Lismore Prospectus to outline opportunities for the city

LISMORE City Council is poised to lobby for big ticket public funding and private investment with the development of the new Lismore Prospectus.

LISMORE City Council is poised to lobby for big ticket public funding and private investment with the development of the new Lismore Prospectus.

The council will present the document to Federal Page MP Kevin Hogan and State Lismore MP Thomas George at the Lismore Leaders Breakfast tomorrow.

Council's Executive Director Sustainable Development Brent McAlister said the 32-page Lismore Prospectus provided a comprehensive guide to private sector investment and public sector funding in a bid to attract multi-million dollar investments and projects to the city.

"Importantly these opportunities are showcased in the context of our regional competitive advantages - for example being the regional business and financial hub of the Northern Rivers," he said.

Lismore City Council's Economic Development Manager Mark Batten said while Lismore has always been an attractive place to invest, up until the creation of The Lismore Prospectus, information on what opportunities exist has been piecemeal at best.

"What has been lacking is a tool to make investors and governments sit up and take notice," Mr Batten said.

"The Lismore Prospectus details everything our city requires in the next two decades - it is the document that needs to find its way to the desks of cabinet ministers in Canberra and senior civil servants in Macquarie Street.

"Lismore has dynamic growth prospects: we are the business centre of the Northern Rivers, we have a stable and skilled workforce, the largest retail and professional services sector in our region, a business-friendly council and excellent transport links to Sydney and Brisbane.

"We are economically and geographically primed for growth, and we have a beautiful region with an enviable lifestyle that offers beaches, rainforests and a fantastic work/life balance.

"In the prospectus we have included a sizeable number of advocates for Lismore, drawn from key growth sectors such as health, education, business, development, the arts and sport.

"The latter features endorsements from Adam Gilchrist and Craig Foster, who grew up in Lismore and have added their voices to support our city's future growth prospects."

Potential private investment opportunities in Lismore include a medi-hotel and serviced apartments for the medium-density health precinct around Lismore Base Hospital; a large transportation hub in South Lismore; a major events and entertainment centre on the outskirts of the city; and large greenfield developments to provide housing for Lismore's projected population increase of 5,900 people over the next 20 years.

Public sector funding opportunities include the Lismore Quadrangle project that encompasses relocation of the Lismore Regional Gallery; Lismore Park being redeveloped as a destination park such as Hyde Park in Sydney; and major infrastructure upgrades such as a bridge over the Wilsons Rivers on the edge of the CBD, to service North Lismore Plateau, and a major new road, the Goonellabah Link, which is planned to alleviate traffic density on Ballina Road and the Bruxner Highway.

"We have projects and investment opportunities that will make our city grow and improve our lifestyles and work opportunities out of sight," Mr Batten said.

"If investors and governments can see that potential for themselves in The Lismore Prospectus, then we will all reap the benefits in years to come.

"This is our chance to sell our city and show people we are a sure bet for solid investment."