2018 Lismore Prospectus

lismore THE PROSPECTUS

LIVE + WORK + PLAY

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CONTENTS

INVESTMENT, BUSINESS AND LIFESTYLE OPPORTUNITIES IN THE HEART OF THE NORTHERN RIVERS REGION OF NSW Mayor’s message and prospectus overview

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Key strategic advantages and investment offers at a glance

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MAPS: Factors for growth at a glance

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SECTION 1: About Lismore

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SECTION 2: Private Sector investment opportunities

18

SECTION 3: Public Sector funding opportunities

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SECTION 4: Live + Work + Play

32

Council assistance for business and investors

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For more information on any aspect of investing or doing business in Lismore please contact: The Manager, Economic Development Lismore City Council PO Box 23A, Lismore NSW 2480 43 Oliver Avenue, Goonellabah T: +61 2 6625 0458 M: 0427 003 645 council@lismore.nsw.gov.au lismore.nsw.gov.au

LIVE + WORK + PLAY

MAYORS MESSAGE

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MAYOR’S MESSAGE ABOUT THE PROSPECTUS

Welcome to the 2018 Lismore Prospectus This document is the second prospectus we’ve produced.

It is intended to provide a comprehensive introduction to the ‘heart of the Northern Rivers’ and to list the opportunities for private and public sector investment in our vibrant city.

This document is an informal guide to private and public sector investment in the heart of the Northern Rivers region of New South Wales and is based on Council and other governmental reports and policy documents, which can be accessed at www. lismore.nsw.gov.au.

Lismore’s status as a regional

We’ve shone a light on a sample

city is the result of the breadth of services and range of institutions we host, such as health, education, justice, professional services, retail, sport and recreation, trades, industry, tourism and the arts, as you’ll learn in more detail.

selection of individuals who contribute to the overall direction and energy of our city and their individual stories occur throughout the prospectus.

We describe them as ‘Lismore advocates’ and their passion for the city and belief in its future is immediately apparent.

There are two main documents which underpin the content and scope of the prospectus. The Lismore Growth Management Strategy 2015-2035 shows clearly the approach to future growth in the entire Lismore Local Government Area.

On behalf of the city I’m proud to serve, I welcome your interest in any specific investment or business aspect of the Prospectus and subsequent contact with relevant Council staff. I also welcome any new citizens who might be motivated to move to the heart of the Northern Rivers as a result of reading these pages.

The Imagine Lismore 10 Year Plan 2017-2027 reflects the wishes of the people who live and work here and their input as to Lismore’s future direction across specific areas: economy, community, environment, sport, youth and the arts. Strategies arising from the Imagine Lismore process inform all Council policies and decisionmaking.

These sectors all add to Lismore’s attractiveness as a place to invest, work, study and live.

But the greatest intangible asset we have is the people who live here - our amazing community.

Perhaps that should read ‘communities’ because the range of interest groups we have and the contributions they make to life in Lismore is what makes us unique.

The 2018 Lismore Prospectus differs from the first in that we’ve added a brand new section which aims to show how attractive the city and LGA is as place to ‘live,

Warmest regards Cr. Isaac Smith Mayor of Lismore

lism re

work and play’. We want to show you ‘who we are’ and why Lismore is such a special place.

L I S M O R E . N S W. G O V. AU

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PROSPECTUS AT A GLANCE

KEY REGIONAL STRATEGIC ADVANTAGES

KEY INVESTMENT OFFERS – PRIVATE SECTOR

KEY INVESTMENT OFFERS – PUBLIC SECTOR

+ Business centre of the Northern Rivers

+ Lismore City Centre Development incorporating new library, office centre, central plaza and apartment hotel

+ Lismore Regional Parkland – major recreation, tourism and wellbeing attraction

+ Stable and highly skilled workforce + Vibrant CBD with largest retail sector in the region + Proactive and business friendly Council + Rapidly-expanding Health Precinct + Dynamic Central Growth Corridor + Size and range of Professional Services (health, finance, justice etc.) + Rural residential lifestyle + Land values more competitive than the coast + Higher Education – Southern Cross University, University Centre for Rural Health + Centre of excellence for the Creative Industries + Sporting hub of the Far North Coast + Air/road links and proximity to South East Queensland

+ Medi-hotel in the proposed medium density zone of the health precinct + Serviced apartments for professionals from health, justice and other sectors + Medium density housing in the health precinct + Establishment of large lot transport hub in South Lismore + Bulky goods retail in Southern Growth Corridor + Residential greenfield land development + Secondary dwellings and modular construction (especially 1 to 2 bedrooms) + Greater CBD retail expansion opportunities + Major events and entertainment centre + Council asset sales + Lismore Regional Airport – expanded uses including aviation industry training + Weatherproofing CBD car parks (with option for solar) + CBD ‘shop top’ housing

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+ Bridge to Bridge project similar to Brisbane’s Southbank + Major infrastructure projects, including new link road, bridges and sewage pump stations + Oakes Oval and Crozier Field – major upgrades to football and cricket facilities + Albert Park baseball complex development + Hepburn Park hockey fields upgrade + Parks, walkways and cycleways improvements + Equipping Lismore Showground for increased exhibitions and events activity + Improvements to safe driver training facility for young people + Restoration of historic Lismore Wharf on the Wilsons River

LISMORE CENTRAL GROWTH CORRIDOR

RIVERSIDE PRECINCT

CITY CENTRE PRECINCT

SPORT & RECREATION PRECINCT

City Centre improvements - footpaths, shade, lighting, parklets, NBN rollout etc.

Bridge to Bridge project

Lismore Regional Gallery & The Quad

HEALTH PRECINCT

Medium density and affordable housing

City Centre Project • Serviced apartments • Office building

Lismore Base Hospital Ongoing redevelopment

Lismore Regional Parkland incl. naturalisation of Brown’s Creek

• New library

R IVE R S ON LS I W

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Lismore Square Shopping Centre

• Elevated plaza

Potential expansion

University Centre for Rural Health New student accommodation

Oakes Oval & Crozier Field Sports ground upgrades & conference rooms

Lismore City Hall & NORPA

Albert Park Baseball Complex

Many of the key development projects planned for Lismore are either already occurring or will take place in the city’s Central Growth Corridor, which stretches from the health precinct to the CBD and nearby Wilsons River. When completed, the projects identified on the map above have the potential to transform the city by providing significant new infrastructure, sporting and recreational

assets, as well as generating strong stimulus for the local economy, plus increased visitation and expenditure – and reinforcement for Lismore’s regional city status. The second critical factor driving future growth in Lismore is the number of strategic Residential Land Releases shown on the map below which underpin projected increases in population and employment.

RESIDENTIAL LAND RELEASES

NORTH LISMORE PLATEAU

RICHMOND HILL, MCLEANS RIDGES AND VILLAGES IN THE LGA

Rural residential areas outside the LUA provide unique lifestyle options

Greatest positive impact on local economy, employment growth and CBD business

PLANNED URBAN LAND RELEASES – NORTHERN SIDE

Providing for our future population

PINEAPPLE ROAD NEW BRIDGE

TRINITY DRIVE

SOUTH LISMORE INDUSTRIAL ESTATE

Adjoining Lismore Airport: hardware superstores, freight, manufacturing, vehicle sales

LAGOON GRASS

GOONELLABAH LINK

EAST LISMORE

CRAWFORD ROAD

INVERCAULD ROAD

Urban land release PLANNED URBAN LAND RELEASES – SOUTHERN SIDE

LISMORE AIRPORT

CHILCOTTS GRASS

New housing developments facilitate employment and economic growth

Industrial estate Sports grounds and parks

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ABOUT LISMORE

HEART OF THE NORTHERN RIVERS Lismore is a thriving regional centre in the Far North Coast of New South Wales, known locally as the Northern Rivers region.

