Arguably, North Lismore was the hardest area hit by the 2022 big flood. It has been deemed a high-risk suburb of Lismore, receiving a high number of house buybacks from the Resilient Homes Program.

In what may be a test case for Lismore City Council, a development application (DA) has been lodged to build a commercial business at 53 Terania Street, opposite the old laundrette.

The applicant will spend $698,000 on the proposed development, demolishing the existing house and building a new indoor recreational facility (gymnasium).

The obvious question around future flooding has been addressed in the DA.

Lismore City Council released a visual representation of flood events for the property. Image below.

The proposed DA is for the new building's floor height to be 13.88m AHD, with a maximum roof height of 16.88m-1814m AHD. There will be undercover car parking at a level of 9.6m AHD.

When you build a structure that has a floor height of 13.88m, you need to build easy access for patrons. A lift is proposed in the plans.

Along with the lift, the gym will have a weight and gym room, a sauna and ice bath room, red light therapy room, four showers and three toilets, one a disabled toilet.

The decision for council planners to make is that the area has been classified as H5, and a small part, at the rear of the block, is H6 in the Hazard Vulnerability Classification at 1% Annual Exceedance Probability (or 1 in 100), which is about 12.9m.

H5 means Unsafe for vehicles and people. All buildings vulnerable to structural damages. Some less robust building types subject to failure

H6 means Unsafe for vehicles and people. All building types considered vulnerable to failure.

According to the company that was used to write the Flood Risk Impact or Management Plan, the design and building at the proposed address complies with Council's DCP and LEP.

There was a pre-lodgement meeting in March 2025.

Now we wait for Council Planners to deliver a verdict.