Lismore Poised for Construction Boom with $46 Million in Development Approvals in March

Lismore is entering a period of rapid construction growth, with more than $46 million worth of Development Applications (DAs) approved in March alone, propelling the total value of developments for the 2023–24 financial year toward an expected $100 million milestone—a figure typically achieved only in a strong full year.

Mayor Steve Krieg Lismore City described the March approvals as a “phenomenal sign of business confidence” in the city’s future, noting that the 34 DAs approved included not only significant local projects but also new developments driven by external investors who recognise Lismore’s growth potential.

Among the notable March approvals were:

• A $8.5 million office development in the CBD
• A $2.7 million community facility
• Two large-scale residential projects by the Arch Diocese
• Stage 2 of Eastwood Estate, a $10 million development comprising 176 residential lots

“These are not just rebuilds—they are entirely new investments from outside Lismore,” Mayor Krieg said. “It’s a sign that confidence in our economy is returning, and Lismore is once again seen as a smart place to invest.”

He praised Council’s planning team for their efficiency, with 80% of DAs approved within expected timeframes and an average approval time just under 80 days, well ahead of many other regional councils.

Following the devastation of the 2022 flood event, Council has focused on sustainable urban growth and resilience. A recent audit of Lismore’s inner CBD shows that occupancy rates have remained stable despite ongoing economic pressures.

“These figures show we’re not just rebuilding—we’re growing,” Mayor Krieg added. “Lismore is open for business and ready for long-term investment.”

Lismore Man’s $100,000 Keno Win Leaves Him Sleepless with Excitement

A Lismore retiree is still coming to terms with his incredible $100,000 Keno win, revealing that excitement kept him awake all night after checking his numbers and realising his life-changing fortune.

The Northern Rivers resident secured a Keno Classic 15 Spot prize in draw 838, drawn on Wednesday, 19 March 2025. While many winners dream of lavish holidays, new cars, or mortgage-free living, the Lismore man has decided to bank the full amount for the future, ensuring financial security in his retirement.

A Night to Remember at Lismore Workers Club

The lucky winner, who wishes to remain anonymous, purchased his ticket at the Lismore Workers Club, 231 Keen Street, Lismore. He was enjoying a meal with a close friend when he realised something extraordinary had happened.

“I’m still in shock! It caught me off guard,” he admitted. “I didn’t sleep a wink last night! I was absolutely flabbergasted.”

The win unfolded in a moment of disbelief, with the retiree struggling to process the reality of his numbers appearing on the screen.

“It happened so quickly—I could barely comprehend what was going on. I looked at the results and immediately recognised a lot of my numbers, which are based on my grandchildren’s birthdates.”

Sitting across from his friend at the Lismore Workers Club, he turned and said:

“I think I just won $100,000!”

His friend, equally stunned, responded: “What?! Wait, what? Take a picture!”

The winner spoke highly of the Lismore Workers Club, which had reopened last September after the devastating floods.

“We love this club. They’ve been great to us, and we’re proud to be members.”

A Responsible Approach to a Life-Changing Win

Despite the temptation to splurge, the Lismore retiree has chosen to save his winnings for the future.

“I’m going to put the prize into the bank and let it sit there. Being retired and on the pension, I want to make sure I make the most of this windfall.”

He expressed deep gratitude to Keno and Lismore Workers Club, saying:

“Thank you, Keno! Thank you, Lismore Workers Club!”

Club Celebrates Major Win

Lismore Workers Club duty manager Jye Livingstone said the atmosphere was electric when the major win was announced.

“Knowing that we sold a major Keno-winning entry brings a lot of joy to our team. It’s always exciting to see our patrons win big—it’s a moment we won’t forget.”

The buzz quickly spread among the club’s patrons, with the lucky winner showered in congratulations.

“Our customers love hearing about big wins like this. It creates excitement and hope that they might be next.”

It had been some time since the venue witnessed such a significant win, making this $100,000 victory even more special.

“Congratulations to the lucky winner! We wish him all the best with his winnings.”

