UPDATED: An emergency declaration under the Public Safety Preservation Act, at Nambour, has been revoked.
The Queensland Police Service issued a media release at 3.51pm stating there was no ongoing threat to the public.
It came after police this morning established an exclusion zone following the discovery of a bottle containing a suspicious substance and a note saying ‘handle with care’ at the local police station.
A QPS spokesperson told Sunshine Coast News that “the suspicious liquid has since been deemed not toxic or dangerous”.
“A man was taken into custody … however was released without charge. Investigations are ongoing.”
While the PSPA and exclusion zone were in effect, a Queensland Fire Department scientific team was called in to investigate the substance.
Tests on the exterior of the estimated one-litre bottle revealed little information so QFD and QPS decided to remove the lid to analyse the substance.
A 50m ‘hot zone’ was established while one of the QFD science team members, with a breathing apparatus, collected the sample. QFD staff were on standby on the perimeter.
Testing was completed at 4pm after it was discovered the substance was not harmful.
A QFD spokesperson told SCN it was a “concoction of benign substances: a mix of different things”.
The declaration led to traffic congestion at school pick-up time and parents had to adjust their plans.
Texts and emails were sent to parents of St Joseph’s students advising school buses had been cancelled and children could be collected from a pick-up point.
EARLIER: Police have made an emergency declaration under the Public Safety Preservation Act and established an exclusion zone after a suspicious substance was found at Nambour.
Emergency services were alerted, at about 6am, after a member of the public located a substance at Nambour Police Station along Currie Street.
A PSPA was declared at about 10am, with the exclusion zone encompassing Currie Street, Arundel Avenue, Daniels Street and Mitchell Street.
Members of the public were advised to avoid the area and those within the exclusion zone were asked to remain indoors until further notice.
Investigations are underway to identify the substance.
Inspector Jason Overland told Sunshine Coast News that the suspicious substance was found in a Sprite bottle. There was also a message saying ‘handle with care’.
Insp. Overland said there was CCTV footage and that a male who was loitering in the area was assisting police with enquiries.
He said a special team (the Queensland Fire Department scientific team) had been called in to examine the bottle and substance and that a robot could be utilised.
The exclusion zone stretches for about 100m south of the police station and 50m north. It includes the Nambour Court House, service station, take-away outlets, church, medical centre and veterinary clinic.
Traffic was banked up in all directions around the exclusion zone, which will remain in place until the investigation is finished.
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