Lismore is navigating a pivotal period in its evolution. The city must respond to the lasting impacts of natural disasters while addressing housing need, infrastructure constraints, economic change and increasing competition for regional investment.

Council needed a compelling long-term vision that could rebuild confidence, support sustainable growth and translate Lismore’s considerable strengths into a coordinated planning framework. This required looking beyond recovery to define the future role of the city, its villages and rural communities within the wider Northern Rivers region.

Solve Property Group was engaged to work with Council in preparing a new LSPS to guide land use, growth and development over the next 20 years and beyond.

The brief required an evidence-based strategy that would:

• establish a clear and ambitious vision for Lismore’s future;

• identify the housing, employment and infrastructure required to support growth;

• strengthen Lismore’s regional role and competitive position;

• align land use planning with economic development and investment;

• reflect community priorities and aspirations; and

• provide a practical foundation for future planning, advocacy and decision-making.

Developed through close partnership with Council, our multidisciplinary team combined senior strategic planning and urban economics expertise to develop an integrated understanding of how population, housing, employment, infrastructure and place could shape Lismore’s future.

Our work combined extensive research and analysis with strategic visioning, spatial planning and stakeholder engagement. This included examining demographic and economic trends, housing and employment needs, infrastructure capacity, regional relationships and the distinct roles of Lismore’s city centre, urban areas, villages and rural communities.

Rather than approaching land use and economic development as separate streams, we worked with Council to align the LSPS with the Economic Development Strategy and the wider strategic planning framework. This ensured that the scale and location of future growth were connected to employment creation, infrastructure delivery, resilience and long-term economic opportunity.

The resulting strategy establishes a shared growth trajectory centred on:

• a vibrant and renewed city centre;

• an integrated and well-connected urban area;

• thriving villages, townships and rural communities;

• stronger housing choice and affordability;

• resilient and enabling infrastructure; and

• Lismore’s role as a regional centre for employment, health, education, culture and services.

The LSPS provides Lismore with more than a statutory land use strategy. It establishes a clear narrative for the city’s future and a platform for coordinated action across planning, infrastructure, housing, economic development and investment attraction.

By setting measurable ambitions for population, housing and employment growth, the LSPS gives Council a stronger basis for prioritising infrastructure, aligning future strategies, advocating to government and building confidence among the community and private sector.

Most importantly, it reframes Lismore’s future from a city defined by recovery to a resilient, innovative and growing regional centre with a clear pathway towards long-term regeneration.

The LSPS was adopted by Lismore City Council on 8th September 2026.