The Lismore Local Government Area (LGA) covers an area of 1,267 square kilometres, with a total population of 44,054 in 2016.

Lismore City generates over $2 billion in GRP annually and the Lismore LGA is host to some 4,000 businesses and over 20,000 jobs. The city is serviced by daily commuter flights to Sydney, with easy access to international flights out of the Gold Coast and the motorway to Brisbane.

EMPLOYMENT Health, education, social services and retail trade are the dominant employment sectors in Lismore, with construction, finance, insurance, property and business services expanding significantly.

Lismore’s workforce has the highest level of bachelor degree and post-graduate qualified workers in the Northern Rivers and the city also enjoys the highest level of vocationally trained workers in the region.

LIVE + WORK + PLAY

POPULATION INCREASE AND ECONOMIC GROWTH The LGA is primed to grow by over 5,000 residents over the next 20 years. Lismore’s population is growing at a sustainable level, with the city’s residents maintaining the highest household income for the region.

The major factor helping to generate population growth is the employment opportunities contained within the major economic growth sectors described in this prospectus.

RECENT MAJOR DEVELOPMENTS IN THE CITY Activity in Lismore since the first Prospectus was published in 2016 has included the completion of Southern Cross University’s hi-tech Learning Centre and

Enterprise Lab, the renovation of Lismore Central Shopping Centre, improvements to Council’s Goonellabah Sports and Aquatic Centre, new facilities at the University Centre for Rural Health (including student housing), a CBD office complex complete with 6-star energy rating and a major Toyota dealership, plus the completion and opening of the Lismore Regional Gallery.

Other developments included a SuperStore, new Westpac Helicopter Rescue Service headquarters at Lismore Regional Airport and a significant increase in housing development.

Lismore’s health services have experienced significant expansion in both public and private hospitals in the city.

“Since my wonderful childhood and teen years in the Northern Rivers, I went on to co-found a global enterprise called ‘Shoes of Prey’, which I now direct from Los Angeles. Although my life is now thoroughly international, nothing has served me better in business than the way the community of Lismore taught me to relate to the people around you with integrity and actively contribute to building something bigger, together.

I am proud to tell people I meet about my origins, and even prouder to be an unofficial ambassador for Lismore wherever I travel.”

JODIE FOX Co-founder and Creative Director, Shoes of Prey

“Lismore provides an ideal base for our regional manufacturing business due to the depth and diversity of professional, engineering, planning, legal and accounting services available in the city.

The relationships built up over time with our local suppliers and subcontractors have undoubtedly contributed to our growth.”

“We value highly our long-term relationship with Southern Cross University which provides timber and forest research of the highest standing to assist our sustainable harvesting activities. Having a world-class research facility like this on our doorstep highlights the connections which make Lismore attractive to business.”

ANDREW + LEXIE HURFORD Hurfords Hardwoods

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KEY GROWTH SECTORS

HEALTH NORTHERN NSW LOCAL HEALTH DISTRICT Headquartered in Lismore and with a staff of 3,600, the Northern NSW Local Health District (NNSWLHD) covers an area of 20,732 square kilometres and provides health services to an estimated population of 288,241.

The NNSWLHD manages 11 hospital facilities; by far the largest is the Lismore Base Hospital which (along with related health services situated around the complex) employs 985 people.

LISMORE BASE HOSPITAL REDEVELOPMENT The Health Precinct is undergoing major changes involving overall expenditure of $320m. The largest of these is the staged redevelopment of the Lismore Base Hospital. The new multi-

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storey tower redevelopment will provide increased inpatient and outpatient capacity, a greater range of services, and improved facilities for patients and staff. This is provided in a staged approach including new construction and refurbishment of the existing hospital. The redevelopment is scheduled for completion mid2021.

The Lismore Base Hospital has worked with Lismore City Council to develop a health precinct car parking strategy, which included the construction of a multistorey car park as part of the redevelopment.

ST VINCENT’S LISMORE St Vincent’s Lismore, the only Private Hospital situated between Tweed Heads and Coffs Harbour, is an 86 bed Private Hospital

with 97 credentialed Specialists providing a range of 25 specialties.

New specialities include an Endocrinologist, Dermatologist and two Plastic & Reconstructive Surgeons. St Vincent’s Lismore has five operating theatres, Day surgery, Endoscopy, Oncology, Renal, Rehabilitation and Palliative care units, in addition to onsite Physiotherapy, Pharmacy, Pathology and Radiology.

St Vincent’s Lismore is undertaking a master plan for the future of the health campus and is in the process of expanding its footprint, with the opening of St Vincent’s Ballina Consulting Suites in August 2017 and the St Vincent’s Private Day Surgery opening in Lismore in coming months.

“The staged development of the Lismore Base Hospital and associated improvements in the provision of health services will have a major and positive impact on the city, and broader region as a whole. The new purpose-designed clinical areas provide enhanced facilities for the appreciative staff and clinicians who benefit from these new state-ofthe-art departments. The scope of the redevelopment has ensured that the future healthcare needs of the region’s expanding population will be met for many years to come. As we look towards a further four years of construction, I’d like to thank our exceptional staff and the wider community for the patience and understanding they’ve shown as we progress this massive capital works program.”

WAYNE JONES Chief Executive Officer Northern NSW Local Health District

“I have lived and worked in Lismore for over 30 years. Over that period, the close-knit Lismore medical community has grown and matured into an exceptionally capable regional medical service, with clinical, radiology and surgical services a particular strength. Recent developments here at St Vincents Private have continued to expand and improve the range of medical procedures we offer and its no accident that we were rated as one of the top ten private hospitals in Australia in a national survey of HCF members.”

DR AUSTIN CURTIN Surgeon, St Vincents Private

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KEY GROWTH SECTORS

HIGHER EDUCATION SOUTHERN CROSS UNIVERSITY The Lismore campus offers dynamic courses that respond to community and industry needs. Disciplines include health, business and tourism, music and creative arts, social sciences, law, education, science, engineering and Indigenous Knowledge.

The campus includes state-ofthe-art science and engineering facilities, a contemporary Library and specialist music and visual arts studios. The University has strong links to the region’s thriving creative arts industries and enjoys close connections to the local community, operating an on-campus Health Clinic open to the public, and a pool and gymnasium which are both popular community resources.

The University’s Environmental Analysis Laboratory provides a range of analytical services to agricultural and other industries.

The Lismore campus is also home to the Southern Cross GeoScience and Southern Cross Plant Science research centres that support activities such as geochemistry, crop and pasture production and forestry sciences. The University launched the nation’s first Centre for Organics Research in 2017.

UNIVERSITY CENTRE FOR RURAL HEALTH The University Centre for Rural Health is a collaboration between the University of Sydney, the University of Wollongong, the University of Western Sydney, Southern Cross University, and state and federal health departments. The UCRH facility is situated opposite Lismore Base Hospital in the centre of the city’s rapidly expanding health precinct. UCRH was founded a decade ago as part of a national initiative to foster the training of medical students and other health professionals in rural and regional areas and now employs 55 staff in Lismore.

