The future use of land that will be left when more than 650 flood buyback houses have been removed throughout the Lismore CBD, North Lismore, South Lismore and East Lismore has been a discussion at many dinner tables and pubs across the Lismore LGA in the past couple of years.

Well, the planning process is now underway.

Minister for Recovery Janelle Saffin was joined by Lismore Mayor Steve Krieg on Magellan Street earlier today, opposite Crozier Field, to announce the partnership between the NSW Government and Lismore City Council.

To give you some perspective on the size of the available land to be repurposed, it represents 50 hectares of land.

While the land can no longer be used for housing, a risk-based approach will be used to determine future uses that are compatible with flooding. Planning will consider how the space connects with surrounding areas, supports community needs and complements the CBD and local economy. Making sure that any future use will not increase flooding risks for neighbouring properties is also critical.  

To make planning simpler, Council has split the flood-affected areas into four precincts: Lismore Centre, North Lismore, South Lismore and East Lismore. This is because each precinct will more than likely have its own unique land uses.

Lismore Centre will be the first precinct plan to be developed from early 2026, followed by North Lismore, South Lismore and East Lismore.

Mayor Krieg said that each precinct having its own focus, such as entertainment, is already being considered.

"That's already part of the discussion, that you have your entertainment precinct, you have your sporting precinct, you have your commercial precinct. I think that makes sense, but we all know that all levels of government don't necessarily do things that make sense at times," the mayor said jokingly, "Did I say that out loud? But that's clearly the intent of having the precincts, and with precincts comes that funding that Janelle spoke about as well. When you actually have the plan, it's a lot easier to get the funding to make those plans a reality.

Mayor Krieg was referring to Ms Saffin's comments, confirming that the funding has been secured for the planning process; however, funding for individual projects within a precinct will need to be sought for them to go ahead.

Ms Saffin also painted a picture of connectivity, not only in the CBD but for the other precincts as well.

"What I envisage is these precincts will have a connectedness we never had before. We're on the outskirts of the CBD, and gradually it's hooking up to the Square, or the Square is hooking up to the CBD.

"I once said I'd love to see a covered walkway there, so people can walk up and down, even Tuk Tuks, that mightn't be a goer, but there's a whole range of things we can do to have that interconnectivity. And I know Steve drives a lot of the whole sporting area, and that can happen.

"If you have a look at South, we've already got sport over there, we've got a school, we've got a vibrant business community, we've got the rail trail, and we've got the best post office in Australia. So, there are lots we can do over there, but I see it as connecting us. It'll be four precincts, a staged approach, but I see that it will bring us together. It'll bring the whole of Lismore together."

(Buyback houses on Cathcart Street looking towards Crozier Field)

As you would expect, the community will be invited to have their say through a mix of in-person and online engagement opportunities throughout 2026. Details about the timing and format of the consultation will be announced later this year.

Expressions of interest for planners, engineers and other experts to work on this project will be open within the next month. 

As for broader timing, all four precinct planning stages will be completed by early 2027. That is because the Resilient Homes program ends at the end of June that year.

Funding for construction, landscaping or bush regeneration is more complex as it will require grant applications from an appropriate funding source within the state government.

Jamie van Iersel, Acting Head of Planning and Environment for Lismore City Council said, "That is something that we'll be looking to do simultaneously as we go along. If a grant comes up, if we're far enough progressed with one or more of the precinct plans, we'll start looking for funding as soon as we can.

"What we'll be doing along the way is making sure the relevant state agencies are involved, not just the RA, but the Department of Education, Transport, etc. Then everyone can be agreeing and endorsing what we'll be looking for in terms of funding."

The future land use is another sign that Lismore is moving forward, rather than looking in the rear-view mirror only at how February 28 2022, devastated our community.

“It’s about setting Lismore up for the future as a great place to work, invest and raise a family," Mayor Krieg said.

"We're already a grand city. It's my hometown. I love it," Minister Saffin said, "But we're just going to become such a beautiful city, and we'll showcase, to not only New South Wales and Australia, but the world that we can do this, we can recover from what happened in 2022 and have the best possible place to live, work and play."

For more information and to keep up to date, go to: https://www.nsw.gov.au/departments-and-agencies/nsw-reconstruction-authority/our-work/resilient-homes-program/home-buybacks/future-buyback-land-use