Colemans Point Precinct

A living hub for Country, community and culture in Lismore

Colemans Point has always been a place people came to. It can be again, for everyone.

Ngulingah Local Aboriginal Land Council, Bundjalung Tribal Society, and Jagun Alliance, three organisations with 130 years of combined service to this community, propose to transform Colemans Point, Lismore into a recreation, tourism and events precinct alongside a permanent Caring for Country Ranger Hub on the banks of the Wilsons River.

The Precinct will be developed progressively across five purpose areas, built on operations the consortium already runs, partnerships that are already active, and community needs that are well established across the Northern Rivers. Importantly, it will be operational from Year 1 and self-sustaining by design, delivering 10-15 permanent jobs, 20 training places per year, and $800,000 to $1.5 million in staged capital investment for the Lismore community.

“The Colemans Point site presents a rare and significant opportunity for Lismore. For Council, this represents an opportunity to exercise genuine leadership: to recognize Aboriginal custodianship in a tangible and enduring way, and to create a regional drawcard and focal point that demonstrates what reconciliation looks like in practice.”

Ben Roche, Pro-Vice Chancellor (Research & Education Impact), Southern Cross University.

Who is the consortium?

The consortium between Ngulingah Local Aboriginal Land Council, Bundjalung Tribal Society Ltd. and Jagun Alliance Aboriginal Corporation, represents a foundational partnership that brings together Aboriginal land rights, Native Title, cultural authority, and more than three decades of combined operational experience. This is the governance core of the Precinct.

That foundation is supported by a network of partnerships across institutional, government, conservation, and community sectors that are not new relationships formed for this EOI, they are active, documented collaborations that will directly sustain Precinct operations.

Ngulingah LALC is an active Lismore-based organisation managing social housing, cultural heritage, and a ranger program, operating within the framework of the NSW Aboriginal Land Rights Act 1983. With a stable team of up to 10 full time employees and 35 volunteers, and part of the 120+ LALC network overseen by NSWALC, Ngulingah brings proven capacity in land management, compliance, and community advocacy. Its existing native plant nursery and ranger infrastructure represent significant in-kind co-investment that reduces establishment costs for the precinct.

Bundjalung Tribal Society is a 50-year-old Aboriginal corporation delivering community-controlled housing, health services, and cultural programs to the Northern Rivers. Operating with a dedicated team and volunteer support, BTS is currently constructing a $3.4 million Aboriginal Cultural and Entertainment Centre at Namabunda Farm as a 50th anniversary legacy project, demonstrating both capital project capability and sustained funder confidence in the organisation’s governance and delivery.

Jagun Alliance is an Aboriginal-owned and directed not-for-profit with a Board of Directors supported by experienced professional management. With ten years of operation and deep relationships across government, conservation, and community organisations, Jagun Alliance has delivered complex multi-year programs funded by the NSW EPA, NSW Reconstruction Authority, NEMA, and WWF Australia.

Why have the consortium proposed this Precinct?

In February 2026, Lismore City Council accepted the former greyhound track at Colemans Point as a gift from Greyhound Racing NSW. The site had been closed since the catastrophic 2022 floods, and Council opened it up for new ideas through a public Expression of Interest process, inviting proposals that are innovative, sustainable, and flood-aware, and that deliver real benefit to the Lismore community. The Colemans Point Precinct is the consortium’s response to this Expression of Interest.

Inside the Precinct

Recreation, tourism and events

A place the whole town calls its own.

Lismore knows how to gather, and Colemans Point has always been a place people came to. The Precinct brings that history back to life as a multi-use outdoor space for markets, festivals, events and community gatherings, alongside an authentic Cultural tourism experience that no other venue in the Lismore LGA currently provides. A quarterly event alone generates $8,000 to $30,000 in direct local spend, with an annual program worth up to $120,000 in visitor expenditure from a site that would otherwise sit idle. The Northern Rivers Rail Trail connects directly to the Molesworth Street corridor, placing Colemans Point within easy reach of more than 150,000 rail trail visitors each year. Sitting alongside the Showground and Turf Club, with confirmed support from NORPA, the Channon Craft Market, Lismore Lantern Parade and Lismore CWA, it completes a cultural and events precinct with real potential to extend visitor stays and draw people to Lismore for longer.

Education, training and employment

The hands that learn are the hands that heal.

