The renewal and modernisation of Lismore’s public amenities blocks continues, with two new facilities now open at Lismore Railway Station and Nesbitt Park Playground in South Lismore.  

Positioned at the start of the Lismore to Bentley section of the award-winning Northern Rivers Rail Trail, the railway station facility features nine cubicles, including two ambulant and one wheelchair accessible.  

An historic photograph of the railway station dating from the early 1900s has been printed on both sides of the building, in an eye-catching nod to the heritage of the location.  

Nesbitt Park Playground amenities block is designed for parents and children, located closer to the playground as well as the park’s popular asphalt pump track and mountain bike skills course.  

Featuring three cubicles, including two wheelchair-accessible and one ambulant, it’s the second amenity block to open at Nesbitt this year, following the July opening of the toilets and kiosk adjacent to the cricket field. 

For the Lismore Rail Trail amenities, it is not just about being able to use the toilets; it is about having access to water to fill water bottles.

"There is no water station until you get about four kilometres down the track," Lismore Mayor Steve Krieg said today.

"Now, there is drinking water here, as well as a toilet facility. It really does highlight the start of the rail trail. You can get yourself organised. You can go to the bathroom, grab a drink of water, and away you go, all the way to Bentley, where there's another beautiful toilet block as well.

"So, it hopefully encourages people who are using this railway precinct, and there are many thousands a week; I've been given the numbers about how many are coming to use this precinct, but we've also got a very active retail precinct over in South Lismore as well. That's another amenity for the business owners, to be able to attract more business to our South Lismore retailers as well. So, it really does serve a multi-faceted purpose."

Completed by Bennett Constructions, the buildings share similar external designs and fixtures as Lismore’s other new amenities, which allows for improved maintenance and accessibility while also meeting current disability and access standards. 

Both projects were jointly funded by the Australian and NSW Governments under the Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements, at a combined cost of approximately $800,000.  

Federal Member for Page, Kevin Hogan, said these new facilities make a real difference for families, visitors, and local residents.  

“Whether you’re taking the kids to the playground at Nesbitt Park or setting out on the Rail Trail, this is about having modern, clean, accessible amenities close by. It’s also a great example of all levels of government working together with Council to deliver practical improvements for our community.” 

When asked about the plans for the old railway station and why it is taking so long to get a retailer into the building, the mayor said it is an ongoing issue with Transport for NSW about the lease details..

"We wouldn't sign the lease until Council could include that building in the lease. We all signed that under the proviso that we are able to generate income, to be able to provide the maintenance for the rail trail. For whatever reason, at the finalisation of those documents, the station didn't get signed over. We're still fighting with Transport to get that.

"The story goes that they had already signed a tenant to go in there. They've since, I believe, left town, so it's one of those things where we're just fighting through layers and layers of government red tape and bureaucracy to get the answer that we need, which is that council wants to be able to sublet that to very similar to the start of the Murwillumbah Rail Trail. They've got a bike shop and a cafe and a tourist information centre. This building sits perfectly to tie in with that sort of theme as well, and that's our intention."

Another concern for the Rail Trail and its users is the homeless camps that have set up at the railway station. There have been reports of families being exposed to people urinating in front of them, plus a South Lismore business owner today said he has had trouble with people causing a disturbance in his shop, and knows of others along Union Street.

Mayor Krieg said, "As a councillor, I've made repeated requests. There are laws around being able to move people on, and I respect that. But, we also don't have custody of that building either, so we're very limited. We're not the owner or the lessee of that building, so we're very limited in what we can do as a council about that. Sadly, it is a sign of the times of a growing population, and it's not just Lismore, it seems to be a much broader issue across the region, across the state, and sadly, across the country."