Eighteen lots were approved for development at last night's Lismore City Council meeting, at Northcott Drive in Goonellabah as the Rescission Motion for the Eastwood Estate was defeated and heading for court.

While the Northcott Drive, Goonellabah development was a relatively straightforward vote in the end with only Councillors Guise and Ekins opposed, there was a lengthy debate and more votes over a recent landslip that had occurred on Lot 16 and the removal of a cycleway contribution.

Once the cycleway contribution amendment was defeated, the debate and alternative motion was whether or not to leave Lot 16 out of the DA until a geotechnical report could be ascertained to be brought back with the next development stage or as voted on, the developer remediates any landslip issues on the lot before it can be sold.

Cr Rob said, "It's madness. We're making it so hard for a developer in this area to do something so simple and that's to subdivide. It shouldn't be this hard, it shouldn't be this complicated and it shouldn't fall over at the last step."

After discussing resident objections, traffic implications, affordable housing, the removal of native trees, the potential impact on a koala population, the DA was passed after being on display four times in four years.

The Eastwood Estate development will be heading to the Land and Environment Court following the rejection of the rescission motion put forward by Crs Krieg, Gordon and Bing.

It was stated the McCloy Group would lodge an appeal if the rescission motion was rejected, which it was 7/3.

Once again there were many public speakers voicing their disapproval of the DA including a stunt when Burribi, a person dressed in a koala outfit, sat at the table not saying anything for two minutes before being told the purpose was to allow people to voice their concerns not run a silent protest.

The McCloy Group had made amendments to the DA since the June meeting such as moving the stormwater drain outside of the koala corridor, reducing the number of lots from 203 to 198 and the reduction of koala feed trees from 32 to 4 in the C3 conservation zone. Apparently, council's ecologist was now satisfied with the amendments made although it was said by Cr Ekins "The revised layout represents an improved ecological outcome."

The problem was councillors received the new amendments with late notice and didn't have the time to thoroughly read the updated DA. So, there was not enough technical information on how the updated stormwater detention basin was going to work in its new position and where the water will flow when it overflows.

Cr Colby was one councillor who agreed with others about not having enough information to change his vote on the rescission motion.

"There's a lot of unknown issues, I believe going forward. The two things that concern me effectively are the factors it's alright to tick the boxes in Macquarie Street but they need to tick the right boxes with the people of Lismore," Cr Colby said.

Cr Cook another saying, "We don't have enough details. We got given those amended layouts, we got given some of these synopsis abbreviated reports on Friday, we got one of the reports this afternoon. We haven't had time to look at them."

Now, it is out of council's hands and we wait for the decision of the Land and Environment Court probably in 2023.

The sale of 5 parcels of council-owned land currently not in use was not addressed as Mayor Krieg stopped the meeting after 10:30 as per the code of meeting practice.