The two main points we learned from last nights new look on-line Lismore City Council meeting were that the Special Rates Variation (SRV) is in the process of being withdrawn from iPart and there are reduced parking fees in the Lismore Hospital precinct for Health Workers.

Rumours were running around town faster than the spread of coronavirus that there was to be another rescission motion about the SRV at last night's council meeting.

When certain Councillors had contacted iPart they were told they knew nothing about the withdrawal of the SRV.

This led to not just councillor confusion but for the community itself.

When questioned about this, General Manager Shelley Oldham said that a rescission motion was received against the March 10 rescission motion last week then withdrawn, so iPart have been informed of Councils intention to withdraw the SRV.

As a community we wait for official confirmation from iPart but the word from Council is that the SRV is finally dead.

Free parking at hospital

The other good news to come out of last night's council meeting was that the motion to reduce parking fees in the Lismore Hospital precinct was passed.

This now means that health workers will have free parking in the Uralba Street car park and in the surrounding streets.

The Health Services Union NSW thanked Mayor Isaac Smith for "clearly listening to the needs of their communities".

Gerard Hayes, secretary from the Health Services Union NSW said "this crisis is placing enormous pressure on the health workforce".

Parking costs can be quite significant for local hospital workers, and particularly for lower paid workers like kitchen staff and cleaners.

“Access to free parking will lift some of that pressure and be a moral boost for those workers," Gerard said.

For business owners in the inner CBD looking for a 50% reduction in their rates, there was no good news last night.

Not that there was bad news either.

The council meeting was deferred to next Tuesday, April 21 at 6pm, due to the marathon four and a half hour meeting, finishing at 10:30pm, where the rates motion and other development application votes will be decided.

For now, business and land owners in the Inner CBD will have to wait for their good news.