Love of town sparks calls to support struggling CBD’s potential

Trevor Thompson says long-time locals are telling him they no longer shop in Nambour, not because of a lack of loyalty, but because the town no longer feels safe.

Nambour Now Community Meeting

Rows of empty shopfronts and concerns about missed funding featured in part of a community meeting at The Presynct last fortnight, with residents and business owners using the discussion to express a shared belief that Nambour was a strong town deserving of renewed attention and confidence.

Former Maroochy Shire Council deputy mayor Trevor Thompson told the meeting he had never seen Nambour in such a weakened state. He said he was born in Nambour in 1947 and had lived in and around the town since. He recently walked Currie Street, where the number of vacant shops stood out as a visual reminder of decline.

He said long-time locals were telling him they no longer shopped in Nambour, not because of a lack of loyalty, but because the town no longer felt safe.

Despite those concerns, speakers repeatedly emphasised that their frustration stemmed from affection for the town and a desire to see it thrive. There has also been a recent uptick in private investment across Nambour – including the C-Square redevelopment – raising hopes of green shoots and signalling that the town could be on the cusp of renewal.

Community development worker Peter Hogg said the abandoned library upgrade had removed a major opportunity to draw people back into the CBD. He contrasted it with large-scale investment at Caloundra Library, which he said had delivered visible economic and social benefits.

Several speakers said empty shopfronts were not just a symptom of decline but actively worsened it, contributing to darker streets, reduced foot traffic and a quieter town centre after hours.

Presynct owner Rusty Nyman said Nambour had the foundations of a vibrant entertainment and hospitality precinct but had been undermined by unfulfilled infrastructure commitments. “The one thing I know about this town is that it has a massive soul,” Ms Nyman said. “There is no other town that feels like this one.”

She told the meeting her venue attracted about 900 patrons a month, with around 80 per cent coming from outside Nambour, yet promised late-night transport and activation linked to the special entertainment precinct had not materialised.

The unifying theme of the meeting was love for the town. Attendees repeatedly returned to the view that Nambour still had strong bones: committed locals, active charities and services, and business owners ready to invest if the town was given a fairer share of attention and resources.

For more information see the Nambour Now Facebook group or email nambournow@gmail.com if you are interested in joining the committee.