February 20, 2024

Costa Georgiadis, Matt Golinski & friends at last year’s Expo. This year’s event is on July 4-7. The Queensland Garden Expo, a horticultural staple in Australia for four decades, is gearing up for its 40th anniversary celebration with an extended four-day event (July 4-7). The Nambour Showgrounds will once again host a seven-hectare gardening experience, featuring Australia’s largest gardening speaker program including crowd favourites like Costa Georgiadis, Sophie Thomson, Jerry Coleby-Williams and Phil Dudman, plus celebrations to recognise the pivotal role of exhibitors since the Expo began in 1985. Event Manager Marion Beazley said, with over 360 exhibitors the event would bring together Australia’s gardening royalty, local permaculture and community groups, and more than 55 growers and nurseries. “The event was conceived by a group of Sunshine Coast Nursery Industry people who wanted to share their love of gardening and knowledge with local gardeners, and has grown year-on-year to the gardener’s paradise our visitors travel far and wide for,” said Ms Beazley. “Since its inception, we estimate that the Queensland Garden Expo has welcomed close to 1 million visitors and has contributed over $200 million to the Sunshine Coast economy. “This 40-year celebration is really a call out for locals; […]

By Janine Hill A NURSE has credited a Burnside-based education program for teen mothers with saving her life. “Shelley” had two children under three, no support and no hope when she connected with STEMM – the Supporting Teenagers with Education, Mothering and Mentoring program at Burnside State High School. She had not completed high school but was able to enrol in a tertiary pathways program at STEMM which led her out of an abusive, controlling relationship, into a nursing degree and to a happier life. “I think it saved my life,” Shelley said of the program. “I wouldn’t be the person I am today. I would still be sitting in that environment, probably on drugs, not working a day in my life, and my kids would have grown up in that environment,” she said. Shelley said that through STEMM, she recognised she was in a domestic violence relationship and was able to access the support and help she needed to leave. “I had never been in a relationship before. I just thought that must be what it’s meant to be like. I didn’t know what it was and I didn’t know how to get out of it,” she said. She

Positive future: Rhonda Billett addresses a recent Nambour Chamber of Commerce meeting. The local “I am Nambour” organisation is rolling our several projects in 2024 to help promote Nambour and hinterland. “We will have new projects on the agenda that include things like better promotion of the night time events in the CBD as well as more new events in the CBD,” said I am Nambour spokesperson Rhonda Billett.  “That includes the new Nambour Twilight market.  We also have the Nambour Rummagers Market moving from Tram Co into the CBD and we plan on heavily supporting our Showgrounds events like the Sunshine Coast Show as well as some of our other maxi-sized Show Grounds events like the 40 year anniversary of the Nambour Garden Expo in 2024.   “Our goal is to have the CBD tie in with these huge events as much as possible.  “We are also asking that if you have an event on in Nambour, or surrounding Nambour, to please tag us @IamNambour so we can share your event and spread the word further. Our I am Nambour marketing director Maree, from McGrath Media, is available to assist in promoting all Nambour events and Nambour business events. 

An artist’s impression of the plan for Lowe and Ann Streets.  by Janine Hill A council report on the Nambour Place Plan says there was 94 percent support for the streetscaping plan. However, while 69 percent of the 446 people who provided feedback on the plan last year did indeed support the overall plan put forward, almost a third were not entirely convinced. Twenty-five percent said they would support it if there were changes and six percent were not in favour of it at all. The plan looks at upgrades at five key points in the middle of town: the Currie, Howard and Mill Streets intersection; Mill Street; Bury Street and the council forecourt; Howard Street between Ann and Sydney Streets; and the Ann and Low Street intersection.  It includes some raised crossings, seating, street plantings, and making Bury Street one-way between Mill Street and Currie Street. An engagement report says the plan aims to “improve the centre’s streetscapes, facilitate a diverse range and scale of events, and bring new playful experiences, journeys and cultural connections to the community”.  The engagement plan does not specifically say what changes 25 percent of people wanted to the overall plan but does refer

Give us a chance:  Jodie Weston, Sharan Coombes, Abigail Permewan & Dean Hartley hope to spread information about the concerns of  homeless people. by Janine Hill A SIT-IN  in Nambour’s town square aims to raise awareness of homelessness and draw support for plans to provide some shelter for those who need it. Abigail Permewan, who has been without a home for four years, has been pushing for the council to allow the disused Fred Murray Building, in Currie Street, to be used as a homeless shelter or sanctuary. She met with council staff and Division 10 Councillor David Law on 15 and 16 February to try and progress the idea. “I need six councillors on-side,” said Abigail. “That building is sitting there full of rats but basically unused. So the rats have somewhere to go while we’re living in a flooded creek. “They have said that they’re doing an analysis of the building. It was built in 1983 and is still zoned commercial,” she said. “It would have to be rezoned to be a homeless shelter and it would have to be brought up to standard.” Abigail understands that getting the council to consider the idea is only the beginning