UCRH conducts award-winning research in areas vital to the health needs of communities within the NSW Northern Rivers and nationally. The centre is motivated by the challenges involved in meeting the needs of socially or economically disadvantaged or marginalised groups in our region and of providing high quality health care in other parts of rural Australia as well.

OTHER EDUCATION ASSETS

Lismore campus is also home to LIVE + WORK + PLAY

Lismore is also the administrative centre for the North Coast Institute of TAFE, which specialises in food and beverage management at its Wollongbar campus.

“Southern Cross is a public purpose institution and our heritage in Lismore gives us great pride. We are developing a worldwide reputation as a progressive and engaged university with degrees that reflect the region as well as community priorities. Our aim is to translate the excellence in our back yard to the ‘front yard’ and to the rest of the world. In 2017, the university contributed $236.8m in gross regional product, $134m in household income and 1075 full-time equivalent jobs in the Lismore LGA.”

ADAM SHOEMAKER Vice Chancellor, Southern Cross University

“In 2016 alone UCRH supported rural placements for 750 allied health and nursing students and 271 medical students - 53 of whom were based here for a full year of their training.

We ran ten courses for allied health professionals that were attended by 284 professionals from a variety of disciplines and a large number of courses in our high tech simulation labs, attended by hundreds of health professionals, as well as publishing 57 scientific papers in peer reviewed journals. We’re a vital part of Lismore’s thriving tertiary education sector.”

PROFESSOR ROSS BAILIE Director, University Centre for Rural Health

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KEY GROWTH SECTORS

BUSINESS On the retail and commercial front, Lismore is an exceptional place to do business. Many enterprises in the city have leveraged the benefits of being based in Lismore to carry out successful business in regional, national and international markets whilst being able to take advantage of the lifestyle opportunities the area offers.

A Council-appointed Lismore Business Panel is responsible for overseeing the Lismore Business Promotion Program, now in its ninth year of operations. The program is responsible for marketing, events, placemaking and business education activities coordinated by the Lismore city centre manager. The Business Panel works closely with the Lismore Chamber of Commerce & Industry, which currently enjoys record – and diverse - membership.

BUSINESS GROWTH FACTORS These include: + The city’s strategic central location within the Northern Rivers and its ease of access to regional and interstate markets such as Sydney, South East Queensland, Brisbane and the Gold Coast + Comparatively inexpensive cost of land + Low labour costs and cost of housing, compared to the coast and capital cities + Affordable business premises (cheaper than metropolitan centres) + An extremely proactive council that wants to move forward with business + Excellent freight services + Strong local supply chains + A stable labour market with valuable skills

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+ Strong customer loyalty locally + Low susceptibility to economic downturn + A steadily growing population + Improved connectivity via the NBN roll out Emerging from a 2013 Lismore Business Retention and Expansion survey involving 460 participants was the widespread recognition that Lismore is a highly desirable place to reside, work and raise families with its enjoyable climate and close proximity to rainforests, national parks and beaches. A combination of the natural environment, good agricultural land, housing and lifestyle choices, demographic and cultural diversity, the availability of primary, secondary and tertiary education options and the range of services contained in the city creates a positive ‘work/life’ balance that attracts and retains employees.

“My company employs over 130 people and our tankers deliver fuel to service stations as far north as Bundaberg Qld., south to Newcastle, and west to Narrabri. The availability of extremely talented workers plus the cooperation we receive from Council and local business houses have all contributed greatly to the success of NCP. We’ve experienced 11% growth since the relocation of our head office to the CBD and employed seven new people. We’ve also taken on a Platinum Sponsorship for the ‘Our Kids’ charity: it’s rewarding to know that our company continues to create local employment opportunities and support the community.”

MICK MCKINLAY Managing Director, North Coast Petroleum

“We moved from Casino NSW to the South Lismore Industrial Estate in 2008 in order to establish ourselves in the South Lismore Industrial Estate close to many of our suppliers, and to establish a stronger presence for our current and potential customers. Our expansion has been so rapid that we were able to buy land and build a brand new greenfield factory last year. My company was selected to execute the fit-out in the new Lismore Gallery and we’re winning more contracts of this sort in NSW and Queensland. Lismore has been fantastic for us.”

BEN LAMONT CEO, North Coast Cabinets

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KEY GROWTH SECTORS

PROFESSIONAL SERVICES Lismore has the greatest number and widest range of professional service providers in the region and is home to major state and federal governmental institutions such as health, justice and community services. The largest concentration of accountants, legal practitioners, financial institutions and investment advisors in the Northern Rivers are located in Lismore. Town planners, surveyors and other specialist services linked to building and development are also well represented.

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REAL ESTATE According to a May 2017 report by the local branch of national property valuers Herron Todd White, the Lismore region experienced a marked increase in sale prices over the preceding year, with high demand for quality housing stock. Agents in the city told of well-presented houses being sold within days – and sometimes hours - of hitting the market.

Research findings by national property data company Core Logic over the 12 months to May 2017, showed consistent increases in sale prices and dramatic increases for large lot rural residential properties.

Reasons for the buoyant residential property market included an identifiable trend whereby cashed-up city dwellers moving from metropolitan centres are purchasing top-end properties in the Lismore city and LGA with alacrity. Returns for rental properties have similarly increased.

CREATIVE INDUSTRIES The Northern Rivers region has the highest number of creative workers outside metropolitan Sydney and the greatest concentration of these is to be found in Lismore. The city is home to visual artists in every discipline, musicians, designers, writers, photographers, film makers and new media specialists.

The city is the home of nationallyrecognized performing arts company Northern Rivers Performing Arts (NORPA) the Northern Rivers Conservatorium, the new Lismore Regional Gallery and other cultural organisations.

The creative industries make a significant contribution to the local economy and provide multiple benefits to the wider community.

“Lismore enables me to combine a busy professional, business and family existence and still achieve the ‘life balance’ so many people are searching for. Through our retail business ‘ShopBaby’, my husband Josh and I are able to give back to the community by sponsoring the city’s annual Carols by Candlelight event. We returned here from Europe just over a decade ago – and we’re so glad we did.”

JAIME BATES Chartered accountant and company director

“Our firm is the largest legal practice in Northern New South Wales; based in Lismore and with offices in Byron Bay and Ballina. We’ve been a part of the city since 1888 and take pride in giving back to the community with support for the arts and sport. The practice is continuing to grow and our workforce and turnover has increased significantly over the past few years. In large measure, this is a product of the broad base and quality of legal services we supply to all of our clients in the city and region. I have great faith in the economic future of Lismore.”

ROB WARREN Solicitor and senior partner Somerville Laundry Lomax

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KEY GROWTH SECTORS

TOURISM

AGRICULTURE

Tourism contributed $163.3m to the local economy in 2016, with over 1000 people employed in the sector across the LGA. Council’s tourism department coordinates all marketing and promotional activities, attracts major sporting and other events providing economic benefits to the city and assists annual large-scale festivals and cultural events. With a global profile, the village of Nimbin is a major draw card in the Lismore area and has strong potential for development in the areas of accommodation, tours, Indigenous and experiential tourism.

Agriculture, forestry and fishing contributed $153m to the Lismore Economy in 2016 – an increase of 15% since 2013. Traditional agricultural industries, such as timber and wood products, sugarcane, dairying and cattle farming remain important sources of wealth for the LGA. This wealth is being augmented by wellestablished industries such as coffee, tea tree and nuts, plus berry and stone fruit of every kind.

