Your say on how Lismore should grow

LISMORE City Council wants to hear what sort of development it should be pursuing for the future.

Lismore CBD. Picture: David Nielsen

LISMORE City Council wants to hear what sort of development it should be pursuing for the future.

Their Growth Management Strategy discussion paper is on public exhibition and it identifies three possible scenarios:

• A) Business as usual (low density dispersed living);
• B) Urban and village expansion which would restrict future development to existing urban and village area and prohibit further rural residential and land sharing arrangement;
• C) High density urban which would concentrate all future growth in the Lismore urban area.

The council's strategic planning co-ordinator, Paula Newman, said the input from the community would help determine what sort of place the Lismore LGA became in the next 10-20 years.

"It will define where we live in the future and what we conserve such as agricultural land and areas of environmental significance. Whether we consign development to the urban areas, expand the villages or spread housing throughout rural areas matters to our future way of life.

"These options are by no means set in stone - in fact, we have deliberately made them a bit controversial to stimulate discussion. We may end up with different elements from each option, so it's incredibly important we get feedback now and have a final option that truly reflects the community's wishes for further settlement."

Map showing the expansion areas for Lismore LGA. Please note the arrows give general direction only.

Current growth strategy

• About 63% of the population currently lives within the Lismore urban area (including Richmond Hill).
• Much of Lismore's current urban area is constrained by flood areas and steep slopes.
• An eastern limit to expansion in Goonellabah has been identified to protect prime agricultural land.
• Villages other than Nimbin are constrained by wastewater disposal, and population should be kept below 1000 to maintain village character.
• There are significant opportunities for land sharing (MOs), dual occupancy and rural residential developments.