Revealed: Plans for $1.9m Lismore school special education unit upgrades

A major transformation of this Northern Rivers school would see classrooms and vegetation demolished for “pleasant and engaging learning areas”.

A Northern Rivers high school has revealed its early designs of what $1.9m worth of major upgrades could look like for students and the schooling community.

Newton Denny Chappelle, on behalf of Lismore High School, have submitted plans for a new special education unit and covered outdoor learning area (COLA) to Lismore City Council.

The proposal reveals developers would remove an existing covered walkway, ramp, demountable classrooms and vegetation (including the school’s bird aviary and herb garden) to make way for the school addition.

It is estimated the construction will come at a cost of $1,990,556.

According to the proposal, the transformation was aimed at “improving the learning experience at the school, particularly for students with special needs”.

“The proposed works will help improve the amenity of the school and will create pleasant and engaging indoor and outdoor learning areas,” the planning documents state.

“No negative impacts upon the surrounding neighbourhood are likely as the nearest residential dwellings are approximately 75m from the COLA and the open outdoor structure is replacing demountable classrooms.”

Location of proposed building expansion & COLA . Credit: Denny Newton Chappelle

The special education unit will also include a new shower, toilet, changerooms and laundry facility.

However, the development was not without some environmental concerns.

The Dalley St premise, is located within an area of Lismore Comprehensive Koala Plan of Management and the documents acknowledge the site is “therefore likely to contain preferred koala habitat”.

However, issues about disrupting a koala habitat were dismissed due to the ‘small impact development’ size of the proposed works.

“No koala food trees occur within the development footprint and no koala food trees are proposed to be removed as part of the proposed development,” the development application read.

“There will be no impediment to the movement of koalas as a result of the proposed development.

“Council may impose appropriate conditions of consent as part of the development application assessment process.”

Similarly, trees planned to removed had “low arboricultural values” as indicated in an attached arborist report.

The documents also acknowledge the school would lose classrooms temporarily as a result of the construction.

The development comes as stage two of a major revamp to Lismore High School

Stage one works involved creating new office, interview rooms, changes to the existing driveway configuration and the construction of a wheelchair-access covered walkway.

The development application is currently on exhibition until August 1, 2021.

To view, head here.