Disappointment, unanimous support and controversy are how you could sum up yesterday's August Lismore City Council meeting.

The disappointment belongs to the owners of DA23/301 in Booyong Road, Clunes, when a review of council's February refusal was again denied.

The existing 2,466m2 2-lot subdivision, where 2500m2 is the minimum lot size under the Lismore Local Environment Plan 2012, was to be divided into two lots 1086m2 and 1380m2.

After councillors voted against the DA subdivision in February, it was next defeated as a rescission motion, and now the owners have asked for a review of the determination.

As part of the review, council engaged a consultant to carry out an independent assessment. The consultants' reports supported the council staff's recommendation to refuse the DA.

The review was defeated 8/2, with councillors (Cr) Waters and Knight-Smith voting for the subdivision. Cr Adam Guise was an apology for the council meeting.

Council staff were criticised during the DA process by the owner, a point also raised by some councillors, that staff can improve their communication and provide a better experience for the applicant. This was disputed by the General Manager, Eber Butron, who said continuous improvement applied to the planning staff.

"The most disappointing thing I've actually heard is the imputation that staff have actually done something wrong, and in no way can I listen to that advice. It's based on a person that hasn't got an outcome that they were hoping to achieve."

The Clunes Master Plan will go out for community feedback for 28 days following a unanimous councillor vote.

The Clunes Master Plan was identified as a strategic planning initiative under the Growth and Realignment Strategy (2022) and was included as a key action in Council’s previous Delivery Program and Operational Plan.

There have been two community engagement sessions, and based on that feedback, seven themes evolved:

1. A Vibrant Village and Community – Strengthening social connection and community identity
2. Future-Focused and Resilient Infrastructure – Planning infrastructure to support long-term needs
3. Walkability, Connectivity and Safety – Enhancing pedestrian access and transport links
4. Liveability and Amenity – Improving public spaces, services, and facilities
5. Sustainability and Nature-Focused – Protecting biodiversity and the natural environment
6. Housing Diversity – Supporting a range of housing options to meet changing needs
7. Country-Centred Approach – Embedding respect for place, landscape, and cultural values

To deliver the themes, the Clunes Master Plan will move through five key moves:

1. Improve the safety and amenity of the village– Improve road safety, pedestrian infrastructure, and open space
2. Deliver more diverse and affordable housing in Clunes– Provide a range of housing types for different life stages and household needs
3. New Connector Road – Establish a new road link to support growth and reduce traffic impacts
4. Sewer Framework – Deliver staged wastewater infrastructure to enable sustainable development
5. Support Community-Led Initiatives – Foster resilience and sustainability through local leadership

Mayor Krieg said, "I believe our villages are our future, and we've come from a time of stagnation, of sometimes, some would say negative growth, and where Lismore LGA prosper and thrive as an LGA? It's in our villages."

Mayor Krieg's hopes were that other villages would be involved in creating a Master Plan in the future.

The next unanimous councillor vote was the mayor's Walk of Honour motion.

Lismore City Council has been successful in securing approximately $2.3 million to upgrade the footpath through the sports precinct, linking the CBD to Lismore Square and create a Walk of Honour to recognise the people who played a significant part in Lismore's past. Dr Chris Ingall and Margaret Olley were two names mentioned by the mayor.

The next steps are to form a committee of interested councillors, with the mayor as chair and hold a workshop to develop the terms of reference and eligibility guidelines. They will be brought back to council for adoption. The community will be asked for their recommendations as part of the process.

In other motions, Cr Dalton/Earls wanted to investigate log-based riverbank restoration similar to the program recently implemented by Tweed Shire Council by preparing a report.

The report would identify sites along the Wilsons River, Leycester Creek, and other flood-affected waterways across the Lismore LGA to reduce erosion and sediment movement.

It was noted that the Tweed Shire Council placed over 1,700 hardwood logs into river channels, resulting in more than 3,800 tonnes of sediment capture and notable riverbank stabilisation benefits within a year.

The motion said that investigating similar approaches in Lismore could offer practical and cost-effective outcomes, complementing existing flood recovery works. Funding was to be sourced externally.

Some councillors wanted a briefing to learn more about the Tweed experience, but in the end, the motion was defeated 5/5, with the mayor using his casting vote.

Rural residents in the Lismore LGA will go away happy from yesterday's council meeting after Cr Hall's motion to pause the NSW EPA FOGO mandate until it becomes law in 2030, giving them a 5-year reprieve from paying $89 for a green bin that is superfluous on rural properties.

It was argued that rural property owners recycle their organic waste as a matter of course.

The vote was passed 8/1 with Mayor Krieg out of the room.

The next Lismore City Council meeting will be on Tuesday, September 9 at 10am.