Town looks ahead as Nambour Now gathers momentum

Helen Tagg, Trevor Thompson and Jennifer Barker at the meeting last fortnight

Nambour Now Community Meeting 

Community advocate Helen Tagg is continuing to call for residents to get involved in a new, non-political advocacy group aimed at putting Nambour’s interests first.

Mrs Tagg, who is leading the formation of Nambour Now, said the group was the next logical step following her journey over the past seven months that included a well-attended public meeting last fortnight.

She said that meeting marked an important turning point, with people from different backgrounds and political views coming together around a shared love of Nambour and a desire to see the town thrive.

“What inspired me most was that everyone in the room wanted what was best for Nambour and its people,” Mrs Tagg said. “That common ground is powerful, and it’s the spirit that will help unite a committee to advocate positively for the town.”

Mrs Tagg has emerged as a measured and purposeful voice in recent local debates, structuring discussion in a way that helped people feel heard and understood, while still pinpointing complex social issues affecting the town. Supporters say her approach has helped move conversations away from arguing about what the problems are, toward constructive discussion about how things could be done better.

She said navigating underlying political allegiances and biases had been crucial in allowing people to focus on solutions rather than sides.

“This isn’t about winning arguments or proving points,” Mrs Tagg said. “It’s about creating space for people to be heard, acknowledging the complexity of the issues, and then working together on what can actually be done to make Nambour stronger.”

Mrs Tagg has backed advocacy with action, including leading a petition that  attracted more than 1500 signatures in weeks and drafting a plan aimed at addressing safety and homelessness issues in Nambour with compassion and boundaries. The Nambour Now Facebook group has also grown to around 1500 members.

She said the past seven months had involved hard yards and some criticism, particularly on social media, and she was looking forward to sharing the workload with a committee of like-minded, diplomatic people.

“The frustration people sometimes feel comes from their love of this town,” she said. “It will be inspiring to start channelling that energy into a positive vision for Nambour and how we move forward.”

Mrs Tagg said she would begin contacting applicants this week. 

• People interested in joining the Nambour Now committee can still email expressions of interest to nambournow@gmail.com.