Planning strategies

Inspire Lismore is Lismore City Council’s Local Strategic Planning Statement (LSPS), setting a land use vision for the city and its communities through to 2040. It recognises Lismore’s role as the leading city in the Far North Coast and outlines the key opportunities, challenges, priorities and actions needed to guide future growth.

The statement will shape planning for the city centre, villages, farming areas and surrounding communities, while protecting Lismore’s natural landscapes, biodiversity and agricultural land. It supports growth, innovation and development within a clear planning framework.

Inspire Lismore connects Council’s Community Strategic Plan with the North Coast Regional Plan 2036 and helps guide future amendments to the Local Environmental Plan, Development Control Plans, contributions plans and other land use policies. Its actions are staged across short, medium and long-term timeframes, helping Council turn the community’s vision into practical planning outcomes.

The adopted document is the July 2020 inspire LISMORE 2040 Local Strategic Planning Statement(PDF, 69MB) .

As of May 2026, Council is currently seeking public feedback on a tranche of LSPS draft strategies, which you can visit at https://yoursay.lismore.nsw.gov.au/

All on consultation now until Friday, 26 June 2026. 

The Lismore Growth and Realignment Strategy 2022 (GARS) identifies land that is potentially suitable for future housing, commercial and industrial purposes. Growth areas have been identified that are consistent with the planning principles in the Local Strategic Planning Statement (LSPS), meet the economic, social and environmental expectations of the community, have minimal constraints and can be serviced by appropriate infrastructure.

The GARS also identifies Council’s desire to work with State and Federal Governments for a staged retreat of the most high-risk flood prone residential areas, as well as identifying that Council will investigate the viability of applying an Affordable Housing Contribution Scheme for land in the strategy that benefits from any future ‘upzoning’.

The GARS was adopted by Council in December 2022 and supersedes the previous Growth Management Strategy (2015-2035).

Conditional approval was granted by the Department of Planning and Environment (DPE) in June 2023, with a request for additional information to support the strategic merit of additional employment lands at Oliver Avenue, Goonellabah. An addendum to the GARS addressing these issues was provided and conditionally approved by DPE in September 2023.

• Lismore Growth and Realignment Strategy 2022(PDF, 9MB)
• Lismore Growth and Realignment Strategy 2022 (Addendum)(PDF, 5MB)

The Strategic Road Review is a 20-year plan that defines the road network required to support future population growth while maintaining the level of service Council currently provides. It was developed from a financial, social and environmental sustainability perspective. As such, it provides the nexus between future development and new road infrastructure that Council has to demonstrate if it is to collect road contributions from new development under Section 94 of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979.

• Lismore Strategic Road Network Review 2023(PDF, 26MB)
• Strategic Road Review 2013(PDF, 3MB)

The Nimbin Place Plan identifies a range of public domain improvements and activations across Nimbin, as well as economic opportunities and social initiatives.

The Place Plan captures community ideas and aspirations and sets a roadmap for future activities and development within the village.

Adopted by Council in November 2024, the plan’s approach is for locally-led placemaking initiatives to be undertaken by Council and the community.

The Nimbin Place Plan sets short, medium and long term goals and is recommended to be reviewed every four years.

• Nimbin Place Plan(PDF, 28MB)

The Nimbin Parking Strategy evaluates the current availability, usage, and future needs of parking in the main business area of Nimbin. The strategy includes short-term actions for council to take within two years, such as modifying timed parking areas on Cullen and Sibley Streets and maximising usage of the Western Carpark. It also identifies potential long-term solutions for expanding off-street parking if demand exceeds supply in the future.

• Nimbin Parking Strategy 2018(PDF, 2MB)

The Clunes Master Plan, endorsed by the Clunes Community Reference Group and adopted by Council in February 2026, provides a long-term strategic framework to guide Clunes' future growth and development.

Developed in collaboration with the local community and informed by technical investigations and multiple phases of engagement, the Master Plan sets out a shared vision, priorities and actions to support sustainable growth while protecting the village’s unique rural character. It addresses key planning considerations, including land use, infrastructure, housing, movement, open space and community facilities, to help ensure Clunes evolves in a coordinated, considered and context-sensitive way in the coming years.

• Clunes Master Plan(PDF, 5MB)
• Phase 1 Clunes Community Engagement – report(PDF, 761KB)
• Phase 2 Clunes Community Engagement – report(PDF, 2MB)
• Phase 3 Clunes Community Engagement – report(PDF, 774KB)

The Rural Land Use Strategy, currently under development, will serve as comprehensive framework guiding relevant planning controls to efficiently manage and plan for our rural areas. The Strategy is guided by the feedback received on the Rural Land Use Discussion Paper, which together with the Feedback Report, is available on our Your Say website. 

Once the consultation has closed and staff have reviewed and analysed the feedback, changes will be made to all strategies. The revised final strategies will then be reported to a future Council meeting seeking adoption.