Tonight's May Lismore City Council meeting looks to be another two-night affair, led by the City View Drive, East Lismore subdivision.

The proposed subdivision looks like being heavily debated, as the Lismore App received an email about the development application (DA) at the end of April from a concerned resident.

It is likely to have a number of public speakers against and for the development.

As a summary, the DA was first lodged in April 2021 for 13 Torrens titled blocks. Council and the NSW Rural Fire Service asked for information from the applicant on matters relating to ecology, stormwater, roads, heritage, and bushfire. 

In December 2021, the applicant attempted to resolve a number of these issues through an amendment to the proposal, reducing the scale to a three (3) lot Torrens-title subdivision.

In February 2022, Council identified a lot-size issue in the Lismore Local Environmental Plan 2012. In October 2022, after working through options with the applicant, Council confirmed the issues did not apply to Community-title subdivision.

In June 2023, the application was amended again to propose a fourteen (14) lot Community-title subdivision. New documentation was submitted; the proposal was re-advertised; the assessment was undertaken; and is now before Council for determination. Councillors had a briefing session on 23 April.

Interestingly, because the development is community-titled, the road, water/sewer pipes, stormwater drainage, and anything else inside the property boundary are the responsibility of the land owners and not councils. No koala habitat is proposed to be removed, but residents will not be able to own dogs as part of council conditions, as koala movement may occur through the area.

The DA will provide 12 residential blocks to help with our housing crisis.

Lismore City Council staff has recommended the DA be approved.

Other items on the agenda include the draft revised 2023-2027 Delivery Program and 2024-2025 Operational Plan, Long Term Financial Plan and Strategic Asset Management Plan being put on public exhibition and the quarterly Budget Review Statement.

There will be discussion on re-establishing alcohol-free zones in Lismore and Nimbin, the council's social media policy, and a code of meeting practice amendment.

In addition, there are the 17 notices of motion/questions with notice and 5 items to be discussed in confidential, including the report from the General Managers Performance Review Committee.

As I mentioned at the start, it does not feel like the agenda can be completed by 10:30pm tonight.