DRAFT Clunes Master Plan

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Clunes Master Plan – Project Update

Draft Clunes Master Plan to be reported to the February 2026 Council meeting for adoption

The revised draft Master Plan will be reported to the February 2026 Council meeting for adoption by Councillors. The meeting will be held on Tuesday 10 February at 10am at Council Chambers, Oliver Avenue, Goonellabah. The business paper, which includes several agenda items and attachments, including the draft Clunes Master Plan, is available for review on Council's website. Community members are invited to attend and may speak up to three minutes on any agenda item. To participate, please submit the public access form to Council by 4pm on Monday 9 February 2026.



Community Consultation

Phase 3 of community consultation on the draft Clunes Master Plan has now concluded. The data captured has been summarised in the Phase 3 Preliminary Summary Data and has informed changes to the revised draft Master Plan. The revised draft Clunes Master Plan is available here for residents to view.

During the consultation period, community members raised several questions. These have been compiled into a Community Consultation FAQs. Council thanks everyone who took the time to participate and share their ideas.

The consultation period, which ran from Monday, 18 August to Monday, 15 September 2025, provided the community with multiple opportunities to engage with the draft Clunes Master Plan and Council staff.

A public Councillor briefing was held on Thursday 18 December to provide an overview of the feedback received during Phase 3 of community consultation and an explanation of the changes made. A recording of this briefing is available on the Council website.


About the Project

In September 2024, Lismore City Council initiated the Clunes Master Plan project, collaborating with the community to shape a shared vision for Clunes' future. As the village continues to grow, we want to make sure that any changes reflect the needs and shared community vision of the people who live here. The Clunes Master Plan will focus on preserving the village's unique character while addressing key issues, including infrastructure, housing, traffic, and sustainability.

We partnered with urban design experts to ensure the Clunes community is at the heart of the decision-making process. Together, we’ll create a plan that balances growth with the protection of what makes Clunes unique.

The Master Plan has been developed based on:

an Analysis of Existing Site Conditions – a summary of which is accessible on the project page,

an early community engagement period that sought feedback from the community on what they love about Clunes and more. A summary of this consultation period is accessible on the project page as Phase 1 Community Engagement

a secondary community engagement period that sought additional feedback on more details as well as further work on solidifying the vision for Clunes. A summary of this consultation period is accessible on the project page as Phase 2 Community Engagement

this third and final community engagement period. All feedback received will be considered as we work towards the formal adoption of the Clunes Master Plan in February 2026.

What is a Master Plan?

A master plan is a document that creates a long-term plan and place-based vision for the future. It is not a detailed development application for future development. Rather, it sets the parameters or the framework for how future development will be considered.

The outcomes of the master plan process will:

  • identify a vision and a set of guiding principles for the long-term development of Clunes,
  • identify challenges and opportunities,
  • provide detailed mapping, such as a structure plan, to visually identify and locate any future works and preferred land uses,
  • provide a detailed action plan that links to the strategic principles and identifies work that needs to be done to facilitate the delivery of the master plan, including resource requirements.

Stay Updated

We’ll share regular updates in the Clunes Clues community newsletter, on the Lismore City Council Facebook page, and on noticeboards around the village. Make sure to keep an eye out for ways to stay involved and help shape the future of Clunes.

For any further questions, please refer to our FAQs for more information about the project.


Clunes Master Plan – Project Update

Draft Clunes Master Plan to be reported to the February 2026 Council meeting for adoption

The revised draft Master Plan will be reported to the February 2026 Council meeting for adoption by Councillors. The meeting will be held on Tuesday 10 February at 10am at Council Chambers, Oliver Avenue, Goonellabah. The business paper, which includes several agenda items and attachments, including the draft Clunes Master Plan, is available for review on Council's website. Community members are invited to attend and may speak up to three minutes on any agenda item. To participate, please submit the public access form to Council by 4pm on Monday 9 February 2026.



Community Consultation

Phase 3 of community consultation on the draft Clunes Master Plan has now concluded. The data captured has been summarised in the Phase 3 Preliminary Summary Data and has informed changes to the revised draft Master Plan. The revised draft Clunes Master Plan is available here for residents to view.

During the consultation period, community members raised several questions. These have been compiled into a Community Consultation FAQs. Council thanks everyone who took the time to participate and share their ideas.

The consultation period, which ran from Monday, 18 August to Monday, 15 September 2025, provided the community with multiple opportunities to engage with the draft Clunes Master Plan and Council staff.

A public Councillor briefing was held on Thursday 18 December to provide an overview of the feedback received during Phase 3 of community consultation and an explanation of the changes made. A recording of this briefing is available on the Council website.


About the Project

In September 2024, Lismore City Council initiated the Clunes Master Plan project, collaborating with the community to shape a shared vision for Clunes' future. As the village continues to grow, we want to make sure that any changes reflect the needs and shared community vision of the people who live here. The Clunes Master Plan will focus on preserving the village's unique character while addressing key issues, including infrastructure, housing, traffic, and sustainability.

We partnered with urban design experts to ensure the Clunes community is at the heart of the decision-making process. Together, we’ll create a plan that balances growth with the protection of what makes Clunes unique.

The Master Plan has been developed based on:

an Analysis of Existing Site Conditions – a summary of which is accessible on the project page,

an early community engagement period that sought feedback from the community on what they love about Clunes and more. A summary of this consultation period is accessible on the project page as Phase 1 Community Engagement

a secondary community engagement period that sought additional feedback on more details as well as further work on solidifying the vision for Clunes. A summary of this consultation period is accessible on the project page as Phase 2 Community Engagement

this third and final community engagement period. All feedback received will be considered as we work towards the formal adoption of the Clunes Master Plan in February 2026.

