Sugar mill reborn: Historic Mill site to be revitalised as new hospitality and entertainment precinct
An artist’s impression shows a possible entrance to The Namba Sugar Mill precinct, which is planned for the historic Moreton Central Sugar Mill site between Bury Street and Mill Street.
The Moreton Central Sugar Mill precinct site is between Bury Street and Mill Street.
Nambour’s most significant site will be reimagined as a vibrant new hospitality and entertainment precinct for the local community, while paying tribute to the town’s heritage and sugar mill history.
The Moreton Central Sugar Mill precinct, to be known locally as The Namba Sugar Mill, is a site located between Bury Street and Mill Street. It will see the restoration of the open space and the three buildings that once housed workers of the former Moreton Central Sugar Mill, which closed in 2003.
Delivered in a staged approach, The Namba Sugar Mill is set to incorporate street food and outdoor dining options, live music, open-air spaces for outdoor and seasonal events, annual festivals and celebrations, artisan markets and a dedicated children’s playground.
A local family group, also behind the successful and nearby Club Hotel Namba, will deliver the exciting new project. They will continue their successful partnership with Club Hotel Namba’s Shayne Daniel and Wayd Bailey to lead the hospitality offering for the new precinct.
Both local to the community and having turned Club Hotel Namba into a highly successful hospitality offering, the pair have big plans inspired by their combined hospitality experience at iconic venues across the Sunshine Coast and Australia.
Club Hotel Namba head chef Wayd Bailey said it was an incredible opportunity to transform an iconic site into a safe and open destination for the region. “For more than a century, The Moreton Central Sugar Mill was the heart and soul of Nambour, shaping the town’s economy, culture and community,” Wayd said.
“We are all passionate about breathing new life into this space to provide family-friendly dining and entertainment options and events for locals and visitors to the region. At the heart of that will be a range of flexible food and beverage options and offerings. Such as if someone wants to drop in casually and grab a quick bite and ‘walk and talk’ they can do that, or they can sit down for a more relaxed experience with friends and family. We want it to evolve naturally and organically and see what people want as it grows.”
Since receiving Council planning approval and taking ownership of the site, initial work has started to prepare the site for the first stage of construction. The precinct will be delivered in stages, giving the community a chance to follow its progress and be part of what comes next.
Club Hotel Namba General Manager Shayne Daniel said the team was seeking community input to shape parts of the precinct and help create a space that was inclusive, family-friendly and unmistakably local, while also bringing new visitors to explore what Nambour has to offer.
“Local craftspeople, makers, brewers, musicians, businesses, trades and collaborators will have real opportunities to contribute to the precinct and help shape its future,” Shayne said. “I encourage all interested partners and residents to register for progress updates and follow the journey as The Namba Sugar Mill takes shape. We want to hear and work with you.”
Plans for The Namba Sugar Mill align closely with the Council’s Namba Place Plan and the site sits within the Nambour Special Entertainment Precinct.
Nambour Groups chair and well-known local business owner Rhonda Billett welcomed the project and said it was exactly what the town needed. “For years, our community has been crying out for an open green space in the CBD, which they can enjoy, and The Namba Sugar Mill will provide that,” Rhonda said. “It’s an iconic site and important to the town’s history, and I’m glad to see a local and proven operator take up that custody of such a significant site. It will be brilliant for our business community and bring more locals and visitors into town. Nambour is growing and we need this type of infrastructure to support that growth.”
Visit Nambasugarmill.com.au to register for updates.
History of the Moreton Central Sugar Mill site
Nambour’s history as a thriving sugar town began in 1895. The Moreton Central Sugar Mill Company was at the centre of the local industry and, as was common at the time, they purpose-built accommodation for its workers. The two timber cottages at 5 and 7 Mill Street (their original address was 17 and 19 Mill Street) were built between 1897 and 1917 and provided housing options for the workers. The timber house on Bury Street, built between 1907 and 1911, was where the Mill manager lived. Recognising their historical significance, Moreton Central Sugar Mill Worker’s Housing was added to the Queensland Heritage Register in 2008.