Nambour place revitalisation

The Nambour (Namba) Place Plan is part of the Nambour Place Revitalisation project. Visit the Have Your Say website for more information on the plan. 

About the project

Nambour centre is a vibrant hub of the hinterland, servicing the business, entertainment, cultural, health and education needs of the town and the surrounding communities.

Drawing on previous community engagement and planning by community groups and Council, a precinct-wide concept design and implementation plan to shape Nambour’s town centre for the next 10 to 15 years will be created in collaboration with the community.

Project scope

Over the past 10 years a series of planning and visioning documents have been produced collaboratively by Council and the community, outlining a vision for Nambour’s future. This vision will form the basis of the precinct concept plan.

The precinct concept plan, feasibility and implementation plan will provide a clear and detailed understanding of how the town centre will look and function, how much it will cost, and provide a roadmap for when each stage of construction can occur.

More feedback and community engagement will occur as the plan is developed.

Community engagement

As part of the placemaking approach to planning and design, Council will engage closely to ensure outcomes align with the values and vision of the whole community.

In the early planning phase of the project, Council has held a series of conversations with key community groups, facilitated a community Think Tank workshop, and analysed all documents produced over the last 10 years on Nambour’s town centre.

• Nambour Activation Plan (2015) (SCRC)
• Nambour Hub of the Hinterland - Centre Consolidated Report (2018) (SCRC)
• Nambour Economic Transition Strategy (2019) Reimagine Nambour

Significant changes have occurred since these reports were written, with many of the actions having been completed. Significant policy documents have also been more recently endorsed by Council, including the Environment and Liveability Strategy 2017 and the Community Strategy 2019-2041.

Council has also updated several plans which guide future social infrastructure investment in the region. It was necessary to undertake a review of these documents and implement their relevance to planning for the Nambour centre area.

These investigations have now formed the basis on which the precinct concept plan, feasibility and implementation plan will be produced.

Timeline

Stage 1 - Confirming the vision and setting priorities - 2022-2023

Invitational stakeholder and key community group meetings, including workshops to form project principles and vision, to acknowledge previous consultation, reports and plans.

Stage 2a - Introducing the plan - August 2023

Introducing the Nambour (Namba) Draft Place Plan to the community, checking the vision, overall design concepts and understanding priority staging including first stage of construction.

Stage 2b - Have we got it right? - May 2024

Summary of previous feedback and outline how the design has responded. Confirmation of first stage for construction with more detailed design.

Stage 3 - Presenting the final Place Plan - Mid 2024

Information on the final Place Plan.

Commencing first stage of construction - Mid 2025

Stage 1 of construction is currently funded within Council’s capital works program, however future construction stages are not currently funded. It is intended that the concept and implementation plan will enable the development of future capital works programs and be used in state and federal government grant applications.

Background

Located in the centre of the Sunshine Coast, Nambour is an important major centre servicing the surrounding hinterland towns and villages.

Nestled in the geographical centre of the Kabi Kabi First Nations Peoples traditional land, Nambour is a place of great significance both pre and post colonisation. The freshwater creeks and excellent soil saw the area used as a place of meeting and resting.

The central location saw the population swell during important festivities, or hunting and gathering drives, usually in the middle of summer, to as many as 600 people. It was also used as an important stop for groups traveling to the bunya gatherings in the Blackall Ranges. The place name is derived from the First Nations word “Namba”, referring to the red-flowering tea-tree (Callistemon viminalis).

As the once thriving capital of the Maroochy Shire, the centre has undergone a series of changes over the past 20 years leading to a sense of loss amongst longer term residents. In addition to the relocation of the sitting Council chambers, the bypass of the Bruce Highway, the closure of the sugar mill, and changes to agricultural production have also contributed to a perceived decline in the importance of the town.

This loss of identity and the changing role of the centre is now being seen by many as an opportunity to take forward what is already great and reimagine and redefine the town’s future. Recently the relatively affordable housing and commercial property has seen an influx of younger people attracted to the town’s central locality, good transport options, entertainment precinct and appreciation of a green and leafy aspect.

This project now aims to build on all of the great work that has been accomplished over the past 10 years by the community and Council and continue to collaborate with exiting initiatives such as the Special Entertainment Precinct and the Nambour Tram.

Nambour’s vision

Nambour is a naturally beautiful, creative, culturally active, and sustainable place to live, work, play and visit. Nambour is known as the hub of the hinterland, a town nestled in nature.

Contact

Stay up-to-date on Nambour precinct projects; including the repurposing of the Nambour administration building and Nambour Place Revitalisation project, by subscribing. 

For more information, please contact Council’s placemaking and design Office via email placemaking@sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au.