The Clunes Master Plan was adopted by Lismore City Council at its meeting this week, setting out growth over the next 10 to 20 years ‘while safeguarding the village character residents value’.
According to the media release by Council staff, extensive community consultation was taken into account and was supported by the Clunes Community Reference Group ‘following changes made in response to community feedback’.
They say, ‘Rather than fast-tracking development, the Master Plan establishes a clear, staged roadmap for how and when change may occur, providing certainty for residents while strengthening protections for the village’s landscape, heritage and environmental assets’.
Clunes resident, Sonya Voumard told The Echo, ‘The Clunes Master Plan is imperfect in many ways, but may be better if the development process works to keep faith with the community’.’
‘While much has been made of the community consultation process, many residents believe it was flawed and that the community reference group was unable to offer meaningful input at the end. The village of Clunes is acutely aware developers are circling and strong community action will continue’, she said.
Council responded
Mayor Steve Krieg said the adopted plan reflects a process where the community set the direction and Council responded.
‘This plan was shaped by what people told us mattered most, protecting Clune’s character, improving safety and amenity and planning carefully for the future,’ he said
‘It gives Council a clear mandate to manage growth responsibly, not to rush it.”
‘The outcome is a future shaped together,’ he said.
‘The Master Plan now sets the practical blueprint for what happens next, from staged growth options and a future Development Control Plan to stronger environmental safeguards such as the Urban Green Corridor.
‘It also prioritises walking, safety and amenity upgrades to be progressed in partnership with key agencies such as Transport for NSW’.
Council’s Director of Planning and Economy Graham Snow said the adopted Master Plan gives Council a clearer planning framework for future decisions and provides the community with clarity to how change will be managed over time.
‘This is about sequencing, safeguards and certainty,’ he said.
‘The Master Plan sets out staged growth options and the planning tools needed to manage change properly,’ he said.
Mr Snow also said the Urban Green Corridor was a key example of how the plan balances protection with sensible planning.
‘The Urban Green Corridor protects and strengthens ecological connections and waterways while guiding development to appropriate locations,’ he said.
‘From here, the work is about turning the framework into deliverables; detailed design, agency partnerships and prioritised program of works delivered over time.’
‘The Clunes Master Plan community engagement began in November 2024 with two open drop-in sessions, supported by an online survey and virtual ideas board on Council’s Your Say page. Further engagement took place from December 2024 to the end of 2025 with additional drop-in sessions at the Clunes Coronation Hall to test the draft vision statement and themes for the Master Plan.
‘Engagement and planning support was provided by Ethos Urban, Living Lab Northern Rivers and Barker Ryan Stewart, working with Lismore City Council’s project team.
‘Key outcomes in the adopted Master Plan
- Clearer growth pathways and staging, including a future Development Control Plan (DCP). A DCP sits under the Local Environment Plan and spells out the design, character and technical details to ensure development is consistent.
- Stronger environmental protections, including the Clunes Urban Green Corridor and clearer intent around waterways, vegetation and biodiversity.
- Safer village movement with a focus on gateway treatments, traffic calming, crossings, lighting and intersection upgrades, progressed with Transport for NSW.
- Improved amenities and open space planning, including prioritised footpaths, public toilet upgrades, seating and shade, play space improvements and clearer direction on open space and the sports field location.
- Cost clarity on sewerage with Council confirming it will not pursue sewer feasibility for existing homes’.
Address to Council
Clunes resident Jim Richardson provided The Echo with his address to Council:
‘Clunes didn’t ask for development of the scale proposed – it was thrust on us when a real estate agent put a proposal to the Mayor’s Building Back Better project’.
‘The community concern was so strong that Council had to assuage Clunes with a Master Plan process.
‘So here we are. I want to acknowledge the professional work done by planning staff in the various iterations of this document. They’ve done well under the pressures associated with such a controversial tripling of the village footprint, and have taken on board quite a few of the community’s concerns, correctly recognising our priorities.
‘A tolerable plan is far better than no plan at all, at this point, because the alternative sees us facing the potential for unplanned growth structured and driven solely by the developers’ desire for profit regardless of residents’ desires.
‘For this reason, I urge councillors to adopt this plan. It can, and will, be improved on in the future, as should any plan in the light of evidence. The Clunes community will be watching to see if developers honour the community they intrude on, and how they treat the biodiversity and significant agricultural land surrounding Clunes. The current DA for 15aWalker St. doesn’t bode well in this regard.
‘I also urge you to suspend any moves to sell-off the Smith St. Reserve, in short term action 6. The adjacent Community pre-school can’t currently afford to purchase it, if it’s put on the market, but there WILL be a need for it in the future as Clunes doubles as the Plan intends. Selling off green-space to spend money upon depreciating, high maintenance play-equipment, doesn’t make sense. Disposing of this Greenspace seems also to fly in the faceof the “Biodiversity in Place” document quoted in the Plan.
‘Council can show its support for community preschool education by a simple amendment to investigate every funding avenue and consult extensively before any such move to sell Smith Street Reserve.
‘Funding of any playground equipment through the use of residents rates might even be considered…
‘Plenty of us are deeply skeptical of the greenwash branding of eco-village developments. After all, shouldn’t ALL our villages and development be “eco” ? We’ll be watching to see how this part of the plan plays out.
‘Please adopt this plan with amendment, while being aware that many in Clunes remain deeply concerned for the villages future’ he said.
Labor councillor supportive
Cr Jasmine Knight-Smith (Labor) told The Echo that, ‘I think the Clunes Master Plan is very good. It was significantly changed because of community input. The plan is not perfect, and there are some who are upset.
She said that the village has large lots owing to a lack of a sewage treatment plant (STP). ‘The previous Council sold land that was slated for a STP, so generally there are only larger blocks because they need onsite septics. Most locals there want to be on larger rural blocks’.
Cr Knight-Smith added, ‘There is a park next to Clunes pre-school that is slated for sale – I think it should be a public space – but that needs to come back to Council before that happens.’
The Channon footpath
Other note-worthy items that passed at Lismore Council’s meeting this week were a successful rescission motion by Cr Knight-Smith to halt planned footpath works in The Channon.
As previously reported, locals petitioned Council against the plan.
Cr Knight-Smith said she initially voted for it to proceed because she was told the school was in favour, and was told Council could be liable for insurance claims. Yet these claims turned out to be incorrect, she said.
Lismore land rezoned
Another successful motion was the reclassification of Lismore land for the Reconstruction Authority (RA) to buy back land.
Cr Knight-Smith said, ‘Some of it is parking for the Showgrounds, which is needed, yet the second part of the motion was for an unsolicited proposal by I think the Bell Group to rezone south Lismore land as industrial land for a commercial premises. I think this should have been two separate motions.’
‘It passed, but I didn’t vote for it,’Cr Knight-Smith said.
‘Is it good? I don’t know. There wasn’t any scrutiny around it’, she added.
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. 
