Renewed push for Nth Lismore Plateau development

Darren Coyne

The Lismore City Council will have another go at rezoning land on the North Lismore Plateau to allow for the development of more than 1500 homes.

But opponents say they are ready, and will oppose the move.

At this week’s meeting, councillors except Cr Vanessa Ekins, voted to go with a staff recommendation to ‘forward the planning proposal to the NSW Department of Planning and Environment for a “gateway determination” so that the public exhibition can occur concurrent with government agency consultation’.

A report by consultant planner Mike Svikis had recommended that if the council proceeded with the rezoning, environmental zones should be included in the plan.

A previous rezoning attempt was declared invalid by the NSW Environment Court.

Bundjalung man Mickey Ryan had taken the council to task because the rezoning proposal placed on public exhibition, which contained environmental zones, was not the same as the proposal approved by the NSW Department of Planning and Environment.

The Department had removed the environmental zones.

Cr Vanessa Ekins said she opposed the new application because developers were asking that the council pick up the tab for now only infrastructure outside the development, but also that council ‘take an active role in facilitating delivery of internal assets’.

The developers also want the council to accept responsibility for negotiating access arrangements, and the acquisition of easements and road reserves.

Cr Ekins has argued that the council was already stumping up $20 million on water and sewer headworks, which had led to an increase in the combined typical residential bill for water and wastewater services of approximately $105.00 per annum.

Meanwhile, Mr Ryan told Echonetdaily that he would continue to fight the development, and had held recent meetings in Sydney.

Mr Ryan has made a complaint to the NSW Ombudsman, which is being investigated.