Nambour Now takes shape, sets sights on safety, transparency and practical action

Nambour Now committee members at last week's inaugural meeting.

A newly formed community advocacy group is taking on some of Nambour’s biggest challenges, from public space safety and homelessness to business support, consultation, and town renewal.

Speaking at the first meeting of Nambour Now on Sunday March 29, Chairperson Helen Tagg said the group had grown out of months of advocacy work that had become too big to carry alone. The aim was to contribute to a broader, active voice for a town determined to shape its own future. 

Mrs Tagg said her work had involved meetings with council and state representatives, investigation, formal information requests, media engagement and participation in forums and working groups connected to the safety issue in Nambour. “I never intended to really take on this work. It’s just evolved from here,” she said.

After the meeting, Mrs Tagg said she had been struck by the people who had come forward to serve. “The heart of these people, it’s really special. This is a good group of local people who genuinely care. I wouldn’t expect anything less from Nambour locals.” she said. Mrs Tagg also acknowledged the contribution of existing community groups and services already working in Nambour, saying Nambour Now aimed to support and strengthen community-led solutions and advocacy. “There are already a lot of people doing really good work in this space.” she said. 

She told the meeting she wanted the group’s work to be “sustainable”, with a strong foundation built on shared values, culture, and a clear sense of purpose. Among the values raised in the room were respect, compassion, honesty, integrity, transparency, accountability, fairness, dignity, and communication.

Mrs Tagg said Nambour Now would be community-first rather than politically aligned. “We don’t mind if anyone is connected with a political party or anything like that, but we don’t operate from that space. We’re community-first in this group,” she said. She said the core committee’s work had been acknowledged at different levels of government and it had been invited to contribute as an advocacy voice at Monday’s public hearing on the proposed bill amendment. “We’ve been given a seat at the table, which means the community has a chance to be heard,” she said.

A major focus for Mrs Tagg remains the difficult balance between supporting vulnerable people and keeping public spaces safe and welcoming for the broader community, especially families. She said Quota Park had become a particular tension point. “If families don’t feel safe to use our parks, and if they feel pushed out, they don’t socialise here,” she said. She said one of her biggest frustrations had been trying to get clear answers from representatives about how public spaces were being managed.

She said Nambour needed a genuine “place-based response” – bringing together key community members alongside police, frontline services, people with lived experience, and council to work through practical solutions. Alongside the safety and homelessness work, the group is also looking to introduce short-term projects that can show the community it can make a difference.

One early idea discussed at the meeting was a shopfront improvement project led by local business advocate Jennifer Barker, aimed at brightening empty premises and helping restore confidence in the town centre. Mrs Tagg said Nambour Now would continue to encourage and empower people to share ideas and be part of progressing community-led projects and advocacy efforts. “Right now, everything is on the table for discussion,” she said.

 For information, see the Nambour Now Facebook Page.