City of Lismore

This article is about the local government area. For the Australian regional city, see Lismore, New South Wales.

The City of Lismore is a local government area in the Northern Rivers region of New South Wales, Australia. The seat of the local government area is Lismore, a major regional centre of the state.

Lismore City New South Wales
Location in New South Wales
Coordinates	28°49′S 153°17′E
Population	44,334 (LGA 2021)[1]
Established	1879 (municipality): 9 September 1946 (1946-09-09) (city)[2]
Area	1,290 km2 (498.1 sq mi)[3]
Mayor	Steve Krieg
Council seat	Goonellabah
Region	Northern Rivers
State electorate(s)	Lismore Ballina
Federal division(s)	Page Richmond
Website	Lismore City
LGAs around Lismore City: Kyogle Tweed Byron Richmond Valley Lismore City Ballina Richmond Valley Richmond Valley Ballina

The mayor of Lismore City Council since December 2021 is Steve Krieg.^[4]

Towns and localities

Lismore suburbs

• Chilcotts Grass
• East Lismore
• Girards Hill
• Goonellabah
• Howards Grass
• Lismore
• Lismore Heights
• Loftville
• North Lismore
• Richmond Hill
• South Lismore

Other areas

• Bentley
• Bexhill
• Blakebrook
• Blue Knob
• Booerie Creek
• Buckendoon
• Bungabbee State Forest
• Caniaba
• Clunes
• Coffee Camp
• Corndale
• Dorroughby
• Dungarubba
• Dunoon
• East Coraki
• Eltham
• Fernside
• Georgica
• Goolmangar
• Gundurimba
• Jiggi
• Keerrong
• Koonorigan
• Larnook
• Leycester
• Lillian Rock
• Lindendale
• McKees Hill
• Modanville
• Monaltrie
• Nimbin
• North Woodburn
• Numulgi
• Pearces Creek
• Rock Valley
• Rosebank
• Rous Mill
• Ruthven
• South Gundurimba
• Terania Creek
• The Channon
• Tregeagle
• Tucki Tucki
• Tuckurimba
• Tullera
• Tuncester
• Tuntable Creek
• Whian Whian
• Woodlawn
• Wyrallah
• Yeagerton

Heritage listings

The City of Lismore has a number of heritage-listed sites, including:

• High Conservation Value Old Growth forest^[5]

Demographics

At the 2021 census, there were 44,334 people in the Lismore local government area, of these 49.1 per cent were Male and 50.9 per cent were Female. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people made up 5.9 per cent of the population, which was significantly higher than the national average of 3.2 per cent. The median age of people in the City of Lismore area was 44 years, higher than the national median of 38 years. 81.7 percent of people in the city were born in Australia, almost 15 percent higher than the nation as a whole.^[6]

Population growth in the City of Lismore area between the 2001 census and the 2006 census was 1.5 per cent; and in the subsequent five years to the 2011 census, the population growth was 1.3 per cent. When compared with total population growth of Australia for the same periods, being 5.78 per cent and 8.32 per cent respectively, population growth in the Lismore local government area was significantly lower than the national average.^[7][8] The median weekly income for residents within the City of Lismore area was marginally lower than the national average.^[9]

At the 2021 census, the proportion of residents in the Lismore local government area who stated their ancestry as Australian or Anglo-Celtic exceeded 80 per cent of all residents (the national average was 62.9 per cent). In excess of 40 per cent of all residents in the City of Lismore at the 2021 census nominated no religious affiliation, compared to the national average of 38.4 per cent. As at the census date, compared to the national average, households in the Lismore local government area had a significantly lower than average proportion (7.2 per cent) where two or more languages are spoken (the national average was 24.8 per cent); and a significantly higher proportion (87.4 per cent) where English only was spoken at home (the national average was 24.8 per cent).^[9][6]

Selected historical census data for the City of Lismore local government area
Census year			2001[7]	2006[8]	2011[9]	2016[10]	2021[6]
Population		Estimated residents on Census night	41,572	42,210	42,766	43,135	44,334
		LGA rank in terms of size within New South Wales			48
		% of New South Wales population			0.62%	0.57%	0.54%
		% of Australian population	0.22%	0.22%	0.20%	0.18%	0.17%
Cultural and language diversity
Ancestry, top responses		Australian			31.4%	29.4%	39.6%
		English			30.0%	29.4%	41.2%
		Irish			10.8%	10.8%	14.3%
		Scottish			8.2%	8.3%	12.1%
		Australian Aboriginal			–	–	5.6%
Language, top responses (other than English)		Italian	0.2%	0.9%	0.9%	0.7%	0.4%
		German	0.6%	0.4%	0.5%	0.5%	0.5%
		Punjabi	n/c	n/c	–	–	0.4%
		French	0.1%	0.1%	0.2%	0.2%	0.3%
		Spanish	0.1%	0.1%	–	–	0.3%
Religious affiliation
Religious affiliation, top responses		No Religion	15.2%	19.3%	24.8%	32.7%	42.1%
		Catholic	25.8%	25.5%	24.5%	21.1%	18.3%
		Anglican	21.9%	20.7%	18.7%	14.6%	11.5%
		Uniting Church	7.8%	7.3%	6.2%	4.7%	–
		Presbyterian and Reformed	6.4%	6.2%	5.6%	–	3.5%
Median weekly incomes
Personal income		Median weekly personal income		$378	$469	$550	$685
		% of Australian median income		81.1%	81.3%	83.0%	85.0%
Family income		Median weekly family income		A$993	A$1,123	A$1,351	A$1,719
		% of Australian median income		84.8%	75.8%	77.9%	81.0%
Household income		Median weekly household income		A$760	A$907	A$1,067	A$1,319
		% of Australian median income		74.0%	73.5%	74.2%	75.5%