What is a Master Plan?

A master plan is a document that creates a long-term plan and place-based vision for the future. It is not a detailed development application for future development. Rather, it sets the parameters or the framework for how future development will be considered.

The outcomes of the master plan process will:

  • identify a vision and a set of guiding principles for the long-term development of Clunes,
  • identify challenges and opportunities,
  • provide detailed mapping, such as a structure plan, to visually identify and locate any future works and preferred land uses,
  • provide a detailed action plan that links to the strategic principles and identifies work that needs to be done to facilitate the delivery of the master plan, including resource requirements.

Stay Updated

We’ll share regular updates in the Clunes Clues community newsletter, on the Lismore City Council Facebook page, and on noticeboards around the village. Make sure to keep an eye out for ways to stay involved and help shape the future of Clunes.

For any further questions, please refer to our FAQs for more information about the project.

  • Revised Draft Clunes Master Plan published for community viewing

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    A revised version of the Draft Clunes Master Plan has now been published on the Your Say page.


    The revised version includes significant changes, all in direct response to the feedback gathered during all community consultation phases, particularly phase 3 which concluded in September 2025.


    All 5 key moves of the Draft Master Plan have been revised. Highlights include:

    1. Support Sustainable Housing Diversity: This key move strengthens the necessity for new growth to accord with the village character and more clearly confirms Council's commitments to preparing a village-specific Development Control Plan to guide design.
    2. Protect and Enhance Natural Assets: This is a new key move to prioritise and celebrate the rich biodiversity and environmental value of Clunes and ensure these areas can be positioned as a community asset within the identified growth area.
    3. Improve Village Safety: This key move now contains all the same road safety and parking interventions. These were largely supported by the community and have been carried over from the consultation Draft.
    4. Upgrade Public Amenities for the Future: This key move focuses on public open space and footpaths, two areas that were highly important to the Clunes community. The key move confirms that one high quality social/ family recreation space will be delivered at the Clunes Old School, public toilets, shade and seating will be provided at the Village Park and the current playground at Smith Street will be investigated for divestment. A future Sports Field, with potential for co-located open space, has been identified within the growth area whereby areas of high value biodiversity can also be protected and enhanced. Additionally, within this key move a footpath prioritisation plan has been identified.
    5. Establish Long-Term Western Connectivity: This key move has been amended to identify and acknowledge areas of any future western connection road that will need careful design and delivery based on site-specific considerations, such as topography, riparian areas or significant biodiversity. Additionally, a prioritised pedestrian trail has been identified that significantly improves connectivity and cohesion across the existing village and growth area.


    As evident from the changes to the key moves, the revised Draft Master Plan no longer commits to a public sewer system for both the existing and proposed village areas. Instead, growth will be supported to come forward via large lot residential with on-site septic systems and/or 'eco-village' style housing whereby a communal on-site septic systems can be provided.

  • Clunes Master Plan Second CRG Meeting Update

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    The second meeting of the Clunes Community Reference Group (CRG) was held on 19 November and focused on refining the vision for Clunes’ future. The session included discussions on community feedback from the first drop-in sessions, Online Survey, and Virtual Ideas Board. This feedback is detailed in the Phase 1 Engagement Reports, available in the Documents Section of this page.

    The meeting also progressed the development of draft vision themes, which will be shared with the community at the next drop-in/workshop table sessions. These sessions provide an opportunity for everyone to continue contributing to the Clunes Master Plan, particularly in shaping and refining the vision for Clunes moving forward:

    • Evening: Friday 6 December - 3:30pm–6:30pm, Clunes Coronation Hall
    • Morning: Saturday 7 December - 9:00am–11:00am, Clunes Coronation Hall

  • Clunes Master Plan: Community Engagement Update - November

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    The Clunes community recently participated in two drop-in sessions held on 7 and 9 November at the Clunes Village Park as part of the first phase of the Clunes Master Plan engagement. These sessions welcomed approximately 80 residents, providing a space for community members to share their thoughts on what they value most about Clunes and their hopes for its future.

    The sessions drew a diverse group of attendees, including long-term residents with decades of local knowledge as well as newer community members. Participants completed surveys, posed questions to the project team, and contributed valuable feedback. This input is essential for developing a Master Plan that reflects the unique character and priorities of Clunes.

    Moving forward, the project team will review the feedback gathered to identify key themes and create initial concepts for the Master Plan. Further engagement opportunities, including additional workshops and sessions, will be available to ensure continued community involvement as we shape Clunes’ future together.


    Lismore City Council Strategic Planning team members engage with Clunes residents at one of the drop-in sessions
    Clunes Community Members participate in the first part of engagement



  • Clunes Master Plan Community Reference Group Meeting

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    The Clunes Master Plan engagement has officially begun with a productive first meeting with the Clunes Community Reference Group (CRG). This session, led by Lismore City Council alongside project consultants Living Lab Northern Rivers and Ethos Urban, marks an exciting first step toward building a shared vision for Clunes’ future.

    During the session, CRG members reviewed the draft engagement plan, providing helpful feedback on upcoming activities like community drop-in sessions and discussing key topics and community concerns. CRG members also emphasised the importance of maintaining open and clear communication throughout the process with the community. Acting as a sounding board for the project, the CRG will help ensure that engagement activities are done in a way and at times that are suitable for the community.

    Regular updates from CRG meetings will be shared here to keep Clunes residents informed and engaged as we work together to shape a plan that reflects the heart and vision of Clunes. The first opportunities for all members of the community to have a say will be at the upcoming drop-in sessions, or you can join the conversation online through our Survey and Virtual Ideas Board.

Page last updated: 04 Feb 2026, 11:12 AM