Fate of $45 million Lismore subdivision to be decided

AFTER years of planning, a decision is imminent on the biggest residential estate proposed for Lismore in 30 years.

PLANS for a major residential lot subdivision on the North Lismore Plateau are set to be decided today by the Joint Regional Planning Panel. Picture: Marc Stapelberg

THE Joint Regional Planning Panel will meet tomorrow to decide the fate of a development application for a 433-lot residential subdivision on the North Lismore Plateau.

The $45 million development application by Winten Property Group went on public exhibition on September 3.

Tomorrow's decision represents a significant milestone for longstanding plans to develop the area.

The proposal has had a tortuous path to get to this point, with the rezoning of the land at one stage ruled "invalid” by the Land and Environment Court due to a technical planning error which delayed the development for 18 months.

An injunction was attempted a second time but was withdrawn at the last minute.

In August, Winten development manager Jim Punch said if approved, the development would be rolled out in several stages, with the land below the escarpment subdivided first.

"If the sales rate is ticking over then we'll move up the hill, build the road up to the escarpment and start building on the escarpment,” he said.

The initial lots are expected to be priced under $200,000.

Winten owns one of three parcels of land on the plateau. The other two parcels are owned by Lismore City Council, and a consortium called The Plateau Group, which together could potentially develop an additional 1000 lots.