” she said.
Minister Purdie said the opening also marked the fulfilment of a state election commitment.
“For more than a decade, the people of Nambour were ignored while crime grew and police were stretched thin,” he said. “Queenslanders voted for a fresh start, and that’s exactly what we are delivering with visible policing, more officers on the ground, and stronger action on crime.”