Keno’s Winning Streak in NSW

The Lismore man’s win is just one of many life-changing Keno prizes won in New South Wales and the ACT.

In 2024, Keno players across the eastern states of Australia secured more than 76 million wins, totalling over $1.19 billion in prize money.

Last year alone, Keno crowned 23 millionaires and multi-millionaires, who collectively took home more than $54.9 million.

• 11 of those major winners were from NSW and the ACT, including an East Maitland dad who won a staggering $6.6 million.
• Players in NSW and the ACT won a combined $599.2 million across 38.9 million winning Keno tickets.

With so many big wins happening across the country, the Lismore Workers Club winner is living proof that anyone can hit the jackpot!

Could You Be the Next Big Winner?

With Keno wins happening daily, could you be next? Visit your local club or venue and try your luck—you never know when you might strike it rich!

Chris Minns Must Get His Facts Straight Before Calling for Demolition of Lismore Homes

NSW Premier Chris Minns’ comments on 2GB radio today were an attempt to shift blame away from failed recovery efforts following the 2022 floods. Instead of addressing the real issues, he targeted the peaceful occupants of Pine Street buyback homes, misrepresenting their situation and ignoring the complex realities of Lismore’s housing crisis.

Key Facts About Pine Street Residents

✅ Evacuation Was Handled Responsibly – Pine St residents evacuated early before the official SES evacuation order, proving that communities can live safely and responsibly in buyback houses.

✅ No Extra Burden on SES – The SES would have visited Pine Street regardless since an owner-occupier still lives there. Occupants left in an orderly manner, requiring no additional resources.

✅ Residents Are Not Exploiting Social Housing – No one on Pine Street is trying to jump the queue. Instead, they found their own housing, reducing the demand for social housing.

✅ There is No Power Connection – Occupants offered to pay for water but have received no response from the NSW Reconstruction Authority (RA).

✅ Former Owners Were Promised Relocation, Not Demolition – Residents sold their homes believing they would be relocated for future use. Demolishing them would be a traumatic and unnecessary loss.

✅ Residents Are Willing to Cooperate – Pine St residents have openly communicated with the RA, stating they will vacate when relocation happens. They are caretaking the homes in the meantime.

✅ Lismore Residents Need Recovery, Not Distraction – This community is exhausted. People just want to rebuild their lives and businesses, yet Minns focuses on eviction threats instead of real leadership.

✅ SES Volunteers Live on Pine Street – This further proves that responsible, community-minded people occupy these homes.

Community Voices: What Lismore Residents Are Saying

Tina, 52-year-old single mother and Pine St resident

“We invite Chris Minns to meet with us and discuss the complex intersections of the housing and climate crises. If he came, he’d see that we evacuated neatly and safely. We are doing no harm—we are providing a positive service to the community. Dialogue, not demolition, is what we need.”

Miriam Torzillo, resident of Wotherspoon St, North Lismore

“If the Premier truly cared about safety, he would push the Reconstruction Authority to help homeowners relocate instead of forcing them to wait for the failed Resilient Lands program. Many who barely survived the 2022 floods received no buyback, house raise, or retrofit. Where is the fairness in that?”

Antoinette O’Brien, Reclaim Our Recovery

“Previous owners were assured their houses would become housing for people in need. Demolishing them is devastating and senseless. Instead of evicting people in a housing crisis, Minns should focus on relocating all buyback homes out of the floodplain and increasing public housing.”

“Pine St was carefully and responsibly evacuated. Demolishing these valuable community assets won’t solve the housing crisis. The fact that people are living there highlights how dire the situation is.”

Andrew George, Reclaim Our Recovery

“Minns talks about ‘fairness.’ But where is the fairness in South Lismore residents receiving no buybacks, house raises, or retrofits?”

“What about the $57 million spent on Reconstruction Authority salaries—including executive director salaries averaging $344,000? Or the $2,500 per year spent per boarded-up buyback house on security and maintenance (source: Questions on Notice, March 2024)? If homes are occupied, that money is saved. Yet, Minns is scapegoating people seeking shelter.”

