David Fryer, East Lismore
I hear all the problems, eg; lack of government/ council money or infrastructure/ available vacant/ accommodation land.
However, my mother-in-law had to go into respite care, so I purchased her house site in Goonellabah. To maximise the value we decided to build 2×2 bedroom units and strata them.
The Lismore City Council initial costs were $7,160 (including $1,215 for a cycleway facility) plus $4,239 for development application (DA) fees, together with a quote of $30,482 for their S64 and S305. Then the engineer reports of $5,000 plus.
Costs-to-date are now $16,399 plus $30,482 to come. Total $46,881 before any building happens.
Might I suggest ‘the powers that be’ consider drastically reducing these costs to help the average investor who is trying to address the housing crisis?
For four decades The Echo has printed the stories some people loved, some people hated, and some pretended not to read. If you want us to keep telling the truth, the real truth, not the sugar-coated version. We’ll need your support to keep the presses rolling. 
