Sunshine Valley Gazette

12/12/2025

Nambour Chamber of Commerce Christmas party highlights community growth and volunteer efforts

The Nambour Chamber of Commerce held its annual Christmas Party at The Namba on December 12, celebrating a year of community initiatives and recognising key contributors to local economic development.

Market operations and leadership recognition
Chamber President Mark Bray acknowledged the successful operation of the Nambour Town Square Market, thanking coordinators Keith and Jenny McKay for their ongoing management. The chamber initially obtained the market permit and appointed an experienced coordinator, but Keith and Jenny assumed responsibility when he had to step aside.

Special recognition was given to Liam, a young volunteer who began by helping transport equipment to the square and has since become instrumental in organising stallholders and promoting the markets through social media. Liam received a token of appreciation from the chamber for his exceptional contribution.

Weekly barbecue success
The chamber's weekly barbecue operation at the markets has become exceptionally popular, with volunteers Mark Bray, Brian Bugenhagen, and Tanya Outridge serving bacon and egg burgers. The initiative has proven so successful that customers have waited up to two hours for burgers, and regular patrons have expressed disappointment when the service is unavailable. The barbecue operation was praised for enhancing the market atmosphere and encouraging community participation.

Venue support
Chamber President Mark thanked Shane and the team at The Namba for providing meeting space and ongoing chamber support, noting the importance of thriving central businesses to community success.

Julie Smedley received special recognition for organising the Christmas party event, including venue coordination, speakers, and logistics.

2025 leadership
Following the recent Annual General Meeting, the chamber board remains largely unchanged for 2025, with Kylie Limpus joining as treasurer being the only modification. The chamber emphasised the importance of membership support and acknowledged various community contributors working across businesses and not-for-profit organizations.

Community garden initiative expands
Racheal Pascoe updated everyone on the Nambour Grown community garden project which is seeking local business sponsorship for its 36 garden beds at $100 per bed. Half of the beds have been sponsored in recent weeks, with funds covering seeds, seedlings, mulch, poly pipe and netting. The initiative, supported by year-round volunteers working Thursdays and Sunday afternoons, has progressed to the point where organisers plan to support local kitchens that provide food for needy people in 2025. The project maintains a page Nambour Grown.

Guests enjoyed great food and live music from Hinterland folk duo, https://www.instagram.com/longwayhomemusic/

12/12/2025

Soquilichi Rescue Ranch - SRR - Australia

On the 12th day of Christmas...we took in 12 cats and kittens saved from a dog fighting ring.

We hate to put a downer on your Christmas, but this is the sad reality and you've got to have stamina and resilience to be a part of animal rescue. A raid on a Northern Territory property uncovered the heinous operation that used cats as bait. We obviously could not say no to taking in the cats found there. The photo shows felines of all ages from this property. They are safe and the mummas are co-parenting.

For the cost of a cup of coffee a week, you can help us to always say YES to taking in animals. Donations also help fund our desexing program.

In return, supporters who opt for recurring donations are invited to join the VIP donor club. VIPs receive live streams and updates on the progress of the animals in our care. As a member, you’ll see first hand the massive difference the SRR VIP donor program makes to animals.

If you’d like to join the VIP program click here ↓
Link for VIP donations https://srr-soquilichi-rescue-ranch-vip-donor-club.raiselysite.com/

If you’d like to make a one off donation click here ↓
https://srr-soquilichi-rescue-ranch-donations.raiselysite.com/

Message us if you’d like to adopt a cat or kitten.
Every share, every dollar helps.

12/12/2025

Sunny Coast Sleeper coming to Nambour

Nambour will soon welcome a vital new support service for people sleeping rough, with the Sunny Coast Sleeper preparing to operate in town three nights a week from early next year. The Maroochy Neighbourhood Centre operates the service and has spent months securing support, repairing the bus and preparing it for relaunch.

The Sleeper is a fully refitted bus containing individual sleeping pods, which offers a supervised, secure and dignified alternative to bedding down in parks and public spaces.

Petitioner Helen Tagg said she would be at the Open Day to show her support for the initiative as a local safety advocate and Sunny Coast Sleeper working group member (a group facilitated by Sunshine Coast Council).

"It is a helpful step forward for our community which gives people experiencing homelessness a safe place to sleep for the night,” Mrs Tagg said. "Residents have consistently asked for safer, more structured options and whilst the Sleeper Bus is not a full solution to homelessness it is a welcome part of a broader coordinated response.

"Initiatives that offer safe, structured support are something I deeply value, and it is a credit to the Maroochy Neighbourhood Centre for stepping forward to help deliver this for our community,” she said.

