Hunt stresses housing wins but distances state from car park sale

Nicklin MP Marty Hunt used a Nambour Chamber of Commerce meeting on April 2 to highlight recent housing and community safety measures in the town, while making clear the proposed sale of the Howard Street/Sydney Street car park was “entirely a council decision”.

Speaking at Cultivate the Chaos in Howard Street, Mr Hunt pointed to a string of housing announcements made earlier in the week, including an eight-unit social housing project in Carter Road and a 20-unit temporary emergency accommodation development on the outskirts of Nambour.

He said the emergency accommodation project was designed to help move vulnerable people out of tents and into safer, more stable living arrangements.

“We’ve had Critical Response (HOME) teams working across our parks over the past year - actively engaging with people on the ground and providing direct outreach and support where it’s needed most,” Mr Hunt said. “We’ve housed 22 of those people.”

He also said the State Government had provided an extra $1 million to IFYS to expand its Nambour services from one day a week to five days a week.

But when it came to the controversial Howard Street/Sydney Street car park proposal, Mr Hunt told the meeting the State Government had no involvement in that site.

“The minister also announced that he was negotiating with council to get a good price on a block of land for a Common Ground style of housing solution. That is not that (Howard Street/Sydney Street) block,” he said.

“The State Government has no commitments whatsoever to the Sydney Street/Howard Street block. It is entirely a council decision.”

Mr Hunt said he would leave that issue with Sunshine Coast Council, which he said was hearing community feedback.

The MP also used the meeting to underline his ongoing focus on community safety in Nambour, saying the recently established police beat had come about after business owners called for stronger action.

“We’re a compassionate community, but there are limits - some of this behaviour simply can’t continue.”

“Everyone has the right to feel safe - whether they’re shopping, running a business, or simply coming and going.”

Mr Hunt said he believed Nambour was improving despite its challenges. “I’ve never seen so much business engagement, investment, and optimism in Nambour,” he said. “I see improvement, I see optimism, and I think we’re doing okay.”

Nicklin MP Marty Hunt addressing the Nambour Chamber at the April 2 meeting “I’ve never seen so much business engagement, investment, and optimism in Nambour,” he said. “I see improvement, I see optimism, and I think we’re doing okay.”