Lismore is the headquarters of the Australian macadamia and blueberry industries. The demand for rural property remains high in the area.

RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT Lismore’s population is projected to increase by 5,000 people over the next two decades, with attendant benefits for the city’s growth. Lismore City Council has zoned land for residential, commercial and industrial use sufficient to match anticipated growth in key housing, health, education and business sectors until 2035.

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RURAL RESIDENTIAL BLOCKS Lismore has more large rural ‘lifestyle’ housing lots available at more competitive prices than neighboring coastal LGAs such as Byron Bay and Ballina.

SOCIAL SERVICES Lismore has a large number of organisations and groups which manage a wide range of social assistance programs including the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) in the city, throughout the Northern Rivers and further afield. Among these are Social Futures (the Northern Rivers Social Development Council), Interrelate Family Counselling, Mission Australia, Lifeline, the Family Support Network and HART (Home Assistance and Regional Services).

Combined State and Federal funding for the Health and Social Assistance sectors in Lismore in 2016 was $488m.

“The Richmond Hill Group is a multidisciplinary family company that has operated successfully in Lismore for over 60 years. From modest agricultural beginnings, our continued growth reflects the opportunities afforded to us by the city and region. Valley View Estate forms part of the Pineapple Road Precinct, a master planned community designed with great care and in close collaboration with Lismore City Council.

This land release is situated on the site of a farm that has been in my family for generations, and I look forward to its positive impact on the city’s growth. ”

LUCAS ZORZO Project Manager, Richmond Hill Group and Valley View Estate

“Human services make up the fastest growing sector in the national economy. We have been part of this growth, doubling in size over the last two years while ensuring regional communities are supported by locals who understand their needs. Lismore is a hub for our sector and a place of diversity, innovation, creativity and acceptance. The city is an ideal base from which to continue to meet the existing and emerging challenges in our communities.”

TONY DAVIES CEO, Social Futures “As a Local Area Coordination partner, we connect participants to the National Disability Insurance Scheme and support communities to prepare for it in almost 80 percent of regional New South Wales. This major innovation in inclusion will improve the rights and lives of thousands of people with a disability. The Scheme is projected to create around 1,300 new jobs on the North Coast alone and a host of social and economic opportunities for regional communities.”

KATRINA LUCKIE Executive Manager or Strategy and Engagement

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PRIVATE SECTOR OPPORTUNITIES

LISMORE CITY CENTRE DEVELOPMENT MAJOR PROJECT The largest single development ever to be proposed for the city centre has an estimated construction cost of $35m. The vision for a strategic site in the heart of the city has four main elements. A new library and adjacent multi-story office block is to be sited immediately south of the new Lismore Regional Gallery overlooking a raised civic plaza with parking underneath for 240 vehicles, bookended by a serviced apartment hotel fronting on to Magellan Street beside the existing library building.

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A green light for the proposed Lismore City Centre Development would present Lismore with a brand new library. Council would then treat the existing library as an asset for sale: the building would suit businesses or organisations wanting to operate in the epicentre of the CBD. The design of this major complex would allow for pedestrian access from the upgraded Oakes Oval and Crozier Field central city sports hub. Once the planned Lismore Regional Parkland becomes a reality, residents and visitors will be able to walk from Lismore Shopping Square to the CBD via the parkland through the plaza

and Quadrangle, and then into the CBD via Keen Street, or vice versa.

The successful construction and completion of the Lismore City Centre Development will provide a series of amenities and experiences – from sightseeing and recreation to shopping and dining – to equal those found in major cities in other parts of Australia.

“Lismore has the greatest concentration of real estate agencies in the region and I believe the city’s future is extremely positive. Our franchise has the largest local sales team in the area, which reflects the strength of the local market and the number of housing developments coming on line. My staff and I feel privileged to be able to contribute time and resources to the ‘Jodie’s Inspiration’ cancer awareness project which has generated such amazing community support.”

MICHELLE MITCHELL Principal, LJ Hooker Lismore

“As Lismore grows and consolidates its role as the economic centre of Northern NSW, the provision of town planning services is of critical importance as the development needs of the region are recognised. Our staff and the specialist consultants we employ from within the Lismore area are currently working on a historically high volume of development projects. The expansion of our head office in Lismore is based on the planned growth of the city, enhanced

by Lismore City Council’s highly professional approach to ensuring that the community develops in a sustainable manner.”

DAMIEN CHAPELLE Principal Town Planner, Newton Denny & Chapelle

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PRIVATE SECTOR OPPORTUNITIES

RESIDENTIAL HOUSING DEVELOPMENT Experienced real estate agents in Lismore report that growth in the housing market over the past three years has been strong and estimate that residential and commercial sales have increased by 15% over the past 18 months.

The availability of large lot rural residential ‘lifestyle’ blocks provides the city with a competitive advantage.

Council reports that the number of Development Applications processed and Construction Certificates issued during the same period have increased by 15% -20%. A recent feature of the housing market has been the interest shown in available land by ‘out-of-region’ property developers with significant experience and financial resources.

Land for urban release has been rezoned and nominated for residential use in a variety of locations within the Lismore Urban Area. A snapshot of housing development activity in the Lismore Urban Area in late March 2018 reveals that 18 developments are either currently underway, awaiting Council approval, or have just been lodged.

These 18 developments represent a combined total of 3,926 Lots, Units and Strata Titles – potentially representing up to 11,000 inhabitants (based on 2.8 occupants per household).

The breakdown is as follows: + DA approved developments 279 building Lots and 222 strata titles have been approved in four separate housing developments: a total of 501 dwellings in all. + Construction underway - building on a total of 1,047 lots (including 75 units) has either commenced or is about to in eight separate housing developments.

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+ Future development (not yet DA approved) – seven development projects incorporating at total of 2,738 Lots have been registered with Council.

In addition to the residential developments described above, realtors in Lismore have full listings of business and industrial land plus commercial buildings for purchase or leasing, and can be contacted direct or via Council. A feature of the Lismore LGA is the number of villages and localities outside the defined urban area which also contain housing development opportunities for a range of lifestyle options.

PRIVATE SECTOR OPPORTUNITIES

OTHER HOUSING OPTIONS RURAL RESIDENTIAL BLOCKS Lismore has a greater range of large rural ‘lifestyle’ housing lots available at more competitive prices than neighboring coastal LGAs such as Byron Bay and Ballina.

CBD ‘SHOP TOP ‘ HOUSING Council has waived carparking and Section 94 and 64 contributions for ‘shop top’ housing and can help developers meet mandatory fire safety and other regulations.

AFFORDABLE HOUSING Council has a $3.5m grant from the Commonwealth-funded Building Better Regional Cities scheme to provide affordable housing in Lismore. Proposals are being sought from developers, community housing organizations and NGOs to select the most effective affordable housing projects.

LISMORE HEALTH PRECINCT A defined zone close to the CBD which includes Lismore Base Hospital, ancillary medical services, the University Centre for Rural Health and ‘satellite’ health and wellbeing organizations, plus residences. This combination attracts skilled medical professionals and allied health workers to Lismore.

MEDIUM-DENSITY HOUSING Council has changed town planning controls to help encourage and support healthrelated activities and mediumdensity housing within the precinct. A total waiver of Council’s infrastructure contributions for medium density housing and mixed use developments is now in place, enabling developers to build higher and with greater density.

