Slowly but surely: Markets bringing life back to Nambour town square

Mark Bray mans the Chamber’s regular Town Square Markets barbecue.

One Nambour local says the town is starting to feel safer again, with community-driven events and the promise of a Police Beat helping reclaim a public space often associated with antisocial behaviour.

The weekly Town Square Markets, held every Thursday at the corner of Lowe and Short Streets are an initiative of the Nambour Chamber of Commerce as a way to revitalise the CBD and encourage more residents to stop, shop and spend time in the heart of town.

Liam Kment, a regular volunteer at the markets, has been spending time in Nambour for years and says he’s noticed a shift.

“I’ve been helping out the Nambour markets and I’ve been spending a lot of time in Nambour over recent years. So I have seen its quite sad decline. But Nambour is feeling safer compared to last year,” Liam said. 

“The new Police Beat will make it all feel much safer. Nambour has a great history but has been practically ignored by all three levels of government in recent times. 

“I just think the Nambour Town Square Markets, as small as they are, are a good  example of how locals really can make a difference just with their presence ... stopping in Nambour instead of driving all the way to Maroochydore.”

Mr Kment said the markets were bringing colour and conversation back to a space that is avoided by many locals.

“We’re literally setting up in the spots where people used to say they felt unsafe. A neighbour in Mapleton once described it as where ‘the dodgy crowd hangs out’. Now we’ve got families, live music and community stalls filling that space.”

While he acknowledges Nambour still faces challenges, Mr Kment believes community presence was part of the solution.

“The more people who show up, the better it gets. It’s not about spending big — just being here sends a message that Nambour matters.”

Mr Bray said he was pleased to see the energy in town improving. “On Thursday we had people sitting in the sun and enjoying the music so I’d agree the vibe is definitely improving,” he said. “From the start the idea was to activate the space and we’re doing that and we’ve got good people as stall holders and there seem to be more people moving through and having a look and stopping to listen to the music.”

Mr Bray said he’d like to attract more stallholders. You can contact him via president@nambour.com. The Town Square Markets run every Thursday from 9am to 1pm.