$50m of buildings approved

LISMORE City Council says commercial and industrial business is booming.

LISMORE City Council says commercial and industrial business is booming.

In the year to the end of January 2014 there have been $50 million of commercial and industrial development applications approved, which is almost double the same time last year.

The big-ticket items are the Masters home improvements store, Southern Cross University's new educational facility and a $10 million upgrade to Lismore Central.

Also approved is the $2.3 million GP Superclinic in Goonellabah, the $1.7 million Autobarn development in Brewster St, the $1.5 million medical centre in Uralba St and a new North Coast Community Housing development on Ballina Rd in Goonellabah.

"Add to this the boost to the construction industry from the Base Hospital upgrade and you start to see there's some very serious economic growth taking place," council's economic development manager Mark Batten said. "That's not to mention the countless smaller business developments happening in the CBD and elsewhere."

And he said there was more to come.

"Right now, Lismore just has an explosion of growth occurring. Our tag as the regional centre has always been warranted but we're really starting to see our city gain momentum now."