Two Mates Brewing, the company behind the new South Lismore Boutique Brewery were given the green light to begin brewing their first beer when last nights rescission motion was defeated at an extraordinary council meeting.

With the DA now approved owners Grant Smith and Andrew Newton have a long list of deferred commencement conditions to satisfy before the enjoyable part of their micro brewery business can start.

Conditions like widening the northern part of Engine Street, unisex toilets, stormwater management, water and sewerage to name a few need to be met before a construction certificate is issued but at least the work can begin and South Lismore and Lismore will get an exciting new business in the first half of 2021.

Last nights rescission motion meeting had a different feel to last Tuesday's actual council meeting with Councillors Guise, Lloyd and Casson taking a different tack. Last week Two Mates was called a "booze barn" and was "not in the public interest" while this week it was about listening to their constituents, putting a great idea in the right location and addressing traffic, noise, light and operating hours issues.

Councillor Elly Bird noted the change in tack by saying "last week it was going to bring appalling social impacts due to the serving of alcohol, well the rhetoric has changed a little bit this evening. It is a shame that the focus wasn't put on adjusting the conditions of consent at the start."

The conditions Cnr Bird was referring to was to potentially change the access from Engine Street to Union Street and having a 4 metre high fence to block as much noise as possible to the residential houses on the other side of the street.

While Cnr Guise was asking councillors to "slow down and take a chill pill" so they can have more time to put genuine conditions in place which would be discussed at the next council meeting in March, Cnr Bird argued "we have had months and months and months to consider what is before us."

The cost of delay after "months and months and months" to consider the DA and add the commencement conditions is one the public and the councillors don't see.

Owner Grant Smith said it was costing their business $87,500 to $100,000 through loss of sales and overheads every month that councillors delayed their decision. Two Mates lost their head brewer Jake Banachak in January due to the uncertainties of the DA approval.

This is not to say that development applications should be rushed through the council system to get approval but expediency should be given due consideration so that all the fact finding, resident meetings and alterations to DA's should happen quickly to minimise the investors outlay. This also sends a positive message to other entrepreneurs that would like to invest in Lismore thus creating jobs and economic growth for our region.

Cnr Darlene Cook raised the question that if the rescission motion was successful there was a real concern that the owners would take their business to another council and set it up there.

While there were speakers for and against the motion from residents who live in Engine Street and councillors who say they are "listening to support our community", this is a win for democracy. A democratic system where the majority are listened to also and then represented by their elected officials.

The final vote to defeat the rescission motion was 5 to 3 with Cnrs Bird, Marks, Moorhouse, Cook and newly elected Mayor Vanessa Ekins voting against while Cnrs Guise, Lloyd and Casson voted in favour.

The final word goes to co-owner Grant Smith who said "Two Mates Brewing Directors Grant Smith and Andrew Newton are pleased that the matter was resolved and that they can now move ahead to deliver their vision to the South Lismore and surrounding communities."

"We remain committed to our original statement that the ethos of the Two Mates Brewing community hub will embrace the region and serve as a platform for the community to reconnect."

"LIVE LOVE LEARN is our simple philosophy to reunite and regrow this region. We are excited for what this means to both our families and to the communities."