Lismore to add another 6000 residents over 20 years

THE LISMORE local government area is primed to grow by 5900 residents over the next 20 years following the passage of the council’s Growth Management Strategy.

THE LISMORE local government area is primed to grow by 5900 residents over the next 20 years following the passage of the council's Growth Management Strategy on Tuesday night.

The growth blueprint opens up three options for new home buyers in the LGA: new large-lot rural residential land release across the major villages, urban subdivisions in East Lismore, Goonellabah, and higher density infill development around the Lismore Base Hospital.

In urban Lismore, up to 1150 residential lots will become available for release, alongside 500 new large-lot dwellings in the villages of Bexhill, Caniaba, Clunes, Dunoon, Nimbin, Wyrallah, The Channon, McLeans Ridges, Modanville, Monaltrie and Richmond Hill.

A Lismore City Council zoning map. The areas in red are sites for potential urban development.

Lismore City Council executive director for sustainable development Brent McAlister said Lismore had suffered from a "constrained supply" of new housing for several years and the plan was to change that.

He said the predicted rise of 5900 residents was a "conservative" figure, saying it could rise significantly once the Lismore Base Hospital health precinct was completed and more housing options came online.

"There's 65,000 people who work here but only 45,000 residents... given that there's been a lack of supply here over the last 10 or 15 years people have gone to Ballina or Wollongbar, or at the cheaper end Casino."

"Hopefully over the next five or 10 years as development kicks off... all of those people will come back."