Council to build new water reservoir for plateau development

LISMORE City Council will construct a four-megalitre reservoir in order to provide adequate water pressure for the proposed North Lismore Plateau development.

Residential development on the North Lismore Plateau is closer to a go-ahead after a meeting between developers and Lismore City Council staff.

LISMORE City Council will construct a four-megalitre reservoir in order to provide adequate water pressure for the proposed North Lismore Plateau development.

The long-awaited 1500-lot project appears to be nearing a conclusion with devel- opers hoping to commence work in early 2014.

Lismore City Councillor Ray Houston said the devel- opment could only accommodate up to 400 homes with existing water infrastructure before more water pressure would be needed.

"Long-term the solution would be to create the reservoir - it's cheaper, better, and more sustainable," Mr Houston said.

These and other details of the major project were discussed in a three-hour coun- cil workshop on Tuesday.

A total of 255ha is proposed for rezoning, encompassing some 1500 lots, with the possibility of about 1540 residencies, including dual-occupancy lots.

A long-term population of 3700 people is predicted for the completed development.

Almost 20% of the land will be classed as an environmental zone, while 3% of the land will remain rural.

North Lismore residents can also look forward to some road upgrades as part of increased traffic management, the first of which will be a roundabout at the corner of Molesworth and Orion streets.

Cr Dowell also said two visits there had not disclosed any Aboriginal heritage sites but further discoveries had not been ruled out.

"It will need more careful examination as it's prepared for housing," Cr Dowell said.