OTHER DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES Potential exists for a range of high-quality temporary accommodation in the Lismore Health Precinct. There is a need for serviced apartments with self-catering facilities to meet the requirements of a range of professionals requiring short term or extended stay accommodation.

The target market includes senior members of the judiciary, visiting academics linked to the University Centre for Rural Health, visiting medical officers on secondment to the Lismore Base Hospital, business people and other short term visitors.

Similar potential exists for a ‘medi-hotel’ offering pre and postoperative accommodation for patients undergoing surgery or for extended treatment not requiring hospitalization – or for family members.

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PRIVATE SECTOR OPPORTUNITIES

INDUSTRIAL AND COMMERCIAL LAND Lismore is able to offer an advantage to businesses and manufacturers by providing industrial land at extremely competitive valuations. Council has sizeable blocks of land for sale on Krauss Avenue close to Lismore Regional Airport and the South Lismore Industrial Estate.

Realtors in Lismore have listings of businesses, commercial properties and industrial land for purchase or leasing, and can be contacted direct or via Council’s Manager Economic Development.

COUNCIL ASSET SALES + If Council decides to move back to the CBD, the existing administration building in Goonellabah would be available for sale. With a total floor space of 2,550m2 and a high standard of IT interconnectivity plus dedicated parking for 120 vehicles, the complex could serve as a nursing home or corporate headquarters. + A sizeable number of small ‘pocket parks’ throughout the Lismore Urban Area are still available for purchase for residential development. + The former Lismore Regional Gallery next to the Transit Centre in the centre of the CBD is for

sale. This building lends itself to legal, medical, accounting or other professional offices, an architectural practice, design studio, or independent art gallery and includes the option of living quarters on the first floor. The former gallery adjoins a thriving café, which could also be offered for sale as a separate lot. + There is potential for the adaptive re-use of a sizeable and historic former Rowing Club now called the Laurie Allen Centre situated on Crown land adjacent to the bank of the Wilsons River in the heart of the CBD. The building and its surrounds lend themselves to redevelopment along the lines of a café and/or river-based recreational activities.

The building and suggested new uses could capitalise on its proximity to the planned pedestrian bridge across the Wilsons River linking the CBD and proposed medium-density housing facing the riverside precinct in the city’s heart.

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PRIVATE SECTOR OPPORTUNITIES

COMMERCIAL PROSPECTS REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION HUB Council owns a large parcel of land adjacent to the South Lismore Industrial Estate that has potential to be developed as a major transportation hub. A large transportation hub of the sort envisaged would expand freight volumes, increase employment locally and attract interest from specialist trucking and courier companies.

LISMORE REGIONAL AIRPORT AND GENERAL AVIATION CENTRE A significant lack of freehold land suitable for general aviation purposes throughout Australia has placed the Council-ownedand-operated Lismore Regional Airport in a competitive position, and it has received 15 confirmed expressions of interest in the initial 17 freehold blocks recently offered for sale. Planning is underway for a staged release of another 80 blocks.

Future prospects for the aviation centre include fixed wing and helicopter charters and training schools, ballooning, a national airfreight operation, warehousing for foods to be exported ‘fresh’ to markets in South East Asia, and specialist ground staff training conducted by North Coast TAFE.

PLASTICS REGENERATION PROJECT Council has entered into partnerships with two tertiary institutions to investigate the commercial potential for turning waste plastic into diesel fuel.

Researchers from both the University of Queensland and Southern Cross University have set up pilot projects, the results of which could see mountains of waste plastic at Council’s Whyrallah Road recycling plant turned into fuel for use

by Council’s vehicle fleet. The only by-product is near-potable quality water. Council will shortly engage consultants to identify the best way to turn waste plastic into premium plastic pellets for commercial sale.

QANTAS has announced recently that it is looking for a regional airport in NSW to serve as the base for extensive commercial pilot training and Council will make a strong bid to win this contract.

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LISMORE REGIONAL PARKLAND MAJOR PROJECT Lismore Regional Parkland is conceived as a $15m project in two separate stages. The project represents the very best of contemporary urban park design and it is anticipated that the Parkland will attract up to 400,000 visitors a year once completed.

Lismore Regional Park patrons are expected to be a combination of local residents and visitors from the Northern Rivers and South East Queensland, with domestic and international tourists included in the mix.

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Among the features of the park will be a number of dramatic ‘gateways’ at different entry points to the park, a main pedestrian promenade featuring an avenue of signature trees, a plaza with an interactive dancing water feature and lighting display and a multipurpose park pavilion incorporating a café with outdoor dining at ground level and top terrace for functions such as weddings and small conferences.

Other features will include a large multi-purpose events lawn and outdoor stage, state-

of-the art outdoor exercise and recreation facilities and a network of extended pathways, plus a wetland and environmental education walk. The regional parkland will be able to host major concerts and outdoor events such as the Lismore Lantern Parade.

Lismore’s health sector has taken a keen interest in the planned regional parkland which presents opportunities for supervised patient exercise and recuperation activities close to the Base Hospital and neighbouring health precinct.

PUBLIC SECTOR OPPORTUNITIES

BRIDGE TO BRIDGE PROJECT MAJOR PROJECT Revitalising Lismore by establishing a South Bank-type precinct along the Wilsons River complete with walkways and enhanced open spaces are some of the visions contained in a $20m ‘Bridge to Bridge’ project report commissioned by Council and based on extensive community consultation.

The Bridge to Bridge area refers to the section of the Wilsons River and land that stretches directly adjacent to the river to Molesworth Street (Lismore CBD) and Union Street (South Lismore) between the two bridges to the south and north sides of Lismore.

The land contains a network of parks, commercial and community-use buildings including Lismore City Hall plus various riverside recreation and sporting facilities.

The Bridge to Bridge concept has five key elements: + The Loop - a continuous walking and cycling pathway adjacent to the river between Ballina Road, Fawcett and Union Street bridges;

+ A revitalised Wharf Precinct containing a new riverside park in the area beside the Laurie Allen Centre. The wharf precinct would be promote water-based activities such as kayaking, rowing, fishing and water-based tours, plus a cafe or restaurant on the upper floor of the centre; + A Community Precinct connecting the CBD and the wharf precinct, revitalising the existing Transit Centre courtyard and using the former Lismore Regional Gallery as an Aboriginal cultural centre; + Improvements to Heritage Park and surrounds including City Hall and nearby Riverside Park, as well as; + A new Vision for South Lismore encompassing new uses of the decommissioned Lismore Railway Station and former Hurfords Timber site beside the river by creative industries.

With a pedestrian bridge linking the CBD to South Lismore, the area of land between the Wilsons River and Union Street could be transformed into a mix of medium density housing, extensive new parklands along the river and even facilities for ‘grey nomad’ caravan and camper van owners.

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PUBLIC SECTOR OPPORTUNITIES

LISMORE’S ROLE AS A SPORTS HUB Council has commenced discussions with the NSW Department of Sport aimed at securing significant resources to consolidate Lismore’s role as a regional sports hub. The concept of a ‘sports hub’ encompasses all sporting and training facilities throughout the city with the combined ability to attract national and international codes and tournaments. Council is also considering the possibility of a training facility for Winter Olympics athletes from Australia being constructed in Lismore.