"The open day will allow the community to see how the service works and offer a chance to help provide a safe and secure night of sleep for someone in need. This is a fantastic initiative, though volunteers will be essential to support the service and keep it running smoothly.”

Ongoing and constructive discussions with Sunshine Coast Council’s Community Development team have resulted in a partnership that will see the Sunny Coast Sleeper operating in Nambour from early 2026.

Maroochy Neighbourhood Centre CEO, Mark Ellis, said that while the bus is not a permanent solution to homelessness, it plays a vital role in supporting people sleeping rough.

“Even one night of safe, uninterrupted sleep makes an extraordinary difference,” Mr Ellis said.

“Volunteers have described the transformation as chalk and cheese. People may get on the bus exhausted, overwhelmed, and short in their responses and by the next morning, they’re a different person. You could say they enter the cocoon as a caterpillar and emerge as a butterfly.”

Sunshine Coast Mayor Rosanna Natoli said the Sleeper bus is a practical and compassionate response to a pressing issue.

“Nambour is a community that cares deeply about its people – when someone is sleeping rough, it affects all of us,” Mayor Natoli said.

“Sunny Coast Sleeper will give people a safe, warm place to rest and a chance to connect with support services.

“We need volunteers to make this possible – roles are flexible, training is provided, and even a few hours can make a big difference. If you’ve ever wanted to help, now is the time.”

The Sunny Coast Sleeper will operate in Nambour on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday nights and in Maroochydore Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights each week, with the support of trained volunteers and community partners.

Join us for a community Open Day
An Open Day will be held on Thursday 18 December 9am – noon at Anne Street in Nambour, coinciding with the Nambour Town Square Markets. Residents can meet the team, tour the Sleeper bus and learn more about how to help.

Cr David Law - Division 10 encouraged locals to take part in the event.

“The Open Day is a great opportunity to see the Sleeper bus up close and understand how it will help people in our community,” Cr Law said.

“Come along, meet the volunteers, and find out how you can get involved. Together, we can make a real difference for those doing it tough in Nambour.”

How to get involved:
Register your interest via the Sunny Coast Sleeper Volunteer EOI [email protected] Sunny Coast Sleeper on Maroochy Neighbourhood Centre Facebook and Instagram for updates. Purchase a Give a Safe Sleep Christmas voucher to support the initiative at givenow.com.au/sunnycoastsleeper

The community is invited to join us on Thursday 18 December, in Anne Street, Nambour, to see the Sunny Coast Sleeper service up close, learn more about the service, or sign up for one of the many volunteer opportunities.

Sunny Coast Sleeper Open Day
Thursday 18 December
9am to 12pm
Ann Street, Nambour (display location only)

12/12/2025

Ray White Nambour’s first in-room auction enjoyed excellent turnout

Ray White Nambour hosted their first in-room auction event at the iconic Tramway Building, right in the heart of Nambour on Friday, December 5.

The historic space provided the perfect backdrop as they brought a selection of hinterland properties to market from a charming 1950s classic offered by the original owners’ family, to tranquil rainforest retreats surrounded by natural beauty and privacy.

“Over the past 30 days, our campaign generated strong interest with 72 inspections and 235 inspection attendees, culminating in an excellent turnout with more than 45 people in the room on auction night,” said agency Director, Matt O’Grady.

“We’re incredibly proud of our team’s efforts, achieving two properties sold under the hammer, with another three currently under negotiation and expected to go under contract in the coming days.

“We couldn’t be happier with the success of our inaugural event and the opportunity to showcase these properties in such a meaningful location within our beloved town of Nambour,” he said.

“We look forward to continuing these auction events throughout 2026 and further supporting the growth and momentum of our vibrant region.”

Pictured: Ray White Nambour’s Matt O’Grady.

12/12/2025

Cello Dreaming

12/12/2025

Saint Atlas

12/12/2025

The Shack Community Centre

12/12/2025

C&K Maleny faces serious allegations after child swallows button battery

A Sunshine Coast mother, proceeding under a court-approved pseudonym Jane Smith, has commenced Supreme Court proceedings against The Creche and Kindergarten Association Limited (C&K) after her then five-year-old daughter swallowed a button battery while attending C&K Maleny in 2021.

Filed in the Supreme Court of Queensland, the Statement of Claim alleges the battery, a known and deadly hazard, came into the child’s possession while she was in the care of the centre. It is further alleged that staff did not see the ingestion occur, were unaware of what the child had swallowed, and phoned her parents, leaving her father to drive her to hospital.

The child required emergency treatment, including surgery and transfer to Queensland Children’s Hospital, where she was placed in an induced coma for several days and remained an inpatient for weeks. She sustained severe internal injuries and, after finally returning home, required a nasogastric feeding tube for two months, with her mother administering every feed as part of her ongoing recovery.

