Talking Lismore is back with another podcast from Lismore City Mayor Steve Krieg (Listen to the podcast here).

The talk of the town has been about the promotional video that he and other councillors recorded last week to the tune of Santa Claus is Coming to Town. The video aims to showcase the human side of councillors and highlight Lismore as a great place to work, live, and visit.

Mayor Krieg admits it is supposed to be 'tongue in cheek' and a bit of fun at this time of year. "People look at council and councillors as quite inhumane, quite rigid and unfun people," he said.

"We are mums, dads, husbands and wives. We are normal, everyday people, and we don't have any real qualifications other than life experience to be on council. And for me, it was showcasing the humanity of Lismore councillors."

If you have seen the video, check it out here.

The mayor also spoke about the progress of the Lismore to Bentley section of the Rail Trail and gave a strong indication of when it will be completed.

"The rail trail is expected to open in mid-December, so before the end of the year," he said.

"Funny story again. I don't know whether I'm supposed to tell you, but it doesn't matter; no one's listening. There's a bridge right on the border between Richmond Valley and the Lismore LGA, but not on our side. We're sort of waiting for that bridge to be completed to fully link the Bentley to Lismore rail trail."

"So apparently, that's going to be finished around the 10th of December, and then we'll officially open the Lismore section of the rail trail mid-December."

Lismore City Council is looking to grow the villages of Nimbin and Clunes but says it needs the community’s input on how to do so sustainably.

The council is asking for community input on how to manage the growth of the villages, including looking at infrastructure such as sewerage and water treatment.

Mayor Krieg said the council wanted to engage with the community to plan for the future growth and sustainability of the villages in a manageable way, avoiding ad-hoc development.

“We want the Lismore LGA to be part of that growth, we have to be sustainable and manageable in that growth,” he said. “But an untapped resource in the Lismore LGA is our villages.”

The mayor said Clunes was a “paddock” in the 1970s and 1980s that “sprung up without any sort of structure or planning.”

“So council wants to be responsible and wants to look at the future growth of that area and the way Clunes develops,” he said. “There’s not even a sewerage treatment facility at Clunes. So every new place, or every place that is built in Clunes has its own septic. Now, if we want Clunes to grow, how do we manage that program, and is it worthwhile installing a sewerage treatment pump and those sorts of multi-million-dollar investments to help that village grow to fulfil its capacity and its potential?”

The council is also looking at the future growth of Nimbin, which is coming to the end of its current place plan.

Mayor Krieg said water security was a major issue for Nimbin, and a multi-million-dollar investment would be required to connect the village to the Rous Water network. At the moment the water supply cannot sustain any further population increase.

As for the Nimbin Place Plan, council staff have recommended allocating a budget item each year to implement projects identified in the plan.

Lismore City Council will hold its next ordinary meeting tomorrow (Tuesday, November 12) at 10 am.

The mayor defended the change of time to 10am from the traditional 6pm meeting time, stating that it allows for greater clarity of thought and decision-making among councillors. He emphasised the benefits of starting the day fresh at 10am, rather than concluding a full day's work and then attending a potentially long council meeting.

He mentioned the positive feedback he has received from the community regarding the move to daytime meetings, stating that many appreciate the change. He also noted that the change is not uncommon, as many councils across New South Wales meet during the day.

You can listen to the full Talking Lismore podcast here.