Sunshine Valley Gazette

Brooke Humphreys and Tara Sutcliffe have set up a relaxed haven for Nambour food lovers. Business Writeup by Janine Hill TWO mums with a shared background in hospitality have combined heads, hands and hearts to open a new café in Nambour. Brooke Humphreys and Tara Sutcliffe opened Muffin Whole opposite Quota Park three months ago with a vision to provide tasty food in a welcoming, relaxed space. “We both worked in hospitality in our teenage years and wanted to create a really nice atmosphere for everyone, especially mums, to come and get some yummy cakes and feel really comfortable relaxing with the kids,” Tara said. “It’s not a gentrified café. If there’s a level of pretentiousness in the air, you can’t really relax. Easy going venue next to park  “We’re pretty easy-going here and the park is opposite. It’s a laidback space and we think people have responded to it really nicely.” Tara, a chef by trade, takes pride in the quality of food on offer. “We make everything from scratch – the bread, the pickles, the cakes. A friend brings in beautiful home-grown vegies from her garden and we get other produce from the markets,” she said. The two […]

The troubled Town Square area bordered by Short and Lowe Streets in the CBD. Comment by Cameron Outridge, Editor Once again, it is time to address the safety concerns in the Nambour CBD town square area. The issues plaguing businesses around Lowe and Short Streets have left owners, staff and customers feeling threatened, intimidated, and – worst of all – dismissed, resulting in considerable mental and financial strain. In our interviews with numerous business owners in the town square over 12 months the psychological stress they face is palpable. Though their numbers may be relatively small, the concerns raised by these businesspeople are genuine, persistent, ongoing, and remain unanswered. This time, Member for Maroochydore, Fiona Simpson, who grew up around Nambour, has brought attention to the matter. She has been joined by Tristan Brown, Director of RE/MAX Nambour, who is speaking up on behalf of other concerned businesspeople, staff, and customers. Mr Brown emphasizes the lack of substantive acknowledgement or effective response from the relevant authorities. Despite their valid safety concerns, his business, staff, and customers are expected to endure without any practical resolution on the horizon. Many businesses we spoke to are afraid to voice their concerns publicly, fearing

Maroochydore MP Fiona Simpson visits the Town Square with RE/MAX Nambour Director Tristan Brown. Nambour businesses, staff and customers fear for their safety because of frequent public drug-taking and violent and anti-social behaviour in the Town Square, according to Shadow Minister for Finance and Better Regulation, Fiona Simpson. The Maroochydore MP said crime in the Short Street-Lowe Street vicinity was “out of control” and it was time for action. She said Nicklin MP Rob Skelton was missing in action on fixing the issues. “There has to be an appropriate and timely response to these issues, to deal with these issues, or else it’s going to get worse,” she said.  “Why is the community giving up … Police (boots on the ground) numbers are down and the government keeps fudging the numbers to hide the truth,” she said. Ms Simpson said some crime rates in Nambour in the last twelve months had risen: • Unlawful use of a motor vehicle up 40% • Unlawful entry up 32% • Other theft up 43%. She said assault was reportedly down 13 percent but “this is because the community has given up reporting what is going on in the streets”. “The Full Time Employee

by Cameron Outridge Business owners and staff around Nambour’s Town Square are expressing their deep frustration over the continued lack of substantial acknowledgement of safety concerns plaguing the area.  Despite ongoing issues related to unruly behaviour, violence, and drug and alcohol-induced incidents, RE/MAX Nambour Principal Tristan Brown said there has been a lack of effective response from authorities.  Mr Brown said, with no signs of improvement or a clear plan of action from the State Government or Council, the relatively small CBD business community was left feeling unheard and concerned for the safety of their staff and customers.  Mr Brown said business owners around the Town Square on the corner of Lowe and Short Streets were “incredibly frustrated” that there was a general lack of substantial acceptance of their continued safety concerns. “There’s this lack of acknowledgement that there is even a genuine problem,” he said. “The responses from the relevant people who have a responsibility to the community are responses focused on justification, or on debating that there even is an issue. “And then they try to hide behind figures that we all know are not representative of what’s happening on the ground, in and around the square. From

Event manager Marion Beazley in the pavilion at Nambour Showgrounds on Friday… Gardening trends come and go but the Expo is a mainstay. “We are the biggest gardening event in Queensland.” by Janine Hill DYED-in-the-compost gardeners are counting down the sleeps until the Queensland Garden Expo. The three-day gardening extravaganza, the highlight of the green thumb’s year, will be held at the Nambour Showgrounds from this Friday, 7 July, until Sunday 9 July.  Event manager Marion Beazley said gardeners who had come to know and love the expo program could expect a return of everything that had made the expo a popular annual event for decades. The speakers program is an integral part of the expo and some people travelled great distances to plant themselves in front the likes of Gardening Australia’s Costa Georgiadis, above, Jerry Coleby-Williams and Sophie Thompson, below. “We don’t feel like we’ve got to reinvent the wheel every year for this kind of event,” Marion said.  “Having 55 nurseries in one place is enough for a lot of people. It would be difficult to find that many nurseries and that number of plants in any one place at any one time. “We are the biggest gardening