Council

Current composition and election method

The governing body of Lismore City Council comprises eleven councillors, including the mayor, for a fixed four-year term. The mayor is popularly elected using the optional preferential system, while the ten other councillors are elected using the proportional representation system. There are no wards. The most recent election was held in 2024, and the makeup of the council, including the mayor, is as follows:

Party		Councillors
	Steve Krieg for Lismore	6
	Greens	2
	Labor	2
	Independent	1
	Total	11

Executive management

Lismore City Council is managed by a general manager and three executive officers. Senior management turnover is significant at Lismore.

General manager Gary Murphy left the organisation in late 2018 and was replaced by Shelley Oldham. Shelley Oldham's employment was terminated in February 2021. Michael Donnelly replaced Shelley Oldham as an interim general manager before being offered a contract by the outgoing council late in 2021. Following the election in December 2021, the Krieg Team secured control of council and sacked Michael Donnelly. The Krieg Team appointed John Walker as interim general manager in February 2022. Following an employment process which started late in 2022, John Walker declined to apply for the permanent position. In February 2023, Jon Gibbons was appointed General Manager. However, he resigned due to personal reasons in early 2025 and was replaced by Eber Butron. Eber joined Lismore City Council as Director of Partnership, Planning and Engagement in 2021 before being appointed Chief Community Office.

Election results

2024

This section is an excerpt from Results of the 2024 New South Wales local elections in Northern Rivers § Lismore results.[edit]

2024 New South Wales local elections: Lismore^[11][12]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Steve Krieg for Lismore	1. Steve Krieg 2. Jerilee Hall (elected) 3. Andrew Gordon (elected) 4. Electra Jensen (elected) 5. Andrew Bing (elected) 6. Gianpiero Battista (elected) 7. Nardia Pidcock 8. Chris King 9. Tara Cole 10. Mitchell Dowse 11. Richelle Weekes	12,240	48.7	−0.5
	Greens	1. Adam Guise (elected) 2. Virginia Waters (elected) 3. Luke Robinson 4. Shae Salmon 5. Lindall Watson 6. Binnie O'Dwyer	5,435	21.6	+6.9
	Labor	1. Harper Dalton-Earls (elected) 2. Jasmine Knight-Smith (elected) 3. Kevin Bell 4. Joy Knight-Smith 5. Lewis Tayloe 6. Glenys Ritchie 7. William Harrison	4,127	16.4	+4.1
	Independent	1. Big Rob (elected) 2. Shaen Springall 3. Luke Tanttari 4. Christopher Knight 5. Stella Coleman	2,961	11.8	+4.3
	Independent	John Jenkins	379	1.5	+1.5
Total formal votes			25,142	94.0	−1.8
Informal votes			1,616	6.0	+1.8
Turnout			26,758	83.8	−2.1

2021

This section is an excerpt from Results of the 2021 New South Wales local elections in Northern Rivers § Lismore.[edit]

Elected councillor		Party
	Peter Colby	Steve Krieg
	Jeri Hall	Steve Krieg
	Andrew Gordon	Steve Krieg
	Electra Jensen	Steve Krieg
	Andrew Bing	Steve Krieg
	Vanessa Grindon-Ekins	Greens
	Adam Guise	Greens
	Darlene Cook	Labor
	Elly Bird	OSF
	Big Rob	Independent

2021 New South Wales local elections: Lismore^[13]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Steve Krieg for Lismore		12,766	49.2	+49.2
	Greens		3,820	14.7	+0.8
	Labor		3,195	12.3	−10.3
	Our Sustainable Future		2,769	10.7	+0.0
	Independent		1,948	7.5
	Independent Lismore		797	3.1
	Animal Justice		653	2.5	+2.5
Total formal votes			25,948	95.8
Informal votes			1,140	4.2
Turnout			27,088	85.9

Sister cities

Lismore has sister city relations with the following cities:^[14]

• Isle of Lismore, Scotland
• Yamatotakada, Japan, since 1963
• Lismore, Ireland, since 2000
• Eau Claire, Wisconsin, USA, since 2001
• Makassar, Indonesia

Notes