Her mother, who was working in the Emergency Department of the Sunshine Coast University Hospital at the time and unexpectedly received her own daughter as a patient in a critical condition, alleges she has since developed post-traumatic stress disorder, with nightmares, intrusive thoughts, flashbacks and ongoing anxiety.

C&K, which operates more than 320 kindergarten and childcare centres across Queensland,[1] is accused of failing in its duty of care, statutory obligations, contractual obligations and consumer guarantees by not adequately inspecting the premises, maintaining systems to identify and remove hazards, supervising children safely, or providing staff with sufficient training and support to identify high-risk items such as button batteries.

The risks associated with button batteries are widely known. They can burn through tissue within two hours, leaving children with catastrophic injuries[2] and regulators, including the ACCC, warn that approximately one child a month suffers serious harm from battery ingestion.[3]

Managing Partner at Travis Schultz & Partners, Travis Schultz, said the case reinforced the vital safety duties of early childhood providers.

“By pursuing this claim, my client wants to shine a very clear light on the legal duty early childhood providers have to keep children safe from obvious and preventable dangers,” Mr Schultz said.

“She is seeking justice for her daughter – but equally, she is calling for stronger, sector-wide standards so no other family has to experience the ordeal that hers had to. This is not about blaming individuals. It’s about ensuring the systems, safeguards and daily checks within childcare centres are robust enough to stop deadly hazards like button batteries from ever reaching a child.”

Button batteries are present in thousands of everyday household and consumer products, and Mr Schultz said the timing of the case was a stark reminder for families preparing for the holiday season.

“This case is a timely reminder, especially in the lead-up to Christmas, that our homes are filled with products containing button batteries – from toys and wearable gadgets to festive decorations and flameless candles,” Mr Schultz said.

“These small, shiny batteries can be deadly within hours if swallowed, yet they are found in countless items that end up in children’s hands. Every parent and carer should take a moment to check their home, particularly new gifts and Christmas stocking fillers, and ask whether those products really need to be there. The risk they pose simply isn’t worth it.”

Mr Schultz said his client had taken the step of suing under a pseudonym because of the profound psychological toll the incident has had on her and her family.

“My client has brought this claim under a pseudonym to protect her family’s privacy, because the psychological toll of this event has been devastating,” Mr Schultz said.

“By order of the Supreme Court, she has been granted leave to proceed with the claim using a pseudonym, and all documents filed in the case must refer to her in that way.”

C&K filed its Notice of Intention to Defend and Defence on 28 November 2025.

Pictured: Managing Partner at Travis Schultz & Partners, Travis Schultz "This is not about blaming individuals. It’s about ensuring the systems, safeguards and daily checks within childcare centres are robust enough to stop deadly hazards like button batteries from ever reaching a child.”

12/12/2025

Weapons, ammunition, drugs and cash seizure and arrest, Eudlo.

Police have charged a 31-year-old Nambour man with 15 drug and weapons offences following a protracted investigation resulting in his arrest at a Mossy Bank Road property in Eudlo on December 10.

Officers from the Sunshine Coast District Gang Squad and Special Emergency Response Team executed a search warrant, locating and seizing six fi****ms, a bayonet, ammunition, a large quantity of cash, methylamphetamine, co***ne, electronic scales and encrypted phones.

The Nambour man was charged with six counts of unlawful possession of a weapon (category D/H/R), four counts of possessing dangerous drugs (methylamphetamine, co***ne, lysergide, buprenorphine), and one count each of offence to buy S4/S8 medications, possess property suspected of having been acquired to commit a drug offence (scales, cash encrypted communication device), possess utensils, authority required to possess explosives and unlawful possession of a weapon (category A,B or M).

He was remanded in custody and will next appear in Maroochydore Magistrates Court on January 22.

Senior Sergeant Scott Wiggins of the Sunshine Coast District Tactical Crime Squad said the arrest and seizure is a great result for local police and will greatly benefit the Sunshine Coast community.

“The arrest of such a serious offender is a step towards making the Sunshine Coast community safer,” Senior Sergeant Wiggins said.

“We’ll continue to conduct protracted investigations and channel our resources to ensure we get as many drugs and weapons off our streets as possible, and to keep detecting and disrupting this kind of serious criminal activity.”

If you have information for police, contact Policelink by providing information using the online suspicious activity form 24hrs per day at www.police.qld.gov.au/reporting.

Report crime information anonymously via Crime Stoppers. Call 1800 333 000 or report online at www.crimestoppersqld.com.au.
Queensland Police Service
https://r2.mypolice.qld.gov.au/uploads/2025/12/11/215523_arrest-eudlo-v2.mp4