A 20 Year Vision for Downtown Nambour

Sustainability Outcomes

Environmentally Sustainable Outcomes

• Urban Greening of Major Streets: The vision proposes a strategic urban greening program for major thoroughfares like Currie Street and Howard Street. This includes replacing existing palm trees with more appropriate species that provide shade, visual amenity, and a natural sound barrier. The benefits of this green infrastructure include improved air quality, reduced urban heat, better stormwater management, and increased local ecological diversity. 
• Creation and Connection of Green Spaces: A core goal is to connect Nambour’s currently underutilised and disconnected green spaces, such as Petrie Park and Quota Park. This will be achieved by creating a Petrie Creek recreational pathway for walking and cycling. This initiative aims to increase the health of the creek itself and re-orient the town’s focus from vehicle arteries toward its natural assets.
• Culturally Significant Planting: The vision recommends planting the red-flowering tea tree (Callistemon Viminalis) throughout the revitalised streetscapes. The word Nambour is derived from the Aboriginal word “Naamba,” which refers to this tree, making its reintroduction a way to honour the area’s Indigenous heritage and natural history.
• Emphasis on Sustainable Development: The plan calls for a policy framework that encourages and enforces best practice in environmentally responsible design for all new and retrofitted buildings in the CBD. This includes promoting infill development to reduce urban sprawl, decrease pressure on infrastructure, and make more efficient use of existing land.
• Reduced Reliance on Vehicles: By creating a downtown residential population and a network of pedestrian-prioritised streets and dedicated bike lanes, the plan aims to reduce reliance on vehicle transport. This leads to less traffic congestion and a lower carbon footprint for the community.

Socially Sustainable Outcomes

• Economic Revitalisation and Job Creation: A central aim is to create a more economically sustainable and socially connected community by revitalising the struggling CBD. This includes creating a diverse local economy with profitable daytime and nighttime economies, which in turn provides more local employment opportunities.
• Creation of an Education and Creative Industries Hub: The plan proposes establishing a hub for tertiary education and creative industries, leveraging Nambour’s existing infrastructure (TAFE, transport hub) and its reputation as a creative centre. This aims to drive economic diversification, improve educational access, and increase social capital.
• Improved Public Spaces and Community Interaction: The vision focuses on creating vibrant, desirable public spaces that encourage social connectivity and interaction. This includes developing a pedestrian-prioritised street network, revitalising the town square, retaining alleyways for creative use, and developing a new Nambour Botanic Gardens.
• Increased Housing Diversity and Social Inclusion: A key goal is to create a diverse and inclusive CBD residential population. The plan calls for a policy framework for socially inclusive development, providing a mix of housing options for different needs, including affordable housing, accessible housing for people with disabilities, and seniors’ housing.
• Enhanced Safety and Accessibility: The plan incorporates Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) principles to make the town centre feel safer, especially after dark. It also promotes Universal Design principles to improve accessibility throughout Nambour by removing physical barriers, creating clear signage, and ensuring buildings and public spaces are accessible to all.
• Community-Led Development: The report recommends establishing a community-led development review committee. This ensures that local residents are not excluded from decisions that affect them and that new developments provide clear community benefits.