The Lismore CBD has changed its business face in the last two and half years.

Pre-February 28 2022 big flood, you would walk past three travel agents if you strolled around the CBD block. There was Hello World on Magellan Street, Summerland Travel on Keen Street and Lismore Cruise & Travel on Woodlark Street.

(The old Cruise & Travel agent on Woodlark Street)

Now, there are none. You have to go to Lismore Square to find a travel agent, Flight Centre, which expanded its space during the Square rebuild.

So, what has taken the place of travel agents? What is the new business trend?

NDIS related businesses.

You still find long-term retail businesses like Daleys Homeware, Shoppe One, Music Bizarre, R Gordon Real Estate, Brands Pharmacy and George Gooley Menswear. As well as a host of wonderful cafes and restaurants, such as Uncle Lims, The Garden Plate, Dark Horse and Mamamoi.

When you walk around the CBD block, you will see:

• Pillars of Potential on Woodlark Street
• Multitask - they have three locations - the new building on Bridge and Molewsorth Street (the old Planet Music), the newly completed building on Keen Street (the old Blooms) and on Woodlark Street (down from the Richmond Hotel).
• Epic - Disability Employment Services on Keen Street
• OCTEC Employment/Disability Services on Magellan Street
• Asuria Assured People Services/Disability Employment Services on Molesworth Street
• Social Futures on Molesworth Street (an NDIS component)

During last week's Lismore City Council meeting, Councillor Big Rob questioned the number of Disability Service Providers in the CBD and argued they do not attract people into the CBD to spend money as other retail shops do.

Mayor Steve Krieg replied that the benefits of having nearly 80% occupancy in the CBD helped building owners and retailers as many of the CBD buildings are owned by local people, so the money stays in Lismore.

The Lismore App spoke to Mutlitask's CEO, Jody Cheetham, about their move into Lismore's CBD, their growth and how they contribute to the CBD.

"Our head office was at 296 Molesworth Street, behind the old Toyota dealership, for 20 years before we got washed away and lost our head office."

"We moved into the CBD because there was nowhere else to go," Jody explained, "We have been in Club Lane (off Molesworth Street in the CBD) since 2016 with our day programs."

Mutlitask is not a newly established not-for-profit NDIS operation. They have been in Lismore for 72 years as Lismore Challenge and rebranded to Multitask in 2007.

In that time, they have grown significantly in owning and operating buildings in the CBD, South Lismore, East Lismore, and soon, Goonellabah.

Jody said there are 40 staff in the new head office on Molesworth Street, the old Planet Music, with a further 10 disability support staff around the CBD plus their clients.

"We moved into the Keen Street building last week. That building will house clinical service staff such as behaviour support, psychology and counselling."

There are designated shopping and lunch days for the Day Centre buildings where clients are taken around the CBD.

Three more Multitask projects are progressing in other parts of the Lismore LGA.

"We are renovating another building in Magellan Street into a cafe so people with a disability can work. Hopefully, this will be completed by the end of the year," Jody explained.

"We are also redeveloping ten units in East Lismore we lost in the 2022 flood. We start construction in November in Harmony Avenue."

"We also bought a block of land in Wedgetail Court, Goonellabah to build a disability group home This will take approximately 12 months until it is completed."

Multitask is one of the region's largest employers, with over 300 people in Lismore, Ballina, Tamworth, Grafton and Kempsey, with Lismore as the head office.

While Multitask is not going to attract people to the CBD, it certainly contributes to the Lismore economy, as do other service offerings like lawyers or accountants.