An urgent bid to stop construction of the new Richmond River High Campus has been lodged with the Federal Government, just weeks after work began on site.

The application, made under section 9 of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Heritage Protection Act 1984 (Cth), seeks emergency protection of the redevelopment area, arguing it is a significant Aboriginal cultural landscape under “serious and immediate threat of injury or desecration”.

The Lismore App has seen the official Application Summary, which confirms the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water received the submission on 13 February 2026 from a Widjabul Wia-bal person of the Bundjalung Nation. It is understood the application was made by Bundjalung Elder Michael “Mickey” Ryan.

The specified area covers the Richmond River High Campus redevelopment site at 163 and 170 Alexandra Parade, North Lismore. According to the summary, the applicant states that “the sites and the djurbil are connected” and that archaeological reports have identified cultural heritage material “thousands of years old”, including yellow ochre and crystal quartz lithic blades.

The application estimates there are “over 100,000 artefacts” within the immediate impact area and describes the land as part of thesacred dreaming site. It also links the site to the “Wundaraan”, encompassing the Lismore Showground, described as “a very big meeting place, bringing tribes from all over the country”.

The application argues that if construction proceeds, “the entire site will be impacted destroying and desecrating the significant cultural heritage. Once this harm occurs it will be irreversible”.

School representatives with Lismore MP Janelle Saffin at the official sod turn recently.

This move comes shortly after the rebuilding works had commenced on the new Richmond River High Campus. The rebuild is a key piece of the NSW Government’s education strategy for Lismore, with the campus designed to sit on higher ground beside future housing being delivered through the Resilient Lands Program.

Around the time the section 9 application was lodged, The Lismore App observed a noticeable slowdown in visible activity on the plateau, with machinery idle and fewer workers on site. We contacted the NSW Department of Education to clarify whether works had been paused.

A department spokesperson said: “Work is continuing on the rebuild of the new Richmond River High Campus.”

It is understood there was a consultation and assessment process undertaken prior to construction. This included extensive Connecting with Country consultation with the Widjabul Wia-bal Gurrumbil Aboriginal Corporation, engagement with Aboriginal staff and students, consultation with the Aboriginal Education Consultative Group (AECG), and archaeological surveying across the site.

The Lismore App understands the department has also received a separate section 9 application from a Minyunbal/Bunjalung woman covering the same specified area.

Supporting the urgent bid is an affidavit sworn in the NSW Land and Environment Court by consulting anthropologist Dr Inge Riebe . In her evidence, Dr Riebe raises concerns about the adequacy of the Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Assessment Report (ACHAR) prepared for the redevelopment.

Dr Riebe states that, in her opinion, the assessment does not sufficiently address the cultural significance of the broader landscape. This includes pathways connecting the plateau from Tucki to Wollumbin, and a relationship to the Lismore Showground as a ceremonial meeting place. She argues that without that broader cultural framing, “there is no basis for evaluating potential impacts,” and warns the project has the potential to cause irreversible damage to cultural heritage values.

The latest application comes just weeks after the NSW Land and Environment Court dismissed a 667-lot subdivision proposal by Mackycorp Pty Ltd on neighbouring land along Dunoon Road.

In that judgment, Commissioner Peter Walsh found the developer had not provided “a satisfactory assessment of Aboriginal cultural heritage significance of the subject land within the wider landscape”, despite acknowledging the strategic importance of the plateau for housing and post-flood recovery.

“Understanding cultural significance comes first,” Commissioner Walsh said, referencing the Burra Charter, before impacts can be properly assessed.

Mr Ryan carried that case forward, with Mr Oshlack describing it at the time as a clear “either-or” decision.

“Either you set about destroying what we estimate could be hundreds of thousands, maybe millions, of artefacts for the sake of this development, or you don’t,” Mr Oshlack said last month.

Now, with construction of the school underway and an emergency application before the Government, the North Lismore Plateau again finds itself at the centre of the news cycle.

For many families, the rebuild of Richmond River High represents stability, recovery and a future on higher ground. For traditional owners and knowledge holders, the plateau is described as a deeply significant cultural landscape tied together by ceremony, story, pathways and generations of connection.