Councillor backs calls for CBD traffic, parking investigation

Cr Law: “I think something needs to be done from from Maud Street right through to Petrie Creek Bridge and Price St.”

It’s the face of Nambour and its main thoroughfare. Currie Street is a key element of the CBD and integral to plans for Nambour’s revitalisation. 

However, once referred to as the ‘Magic Mile’, the main drag has looked tired and unwelcoming for more than a decade. Empty shopfronts are the result of a main street choked with heavy traffic, starved of parking and unwelcoming to pedestrians.  

Now residents and shop owners are renewing calls for a revamp, to make their street more inviting and encourage people back to the CBD.

A new Div 10 Councillor, a new CEO and Nicklin’s status as a key marginal seat provides promising impetus for some much needed attention to the once proud Street.

Local shopkeeper Deb Lawson reignited the long-term issue recently by starting a survey which has now attracted 1000 signatures. 

The survey coincided with a Queensland Cabinet visit to Nambour last month, during which Transport and Main Roads Minister Mark Bailey threw his support behind an investigation into traffic and parking concerns. 

Mr Bailey promised to have his team look at options for improving pedestrian experience and increasing parking. Options include calming traffic at either end of town, looking at parking and traffic routing, and improving traffic lights sequencing.

Div 10 Councillor David Law said last week he backs any moves to improve the street for pedestrians and retailers. 

“Those four lanes in the middle of Currie Street virtually cuts the town in half,” Cr Law said.  “It’s great to see that the Minister understands the problem. He even experienced the same issue when he was a councillor in Moorooka. So he gets it.”

Cr Law was confident strategies could be applied to encourage shoppers to park and stay longer. “We do get really heavy traffic through town but if we could calm it and control the flow I think it would make a big difference,” he said.

“We’ll have to wait to see what the experts say but to me we need to slow the traffic down, and I’d like to see traffic moving through the middle of the street so you keep the cars and trucks away from the footpath and away from pedestrians. 

“If you get the moving vehicles away from the people, they’ll start to feel safe and stay longer in town.

“I think something needs to be done from from Maud Street right through to Petrie Creek Bridge and Price Street, single lane in each direction.

“I will do anything I can do to improve the situation in Currie Street based on what the traffic modeling says we could do. 

“There is a lot to do but the (recently announced) Namba Activation Project provides excellent opportunities for action. 

“I think Currie street is improving slowly. Businesses are coming back. But four lanes is unhelpful and we may need to be strong enough to put up with spending one more minute in the car going through town in order to save our main street.”