Three heritage-listed buildings that once housed sugar mill workers are set to be restored as part of a new hospitality, entertainment and community precinct on the Sunshine Coast.
The former Moreton Central Sugar Mill, located between Bury Street and Mill Street in Nambour, is set to be transformed into The Namba Sugar Mill.
The project will be delivered by a local family group behind the nearby Club Hotel Namba, with Club Hotel Namba general manager Shayne Daniel and head chef Wayd Bailey leading the hospitality offering for the new precinct.
Mr Daniel said they want to see the venue put the heart and soul back into Nambour.
“We’re looking to provide family-friendly dining and entertainment options and events for locals and visitors to the region,” he said.
“We really want the community to be part of the vision, and there will be opportunities for local businesses, creatives and collaborators to help shape the precinct as it grows.”
The redevelopment will focus on restoring the existing open space and the three remaining buildings that are connected to Nambour’s sugar mill history.
The Moreton Central Sugar Mill played a major role in shaping the town’s economy and community for more than a century after the sugar industry began in 1895.
The mill closed in 2003, with the former factory site later redeveloped into a shopping complex, leaving the three remaining worker housing buildings as the last physical connection to the site’s industrial past.
The buildings were added to the Queensland Heritage Register in 2008.
The two timber cottages at 5 and 7 Mill Street were built between 1897 and 1917 as accommodation for mill workers, while the timber house at 14 Bury Street, built between 1907 and 1911, was the former mill manager’s residence.
“This is Nambour’s most historic site and we’re passionate about preserving and reconnecting the town with that history,” Mr Daniel said.
With Sunshine Coast Council planning approval in place, initial work is underway to prepare the site for the first stage of construction.
There are no renders or artist’s impressions at this stage.
“We want to give the community a chance to be part of shaping the first stage and each stage as the precinct comes to life,” Mr Daniel said.
Do you have an opinion to share? Submit a Letter to the Editor at Sunshine Coast News via news@sunshinecoastnews.com.au. You must include your name and suburb.
Mr Bailey said the precinct would be designed to evolve with the needs and interests of the community.
“We’re looking at incorporating a range of street food and outdoor dining options, live music and entertainment, artisan markets and seasonal events and festivals, taking advantage of the open green space,” he said.
“We’ll also have a dedicated children’s playground. We want it to evolve organically and see what people want as it grows.”
Mr Bailey said the goal was to create a destination where locals and visitors could gather while supporting the wider Nambour community.
“It will be a place where locals can drop in and meet up with family and friends, and where kids can run around in a safe space,” he said.
“We also see local businesses benefiting from more visitors visiting, as well as local musicians, artists and creatives who we hope will be part of the entertainment options.”