“The government should issue occupation licenses until the houses are ready to be moved.”

Stop the Evictions – Focus on Real Recovery

Chris Minns should redirect his focus toward real recovery solutions, rather than blaming displaced residents. Threatening demolitions won’t fix Lismore’s housing crisis. Supporting relocation, increasing public housing, and ensuring transparency in recovery spending will.

The Lismore community deserves better.

Withdrawing from the floodplain has failed – it’s time for real flood mitigation

Three years ago, our community faced Australia’s biggest natural disaster since Cyclone Tracy. The devastating floods tore through Lismore and the Mid Richmond, destroying thousands of homes and businesses – leaving an entire community with serious questions about its future.

In the aftermath, there were only two approaches that could have been taken: remove everyone from the floodplain, or keep them there and implement serious flood mitigation measures to lower the height of the next flood.

The NSW State Government chose the strategy of removing those in danger from the floodplain. This has failed.

Over 2,000 homes were identified to be unsafe. We are now in a position that less than half of the homes identified will be bought back. Some families who accepted a buyback, have purchased new properties back on the floodplain, highlighting the failure of this plan.

Individuals and families had nowhere to live and had to make decisions about their immediate future. Some people started putting money back into their homes and commenced renovations immediately. Others decided to sell their properties on the private market. The new property owners did not qualify for the buyback.

After the completion of the buyback program, maybe 900 of the 2000 homes identified by the NRRC will have been bought back. This means over 1000 homes will remain on the flood plain. Those individuals and families will be no safer and are still at risk. The CBD, industrial estates, businesses, villages, farmers and the road network are no safer.

The strategy of withdrawing from the floodplain has failed. Flood mitigation is the only strategy that will give the region a sustainable future and safety.

Over $800m has been spent on the original strategy of withdrawing from the floodplain. None of this money has lowered the level of the next flooding event. This means no home, business or industrial estate occupant, is in any safer.

Our path ahead must include a public commitment to flood mitigation. CSIRO will release a report this year, looking at practical scenarios that include engineering solutions to mitigate future flooding. This work is crucial.

If the community knows a metre or more will be taken off future events, they will invest and live in confidence in the Northern Rivers.

The McKell Institute’s Cost of Extreme Weather Report found that between 2005 and 2022, the Federal Government spent $23.99 billion on disaster recovery and relief, while only $1.51 billion was allocated for disaster prevention. This imbalance must change. Flood mitigation is the best prevention option for the Northern Rivers to grow and prosper. It will also save future governments—and therefore taxpayers—billions of dollars by reducing the impact of future disasters. The 2022 disaster alone is measured as a $15 billion event.

The Government at all levels must act. Decision-makers now will determine whether the next major flooding event in this region kills people, destroys lives financially, or if the region has been made safer. Mistakes have been made, and significant public funds have been spent with marginal return. This can be rectified with a real commitment to flood mitigation and a clear vision for the region’s future.

Watch the Interview: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ktfXZLc-mst5ROIzjsXMrrFN91xYcHMv/view

Man Dies in Hospital a Month After South Lismore Crash

South Lismore, NSW – A 19-year-old motorcyclist has died in hospital, nearly a month after a serious crash in the state’s north.

Emergency services were called to Casino Street, South Lismore, around 10:40 am on Saturday, 25 January 2025, following reports of a collision between a motorcycle and a sedan. The impact ejected the rider from his motorcycle.

Paramedics from NSW Ambulance treated the rider at the scene before he was airlifted to Gold Coast University Hospital in critical condition.

The driver of the sedan, an 80-year-old woman, and her 82-year-old passenger sustained minor injuries and were transported to Lismore Base Hospital for treatment.

A crime scene was established, and officers from Richmond Police District, assisted by crash investigators, launched an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident.

Last Monday (25 February 2025), police were notified that the motorcyclist had succumbed to his injuries at Gold Coast University Hospital.

A report is being prepared for the Coroner.