Nambour business owners are joining forces to push for more parking in Nambour CBD to boost trade and add vibrancy to the shopping precinct.

Local businesswoman Deb Lawson is organising the drive for meaningful action to attract more shoppers to local main street shops. She’s calling for more parking spaces and more parking turnover. 

“It is difficult to invite successful retailers to open in Nambour if their customers can’t park anywhere!” said Ms Lawson, who owns mixed retail store Gatherer, on the corner of Currie and Howard Street. 

“Potential businesses and potential shoppers are put off because they can’t park easily. We hear this on a daily basis in stores around Nambour CBD. At the end of the day you’ve just got to put the horse before the cart, you’ve got to have easy parking before you can have easy shopping.”

Ms Lawson said she had spoken to fellow retailers and approached Council who had suggested getting other businesses on board to give the issue impetus.

“We’re launching a survey to collect the data,” she said. “If we can get a good amount of signatures maybe we can get this issue looked at for real.”

The survey asks two questions: 

• Do you have trouble finding convenient car parking in Nambour for CBD shopping?

• If parking was more readily available, would you shop in town more frequently?

Link: www.surveymonkey.com/r/HS3DMLZ

Ms Lawson said different time-zoned parking areas (30 mins, 60 mins, 2 hours and 3 hours) could be implemented to encourage parking turnover. 

“This can help to move traffic through the CBD, allowing more people the opportunity of parking close to what they need, when needed.”

David Harris from Heretics Haven in Currie Street agreed. “I’d like to see better policing of the parking spaces to stop people parking in the same spot all day,” he said. 

Mr Harris said people often parked their cars across multiple  motorbike spaces and in loading zones. “My delivery guys have to park blocks away some days, because the loading zone is occupied,” he said.

Longer-term initiatives might include: traffic calming in Currie Street; re-configuring Currie Street to allocate more parking spaces; and a better crossing for pedestrians at the Howard Street/Currie Street intersection.

“Many CBD businesses feel one of the best solutions would be a new multi-level public car park somewhere in the heart of town,” said Ms Lawson. 

“You know, there is one thing we get tired of hearing as residents and business owners: ‘Nambour has so much potential’,” said Ms Lawson. “We wholeheartedly agree. That’s why we have invested our lives in this town and moved our families here, as well as open businesses. We now need that potential to be reached.

“There are some great initiatives and exciting times for Nambour coming. We are all looking forward to the future, but we need this one looked at more closely to help tie everything together – more parking means we can attract more customers – with more customers comes the need to employ staff – ensuring employment for locals, and on it goes”.

“With improved parking we may be able to fill the empty buildings in town as well.”

Ms Lawson acknowledged the business community had tried to get the issue off the ground in the past, with not much change taking place, but she was not disheartened. 

“Stores in CBD Nambour have their struggles, and this is a big part of the issues we all face.

“I’m door-knocking people for a petition just to collect the data, to collect the evidence. I’m told people have been talking about improving parking for 15 years. But for some reason it’s not on the agenda.”  

Well-known local musician Andrea Kirwin said more parking was needed if Nambour was to live up to its growing reputation as a music hub and cement its looming status as a Special Entertainment Precinct.

“If we are going to encourage music venues to open there needs to be ample parking in town to cater for crowds,” she said. “If we sold 400 tickets to a show, where would they all park?”

Nicklin MP Rob Skelton said he was looking forward to finding out more. 

“I agree businesses would most likely benefit from more parking in the CBD,” he said. “I look forward to seeing the results of the survey and working with Council, residents and business to find the best solution for our community.” 

Nambour Book Exchange owner Darren Bailey said a lack of convenient parking made it difficult for even most loyal customers to visit his much-loved Currie Street institution. 

“This shortage of spaces, combined with people parking their vehicles all day in the one spot has lead to people finding different options other than shopping locally,” he said.

“I have been consistent in my complaints to council for over 10 years but I am usually told that there are no possible areas to use as new parking and that resources are not available to improve existing areas. Personally I am having to park my own vehicle a long distance away from my own business and walk into town as I do not have a parking space.

“In my opinion monies should be designated to give our Currie Street all the basic essential services. I urge people to remember that, not that long ago, Nambour main street was the go to place for the whole Sunshine Coast area to come and visit and shop.”

Div 10 Cr David Law was on leave last week, but he provided a Nambour Local Area Parking Plan from 2017 which outlines most of the suggestions put forward more recently by local businesses.  See the plan here. 

To have your say about improving parking in Nambour CBD fill out the survey at  www.surveymonkey.com/r/HS3DMLZ. There will also be forms for people to sign in various stores around town.