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UPGRADES TO MAJOR SPORTING FACILITIES Hepburn Park is planned to become a Regional Hockey Centre, with $1.5 million worth of improvements scheduled for completion in mid-2018. The park will feature two fields with contemporary artificial surfaces at international playing standard, enabling Lismore to host the next National Masters Games hockey tournament with associated economic benefits. Other improvements include upgraded lighting and new cricket nets.

A major revamp of Albert Park -the home of baseball in the Northern Rivers - costing $6.95 million is planned to be completed by August 2019. Secured or identified funding partners include Baseball Australia, Destination NSW, Council and the NSW Government.

The upgrade to Albert Park will, again, result in a facility that is

of international standard and suitable for major tournaments and training.

LISMORE CENTRAL CITY SPORTS COMPLEX Stage 2 of extensive improvements to Oakes Oval and nearby Crozier Field will cost $2.8 milllion.

Funding is from partner organisations the Australian Football League, Cricketing NSW, the Building Better Regions scheme and Council. At Oakes Oval the field will be enlarged to accommodate AFL games, new spectator facilities will be constructed and entrances will be upgraded. Crozier Field will benefit from a refurbished grandstand, new perimeter fencing and a redeveloped playing field.

Future planning includes selecting a specialist sports architect to design a major conference centre which requires extending the Gordon Pavilion overlooking Oakes Oval with a capacity of up to 200 people.

“I spent my formative years and early football career in Lismore. On a recent trip home I visited the Southern Cross Football Centre; the outcome of a partnership between the university and Liverpool Football Club in the U.K. The club rates this training facility as the best of its kind in the whole world – and it’s a great example of just one facet in Lismore’s role as the regional sporting hub of the Northern Rivers.”

CRAIG FOSTER SBS Sports Analyst

“II have fond memories of the very start of my cricketing career, playing first grade cricket in Lismore at the age of 14 at Kadina High School. The redevelopment of Oakes Oval - the home of cricket in the Northern Rivers – is an undoubted boost to this and other sports. I can think of no other regional cricketing centre with as much potential as Lismore. This same potential applies to other sporting codes as well.”

ADAM GILCHRIST Australian Test Cricketer

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PUBLIC SECTOR OPPORTUNITIES

PARKS AND RECREATION FACILITIES UPGRADES TO EXISTING LISMORE PARKS Three parks in the city proper are to be improved in a staged process and given defined characters, reflecting their patterns of use. In 2018/19 Heritage Park in the CBD will be upgraded and presented as our ‘adventure’ park, with an emphasis on climbing equipment and building physical skills and confidence among the children and families who use it.

RECREATION TRAILS – PEDESTRIAN AND BIKING Following improvements planned for 2019/20 Wade Park in East Lismore will be the ‘cycling and road safety’ park. In 2020/21 Nesbitt Park in South Lismore will be refurbished and become the ‘accessible park’ – a reflection of the specific equipment installed for the use of children and adults with a disability.

Kadina Park in Goonellebah is to undergo significant improvements in a renewal program made possible by the Regional Growth Fund in partnership with Council (using income from the sale of pocket parks) and Goonellabah Rotary.

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The Wilsons Walking Track on Girard’s Hill has recently been completed, along with the Captain Rous Park mountain bike trail. Future plans for worldclass recreational experiences in Lismore include creating a section of ‘rail trail’ in South Lismore as part of the $20million ‘Bridge to Bridge’ project, plus a new walkway that would start in the CBD and extend as far as Albert Park before connecting with the Wilsons River Walking Track.

Other long range plans include the possibility of creating a walking track from the city centre to Lismore Lake. The overall vision is for Lismore to be enhanced by an interconnecting and easily accessible network of quality walking tracks and bike paths for residents and visitors.

PUBLIC SECTOR OPPORTUNITIES

MAJOR PROJECTS – ROADS GOONELLABAH LINK A major ancillary link road is required to re-route local traffic off the Bruxner Highway and to provide residents in Goonellabah with an alternate route to the city centre. The capital works required to cover this two-stage construction process planned between 2018 and 2028 will incur an estimated 2015 cost of $8.8m.

TRINITY CONNECTION A new major road is required to run uphill from Trinity Drive on the northern approach to Lismore to connect with the Bruxner Highway in Goonellabah. This project is envisaged to take place between 2028 and 2035, at an estimated 2015 cost of $6.27m.

NORTHERN CONNECTION BRIDGE The increased traffic movements generated by the completion of the proposed North Lismore Plateau project are likely to have a major impact on the CBD and urban area. A new bridge to improve access for rural/ residential localities north of the city is planned to span the Wilsons River in the CBD. The bridge is slated for construction between 2023 and 2028, at an estimated 2015 cost of $15.3m.

OTHER INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS SEWAGE TREATMENT To prepare for anticipated future growth, Council has commenced major upgrades to the South Lismore Sewage Treatment Plant and set aside $23m for this staged process. Similar upgrades required for infrastructure in other parts of the city centre include sewage pump stations in the centre of the city and in South Lismore.

These improvements are required to meet the demands of new residential development in the Lismore Urban Area and significant developments in the Central Growth Corridor such as the Base Hospital, Health Precinct, potential expansion of Lismore Shopping Square and St Vincents Private.

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PUBLIC SECTOR OPPORTUNITIES

NORTH COAST NATIONAL – LISMORE SHOWGROUND MAJOR PROJECT The North Coast National organisation has big plans for the venerable Lismore Showground site it has administered for 130 years. They include making an initial application for Building Better Regions funding to create comprehensive business and master plans, to be followed by significant state and federal funding applications to upgrade all existing infrastructure, at a projected cost of over $50 million.

The complete upgrade will result in a multi-purpose exhibition, conference and entertainment

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complex, in addition to the improved showground. It will enable the North Coast National administration to attract largescale events and generate significant revenue year round.

Separate to the upgrade, a proposal for a $25 million equestrian centre is being advanced. The Northern Rivers has the highest degree of horse ownership in the state, with commensurate demand for competitions and major equine events.

However, the nearest equestrian centres are in Tamworth and Beaudesert, Qld. The North Coast National Equestrian Centre would encompass a wide number of uses on up to 300 days a year, with commensurate benefits for the organisation – and Lismore itself.

In addition, the North Coast National plans to create a Banyam-Baigham Aboriginal Cultural Centre at the showground, in close collaboration with local Indigenous groups.

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COME TO THE HEART Lismore benefits from a combination of elements which make it an ideal place to live, work and play. In close proximity to rainforests, national parks and beaches, it is the only inland regional city in the Northern Rivers. The city also benefits from having the greatest concentration of health and education providers, sports facilities, business, professional services and creative industries in the region. Lismore is surrounded by productive farmland and a network of attractive small villages including Nimbin - the site of the original Aquarius Festival and a major tourism destination in its own right.

HOUSING AND SCHOOLING The Lismore residential property market is buoyant and the range of housing available is extensive.

An identified need for smaller dwellings and more affordable housing is being met. Lismore’s great advantage over coastal towns such as Byron Bay and Ballina is affordability.

Lismore is also home to the largest number of primary and secondary schools in the region.

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CITY CENTRE REVIVAL An award-winning city centre revitalisation scheme has transformed the Lismore CBD through a comprehensive program of events, festivals and activities which attract locals and visitors year round. Place-making is a feature of the revitalisation scheme and the much-lauded Back Alley Gallery displays public art to rival Melbourne’s laneways.

