NEW LISMORE HOUSING GRANT PROGRAM

Lismore City Council will launch a $1.2 million Lismore Housing Grant program on 1 July, providing grants of $15,000 to eligible landowners to stimulate the construction of new affordable housing.

BY SARAH WATERS

As humpback whales make their way north to sub-tropical waters, Northern Rivers locals are managing to capture some spectacular sights of the majestic creatures.

Chinderah residents

Glenda and Col Henderson recently spotted about four groups of humpback whales breaching 20 meters from the shore at Hastings Point.

Mrs Henderson said it was the frst time she had seen the whales so close.

“They were fapping around everywhere, it was just amazing,” she said.

“These ones were so close in and there were just so many of them.

“There would have been four groups of them, and they were all playing together.”

Mr Henderson, an amateur wildlife photographer, managed to capture some striking images of the whales.

The last time he saw humpback whales so close, was when he was a seven-year-old boy growing up in Byron Bay.

Unfortunately, it was at a time when The Byron Bay Whaling Station was in operation, from 1954 to 1962, and the mammals were considered more valuable dead than alive.

Mrs Henderson said the whaling that took place during that time, was a ‘terrible thing’ for her husband to see at a young age.

“He saw them all being hauled in and pulled onto the fatbed trucks … it was a different time in life back then,” she said.

“Whaling was just something that used to happen down there, and they didn’t think anything of it at that time.

“Thank goodness they don’t do that anymore.

“Taking photos of them in the wild now is a real change, compared to how Col used to see them.”

Mr and Mrs Henderson detailing eligibility. Simply go to www.lismore.nsw.gov.au both enjoy spending their retirement among nature and taking photos of the wildlife in the Northern Rivers.

Up to 50,000 humpback whales are expected to pass Australia’s east coast during their annual migration from Antarctica to the Great Barrier Reef.

After a summer of feeding on krill in Antarctic waters, the whales move north to sub-tropical waters where they mate and give birth.

The majority of humpbacks in Australian waters migrate north from June to August, and back towards the Southern Ocean from September to November.

Lismore Mayor Steve Krieg said a total of 80 grants will be available on a ‘first-come-first served’ basis until such time as a pool of the available funds are fully committed.

“Affordable housing is really the responsibility of the State Government, however Council did receive some Federal Government funding that must be utilised to facilitate new affordable housing opportunities,” he said.

The application can only be considered once a Development Application (DA), Complying Development Certificate (CDC) or a Section 68 Application has been lodged on the NSW Planning Portal. Council will then assess the application with the determination made within 30 days. Grant monies will be paid upon completion of construction of new housing and the issuing of an Occupation Certificate.

They both get especially excited whenever they see a whale’s tale splashing in the ocean during the annual humpback migration.

Humpback whales travel up to 10,000km during the migration. Groups of young males typically lead the migration while pregnant cows and cow-calf pairs are at the rear.

Adult breeding animals form the bulk of the migration in the middle stages.

“The Lismore Housing Grant program will go some way easing the housing crisis to help our community, and importantly is also open to flood-affected residents who want to relocate their home within the Lismore Local Government Area.”

The program has six eligibility criteria that are designed to create more diverse and affordable housing options for the Lismore community.

The application form is now available on Council’s website, as well as a factsheet

Once the program opens, Council will create a Housing Grant Dashboard on its website showing the total pool of money that is available, how many applications have been received, how many have been accepted and the amount that remains available.

Any DA, CDC or a Section 68 Application that has already been lodged through the Planning Portal, but not determined before 1 July, will be eligible to apply for a grant. Those that have been determined will not be considered. The grants are funded by the Federal Government’s Building Better Regional Cities program.

Win or lose – you can choose…

by Nigel Dawe