Lismore’s draft Local Strategic Planning Statement sets out a bold ambition: a 33 per cent increase in residents over the next decade, along with a more than 50 per cent increase in housing stock.

The Lismore 60,000 plan, on exhibition until  June 26, outlines a goal for lifting population from 44,000 to 60,000 by 2036. Mayor Steve Krieg told The Urban Developer that scale may “rattle a few people”, but “overwhelmingly, resident of Lismore want to see growth and want to see prosperity”.

Whether the plan can be adopted, and how well it can be executed with the support of both private investors and state and federal governments, will determine whether this northern NSW town, devastated by floods and struggling with homelessness, can evolve into a regional powerhouse.