There are dozens of cafés and restaurants in the city – and the coffee is to die for.

FESTIVALS AND EVENTS Each year at the time of the midwinter solstice the heart of the Northern Rivers is transformed by the iconic Lismore Lantern Parade.

Other major annual events include ‘Eat the Street’ in March, the Lismore Cup in September and the North Coast National (Lismore Show) every October.

SPORTS + RECREATION Lismore is also the sporting hub of the Northern Rivers. It is home to major sporting codes, with grounds and facilities which serve the whole region. The city hosts interstate and international sporting events and is a major training centre.

“Sustained support by the wider community in Lismore since 2001 has led to the purchase of over $1.5 million worth of ‘Our Kids’ paediatric medical equipment for children undergoing treatment. Similar generosity has also resulted in the construction of a $5.6million family accommodation facility for those coming to Lismore for treatment by our sister charity ‘Our House’. We help over 10,000 children a year via ‘Our Kids’, and since opening in 2012, ‘Our’ House has welcomed 4,000 guests.”

REBEKKA BATTISTA ‘Our Kids’ and ‘Our House’ director

Since graduating with a Bachelor of Fine Arts at the National Art School in Sydney in 1990, I have created art across all mediums for well over twenty solo exhibitions in galleries around Australia and internationally. I have two loves in life: art and family— and a passion for protest, linked to my cross cultural heritage. While living on Bundjalung country all areas of my life have been nurtured: I have a great space to work in, I’m inspired by the beauty of the country, ease of everyday life and the warmth of the community.

KARLA DICKENS Visual artist

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CREATIVE CITY Cultural life in Lismore is rich and varied: residents and visitors are spoiled for choice. The city is the home of nationally-recognized performing arts company Northern Rivers Performing Arts (NORPA), the Northern Rivers Conservatorium and other cultural organisations. The creative industries make a significant contribution to the local economy and provide multiple benefits to the wider community.

The Northern Rivers region has the highest number of creative workers outside metropolitan Sydney and the greatest concentration of these is to be found in Lismore. The city is home to visual artists in every discipline, musicians, designers, writers, photographers, film makers and new media specialists.

A feature of the local arts environment is the existence of organisations such as Real Art Works and Multitask Club Lane, which manage successful programs engaging artists of

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varying abilities with all aspects of the creative process.

LISMORE REGIONAL GALLERY AND ‘THE QUAD’ In late 2017 the new Lismore Regional Gallery was opened. The building has multiple exhibition spaces including the Margaret Olley Gallery, increased storage and the ability to display works by local, national and international artists and from the gallery’s sizeable permanent collection.

The gallery overlooks an open space called The Quadrangle, bordered by the Northern Rivers Conservatorium and the Library.

The new gallery and ‘The Quad’ are activating the heart of the Lismore CBD and have been embraced by locals and visitors.

ABORIGINAL ART The Lismore region is home to a diverse community of Bundjalung and other Aboriginal artists from all over Australia. The region’s distinctive landscape, which is filled with sacred sites and significance, is reflected in many contemporary Aboriginal artworks.

Supported by organisations such as Arts Northern Rivers and the Lismore Regional Gallery, local Indigenous artists are creating contemporary works that resonate with their audiences.

Highly accomplished and much respected local Indigenous artists include Penny Evans, Digby Moran and Michael Philp.

“One of 17 Regional Conservatoriums across NSW, the Northern Rivers Conservatorium delivers quality music education and performance to more than 500 students of all ages, abilities and aspirations across the region. We enjoy strong education and arts partnerships at the local, state and national level and our students have gone on to study at major tertiary institutions and perform internationally.”

ANITA BELLMAN Executive Director, Northern Rivers Conservatorium

“We work with creatives, arts organisations and the seven local governments of the Northern Rivers to celebrate, promote and advocate for the arts and creative industries across the region.

Our decision to move to the new Lismore Regional Gallery was led by our aim to connect more closely with our stakeholders. As a dynamic ‘creative city’, Lismore is a strategically important place for Arts Northern Rivers to be based.”

PETER WOOD Executive Director, Arts Northern Rivers

“NORPA’s home in Lismore is constantly inspiring us to tell its stories, and to celebrate the depth and diversity of this region. We’re a company that makes theatre from the ground up. We take inspiration from the country and culture around us, and we take risks in bringing homegrown stories to life. Making original Australian work is at the heart of what we do and why we exist.”

JULIAN LOUIS Artistic Director Northern Rivers Performing Arts (NORPA)

“Lismore has such a bounty of highly skilled theatre and creative practitioners living here that we are able to create any kind of art form, from circus to drama, in an array of contemporary artistic formats ranging from digital to physical theatre. NORPA is an absolutely integral part of Lismore’s future economic, social and cultural growth.”

PATRICK HEALEY General Manager Northern Rivers Performing Arts (NORPA)

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MORE VITAL ELEMENTS EDUCATION Major local employers in Lismore include the Northern Area Health Service, with 985 employees at the Lismore Base Hospital (and 3,600 staff overall) and Southern Cross University whose main Lismore campus houses a total of 1075 staff. Other sizeable employers include NORCO, with 795 permanent, permanent part-time and casual staff and an annual turnover of just under $.5 billon.

With an annual budget of $130m+ Lismore City Council is also a key employer in the city, providing over 400 jobs directly.

An analysis of the jobs held by local workers in the city in 2016 shows that the three largest industry sector employers were Health Care and Social Services, Retail/ Trade and Education and Training.

In the city, the strongest areas of employment growth in 2016 occurred in agriculture, motor vehicle retailing, finance and insurance as well as professional, scientific and technical services.

Lismore has a higher proportion of employees with a tertiary qualification (17.5%.) than other areas within the Northern Rivers.

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GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS State and federal departments are major employers. NSW agencies based in Lismore include State Housing, Public Works, Education, the NSW Service Centre, the Richmond/Tweed regional headquarters of the State Emergency Services, Lismore TAFE campus and the North Coast Regional Academy of Sport. State law enforcement and judicial agencies are represented in the city. Commonwealth departments in Lismore comprise Veterans Affairs and Human Services, which includes Medicare and Centrelink.

NBN ROLLOUT An approved $3.7m staged upgrade of footpaths and other infrastructure in the city centre identified as a priority by the business community will take place after the rollout of NBN fibreto-the-curb technology across the CBD in the winter of 2018. The NBN rollout will equip Lismore’s business professionals and retailers for the future.

The NBN roll out in suburbs throughout the Lismore Urban Area which began in 2017 will be completed in mid-2018 and has proceeded smoothly.

SOLAR CITY In 2014 Lismore led the nation in adopting solar energy at a local level, and it is still one of the top ten postcodes in Australia which have embraced small system solar installation.

The Lismore Community Solar project is a collaboration between Lismore City Council and Farming the Sun, a not-for-profit renewable energy facilitator. The alliance has built two 99kW solar farms in Lismore: a rooftop solar farm at Goonellabah Sports & Aquatic Centre and a solar farm at the East Lismore Sewage Treatment Plant which uses innovative floating technology.

The solar farms are one of many measures in Council’s Renewable Energy Master Plan to achieve the goal of self-generating all Council’s electricity from renewable sources by 2023.