Maiori Pizzeria in Bury Street is owned by Sarah and Antonia Masella … “It was always our dream to open our own pizzeria”. Business Writeup by Janine Hill A PIZZERIA tucked away in a Nambour side street is fast becoming known for its genuine Italian pizzas. Maiori Pizzeria in Bury Street is owned by Sarah and Antonia Masella, who are both originally from Sardinia and worked in hospitality there and in Germany before moving to Australia six years ago. “We came here on holidays and we fell in love with Australia – the lifestyle and the weather. The people are friendly, happy,” Sarah said. They spent eight months in Sydney before moving to the Sunshine Coast and worked at other pizza businesses before they saw an opportunity to open their own in Nambour. “It was always our dream to open our own pizzeria. My husband wanted to be able to do what he wanted to do his way,” Sarah said. “One day we were driving through Nambour and saw this shop. My husband likes it because the customers can look down and see the pizzas being made,” she said. Maiori Pizzeria pizzas are made the Italian way. Everything is made

The team shot the latest video package at Dulong Lookout. The theme was Eat Stay and Play in the Sunshine Coast Hinterland Gateway.  A video and branding package showcasing Nambour and hinterland’s green surroundings,  food, restaurants and cafes, live local music events and creative local art exhibitions will be launched today (June 21). The initiative developed by “I Am Nambour” and “Nambour Groups” aims to captivate locals, and attract tourists and investors to the region.  Tourism body Visit Sunshine Coast supports Nambour as the “Gateway to the Sunshine Coast Hinterland”. The sub-region includes Eudlo, Palmwoods, Woombye, Nambour, Diddillibah and Bli Bli. Nambour Groups convenor Rhonda Billett said momentum was strong and private investment in the area was growing.   “Our region is flourishing and with the assistance of our Nambour Groups’ collaboration with Sunshine Coast Council we are telling the story of what all the noise and excitement is about in this region,” she said.  “At the recent Sunshine Coast Infrastructure Summit held a few weeks ago, the Sunshine Coast Business Council identified things like 7-day trading and night time economies were options this region could benefit from for economic growth and further prosperity. “Businesses locally are starting to embrace

Fairfax MP Ted O’Brien, Rhonda Billett and Cr David Law attended the summit. Promising opportunities for Nambour, in its role as a hinterland gateway, were highlighted at the inaugural Sunshine Coast Infrastructure Summit, held on Friday (June 2). Government representatives, community leaders and business owners were challenged at the summit to inform a prioritised infrastructure plan through to 2050.  Local  businesswoman and chair of the Nambour Groups organisation Rhonda Billett said the meeting  identified challenges and opportunities for Nambour and surrounds.  “The hinterland areas have become increasingly popular as places to live and visit during Covid and now post Covid,” she said.   “We have a lush green landscape here in the hinterland gateway, with natural waterways and abundant wildlife that is proving to be one of this region’s biggest drawcards and an asset to nurture into the future.” Opportunities also existed with Nambour chosen to host a 2032 Olympic event at the Parklands Mountain Biking facility. “Our international visitors will require accomodation and transportation in the Nambour and surrounding areas and we will be looking for private investment and government investment to assist regarding this future forecast.  “We can’t afford to miss any opportunities that will enhance our local

The work was completed by Graeme Brown and Brett Warren of SignTown in Nambour at the former Jacksons Cafe. An empty tenancy in the Nambour CBD has been brightened with shop front window wraps showcasing parking solutions in town and the Nambour Vintage Op Shop Map. Nambour Chamber of Commerce, Nambour Tram Co, Nambour Retailers Group and Reimagine Nambour collaborated on the project with Sunshine Coast Council. The work was completed by Graeme Brown and Brett Warren of SignTown in Nambour at the former Jacksons Cafe which has remained empty for some years and fronts the town square on the corner of Lowe and Short Streets. “We wanted to add some colour and vibrancy until the space becomes tenanted,” said Nambour Groups organiser and local businesswoman Rhonda Billett.  Ms Billett said the most popular pages on the  www.IAmNambour.com.au web site include the Vintage Shopping Map followed closely by the Nambour Parking Map.   “These window wraps are delivering on sharing the popular I Am Nambour web site pages featuring the maps created last year even further. “After a successful launch of the I am Nambour Brand and #ExploreNambour concepts at the start of this year, we are really seeing some

The Thursday Town Market is back on in Nambours CBD.  The boutique-style market offers shoppers a range of produce, eats, drinks and gifts. It runs from 8am – 2pm in Town Square, corner of Lowe and Short Street and part of the aim is to energise and revitalise the CDB area.   Nambour Chamber of Commerce was behind the push to revive the markets at the request of CBD business owners.  “For the Town Square precinct to be activated we need the residents of Nambour and surrounds to get down to the markets on a Thursday morning and support the stall holders,” said Chamber President Mark Bray said. The markets will be held weekly and if you’re interested in having your own stall,  contact Wayne on 0409 115 283.