PSPA declared in Nambour, Sunshine Coast over mystery substance

Fire crews have determined the mystery substance that shut down a Sunshine Coast town centre is safe almost six hours after police locked down a main road.

A PSPA that shut down Nambour’s town centre for more than five hours has been revoked.

Sunshine Coast Police made the emergency declaration under the Public Safety Preservation Act (PSPA) in Nambour on Friday, November 15, about 10am.

Emergency crews were alerted about 6am after a member of the public found a mystery suspicious substance in a bottle at the Nambour Police Station on Currie St.

It is believed someone had also dropped off a suspicious package at the police station, had returned to the scene and was assisting with police inquiries.

PSPA declared, Nambour. Picture: Queensland Police Service.

A QFD scientific team was called from Brisbane to analyse the substance, and although they are still yet to determine exactly what it is, they have deemed it safe.

Sunshine Coast Chief Inspector Jason Overland said about 4am this morning a man was allegedly seen on CCTV placing a Sprite bottle containing an unknown liquid on the stairs of the Nambour Police station.

Scene of PSPA Nambour. Picture: Joel Erickson.

A note on the Sprite bottle said ‘handle with care’.

“We’ve put an exclusion in place...we’re trying to determine what it is,” Chief Inspector Overland said.

“So that we can address it appropriately.”

Chief Inspector Overland confirmed the man who left the “suspicious” bottle at the police station had been arrested and was assisting police with their investigation.

“He was observed loitering in the area by one of our really quick-thinking senior constables,” he said.

A PSPA was declared about 10am with the exclusion zone encompassing Currie St, Arundel Ave, Daniels St and Mitchell St.

A PSPA has been declared in Nambour over a suspicious substance left in a bottle near the suburb's police station. Picture: Joel Erickson

Earlier, a police spokeswoman said somebody (allegedly) left a bottle containing a mystery substance there this morning then walked away.

A woman, who wished to remain anonymous, said about 8.30am she noticed an ambulance outside the police station and then later on she saw a police vehicle blocking part of the road.

She said police had not told her what was happening.

Originally published as PSPA declared in Nambour, Sunshine Coast over mystery substance