“We’re a not-for-profit post-disability company. We operate SeeSpace in Lismore to support established and emerging artists of varying abilities to develop and sustain professional practice in all areas of the arts. Real Art Works is accomplished at developing ambitious new ideas with public outcomes which are often based around community narratives. We have toured bands internationally and across Australia, worked in regional art galleries and created large scale public performance art in the Lismore CBD, introducing our local community to the transformative power of the arts.”

SUNITA BALASUBRAMANIAM + ZEB SCHULZ Real Art Works

SUNITA + ZEB – REAL ART WORKS

“We moved here from Brisbane in 2012 and started serving our particular style of healthy food in a tiny arcade in the CBD in 2013. Fast forward four and half years and we now operate Flock Espresso and Eats. With the help of a 45-person team, we serve capacity crowds who include local patrons plus visitors from the coast and around the world. At heart, its still all about the quality of the food and coffee we love to prepare and serve.”

SARAH JONES + KYMBERLEY STROW Owner operators, Flock Espresso and Eats

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WHO WE ARE Lismore is a family-friendly area and a great place to bring up kids. Lismore is characterised by tolerance, ready acceptance of new ideas and a sense of pride in belonging to an incredibly rich and varied community. There’s a place for everyone: businesspeople, artists and musicians, farmers and orchardists, students and academics, hipsters, treechangers, tradies, nurses and medicos, clever entrepreneurs and proud Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

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TROPICAL FRUITS

The Lismore region is rich in Aboriginal cultural knowledge which continues to be passed down from generation to generation. It is one part of the traditional lands of a number of tribes of the Bundjalung Nation, who are all connected through a shared language, customs, belief systems and trade routes.

These tribal or language groups are made up of clans – extended families with a common ancestry and a deep connection to Country.

Lismore is home to a vibrant LGBTIQ community and the renowned Tropical Fruits organisation. More than 5,000 people from throughout Australia and around the world travel to Lismore at the end of each year for the largest LGBTIQ event in the Southern Hemisphere outside Sydney’s Mardi Gras - the Tropical Fruits New Year’s Eve Festival.

This event generates significant economic benefits for Lismore and its surrounds and is a treasured feature of city life.

MULTICULTURAL MIX As successive Australian citizenship ceremonies attest, Lismore attracts people from around the world and their contribution to community life is immeasurable. The city is home to people from over 80 countries.

Migrant and refugee arrivals have opened successful businesses, completed tertiary qualifications and enriched cultural, sporting and culinary life in Lismore.

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“I came to Lismore in 2008, as a result of an 11 year civil war in my beloved Sierra Leone. With the help of UNHCR I was welcomed with open arms by Sanctuary Northern Rivers and the Lismore community. The warmth of my reception, support I’ve received from friends I’ve made, opportunities to work in the Lismore City Library, being able to obtain a degree of my choice and the quality education and opportunities accorded my son are some of the reasons why I’m so happy to live in Lismore.”

SARAH KING Member of the African Community in Lismore

“I’m from a fourth-generation Lismore family and the son of a former Lismore mayor. The highlights of my 28 year career as a creative artist and drag queen include designing and producing the costumes worn in ‘Priscilla Queen of the Desert’, winning no less than 18 Drag Industry Variety Awards, being inducted into the DIVA Hall of Fame and advising the Sydney Mardi Gras festival. My best known creation is Maude Boat. She has weathered many storms and is now on the crest of a wave of local recognition and affection….this is Lismore at its best.”

MICHAEL GATES Creative artist

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PRESERVING OUR ENVIRONMENT ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS AND ACTIVISM The Lismore region has attracted ‘new settlers’ committed to earth repair and bush regeneration in continuous waves since the early 1970s, following on from the 1973 Aquarius Festival. The successful protest action against the imminent logging of rainforest at Terania Creek in 1979 was the first battle to save rainforests to register on the Australian political agenda.

Fast forward thirty five years and the same drive to protect the natural environment saw the success of community-based opposition to Coal Seam Gas extraction (or fracking) in late 2015 after a five year campaign.

The ’Bentley Blockade’ was the most visible evidence of the antiCSG campaign, and has entered Australian social history via films, videos and other documentation.

Today, a Council- administered Biodiversity Management Strategy

aims to restore native vegetation across all land in the Lismore LGA from the rainforests of the Nightcap Range through urban and village centres right down to the Richmond River floodplain.

Among its components are the successful Rural Landholders Initiative, intensive Koala habitat restoration and vegetation connectivity throughout the LGA as the basis for successful biodiversity management.

KOALAS Lismore has small colonies of koalas within the city environs and the koala population found in the southeast of the LGA is considered one of the most significant on the NSW North Coast. Approximately 1,800 animals overall are estimated to live here. A voluntary group called Friends of the Koala operates a Koala Care & Research Centre adjacent to Southern Cross University. The centre has assisted the wider community –including local schools - in planting thousands of the koala’s favourite food trees and established urban corridors linking koala habitats to help preserve their numbers.

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“The culmination of a five year campaign by an unlikely alliance of farmers, townsfolk, our original people and seasoned activists resulted in the successful ‘Bentley blockade’ and made a huge contribution to the Northern Rivers Gasfield Free movement. What united the overwhelming majority nearly 90% - of the Lismore community in its sustained and tactical opposition to Coal Seam Gas mining was a fundamental appreciation of what are the most precious assets we have – our forests, rivers, land, air and water.”

IAN GAILLARD Environmental and social activist

“I established Lucy’s Project in Lismore in 2013 with the primary purpose of providing relief to human victims of domestic violence who flee or seek to flee unsafe homes with their companion animals. Lucy’s Project has now formed an Australia-wide network of specialist support services, in both government and the private sector. We are proud to be Lismore based - and recognised internationally as the Australian peak organisation of the movement.”

ANNA LUDVIK Lismore Citizen of the Year 2018 Founder and coordinator of Lucy’s Project

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COUNCIL ASSISTANCE HELP FOR DEVELOPERS + INVESTORS Lismore City Council has earned a reputation as a proactive organisation and is a signatory to the Small Business-Friendly Councils program run by the NSW State Government. It has a proven track record of assisting partners involved in major planning projects, developers and business in general.

Council has a ‘can do’ approach in terms of new development; routinely providing pre-lodgement meetings to ensure all issues and information required from applicants are identified upfront.

In regard to the future rezoning of residential land, Council offers a fee-based and unique design charrette service for larger rezoning projects. Lismore City Council also provides financial incentives for certain types of development.

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BUSINESS SUPPORT Council’s Manager, Economic Development is responsible for significant procurement and partnering initiatives and is the single point of contact for existing businesses that need support in such areas as finding new markets, relocating to Lismore, or upskilling their workforces. Resources such as the comprehensive online i.d.lismore data resource offer insights into the Lismore LGA for potential investors.

Lismore City Council places great emphasis on creating and nurturing strong partnerships to improve planning and encourage sensible development in the city and has won several awards for doing just this. The organisation is now recognised for turning what was a frustrating ‘slow..no’ procedure into a win-win ‘let’s go’ approach.

It offers clear and consistent policies and development frameworks that provide certainty for private sector developers, investors and business entrepreneurs, and which stimulate growth in new and existing businesses.

Lismore Prospectus/Live+Work+Play Š Lismore City Council, April 2018 Coordination: Stephen Nelson/NCPL Design: Stephen Nelson/Dogwhistle Creative Principal Photography: Images by Natsky Additional images: Brad Mustow, Trevor Worden, Dogwhistle Creative Print: Lismore City Printery