There is a particular kind of learning that happens when the classroom is the land itself, and the Colemans Point Precinct is built around exactly that. Training is in the field, on real projects, alongside experienced rangers, with pathways including Certificate II and III in Conservation and Land Management, school-based traineeships, and Elder-led Cultural learning. Up to 10 participants in the first two years, growing to 20 per year at full operation. Each trained worker represents reduced unemployment costs, reduced reliance on external contractors, and increased local capacity to respond to natural hazard events. Jagun Alliance has been delivering youth training and land management programs across the Northern Rivers for a decade; Ngulingah LALC runs active school programs and youth employment pathways from its existing operations. For young people who can already feel the pull of Country, the Precinct will give that feeling a shape, a skill, and a future.

Ranger hub, natural disaster preparedness and recovery base

Ready when Lismore needs it.

When Lismore needs it most, Colemans Point Precinct will be ready. A permanent, flood-resilient base for community natural disaster preparedness and recovery. It is also the permanent home the Jagun Alliance and Ngulingah LALC Ranger programs have never had: skilled teams who have been caring for Country in this region for years, now with a base that matches the work they do. Jagun Alliance is currently delivering the $6.2 million Heal the Rivers program for the NSW Reconstruction Authority; contracted Ranger and land management services are projected to grow from $120,000 in Year 1 to $320,000 per annum by Year 6. A community that is better prepared spends less recovering, and a community with this kind of capability at its centre is better prepared.

Native plant nursery, restoration and economy

Grown from this ground, for this ground.

The best restoration begins with knowing what belongs where. Ngulingah Local Aboriginal Land Council’s nursery at Nimbin Rocks already holds active supply contracts with NSW Local Land Services, Northern Rivers Regional Landcare, Rous

Council, Richmond River Ecology, and Lismore City Council. The Precinct extends that proven operation to Colemans Point as a point-of-sale and distribution hub for locally sourced, place-specific native plants, supplying Council’s Rainforest to Rivers program and conservation partners across the catchment. Revenue generation and employment and training for First Nations community members from Year 1. This Precinct is not a new enterprise, it’s an already-functioning operation extending its reach.

Riverbank restoration, living classroom and legacy

The work that outlasts us.

The Wilsons River has always mattered to Lismore, and what happens at its edges affects everything and everyone downstream. The restoration program at Colemans Point targets 200 to 400 metres of riverbank frontage within the first five years, led by rangers working to a revegetation plan developed with Custodians, alongside Council, Landcare, school groups and Southern Cross University. Restored riparian vegetation reduces bank erosion, slows floodwater velocity, and improves water quality, reducing public expenditure after each flood event. A living classroom, a green corridor returning to the riverbank, and a demonstration site that positions Lismore as a leader others across the region and beyond can learn from and build on.

A precinct that benefits the whole community

Colemans Point has always drawn people together, and this Precinct builds on that history, creating a place where cultural connection, environmental restoration, education, and community life share the same ground. The benefits flow across the whole of Lismore: for residents, visitors, students, and young people finding their path.

Tourism, recreation and events

  • A regional tourism and events drawcard connected to the Northern Rivers Rail Trail and its 150,000+ annual visitors

  • A First Nations cultural tourism experience, including guided walks, cultural demonstrations, and heritage interpretation that no other venue in the Lismore LGA currently offers

  • A multi-use outdoor space for markets, festivals, and community gatherings alongside the Showground and Turf Club, completing a cultural and events precinct in the heart of Lismore

  • Confirmed support from NORPA, the Channon Craft Market, the Lismore Lantern Parade, and Lismore CWA for programming and events activation

  • A quarterly event alone is projected to generate $8,000–$30,000 in direct local spend, with an annual program worth up to $120,000 in visitor expenditure

Culture and gathering

  • A permanent cultural gathering space open to all

  • A space for NAIDOC, cultural performance, Elders' gatherings, and community events

Education and employment

  • Elder-led cultural learning and school engagement programs

  • A living classroom partnered with Southern Cross University, Landcare, and local schools

  • 10–15 permanent local jobs and 20 training places per year in conservation and land management

Environment and resilience

  • A restored Wilsons River riparian corridor for the whole community

  • Improved flood resilience and disaster preparedness infrastructure serving the broader Northern Rivers

An opportunity for Lismore City Council

The consortium's Precinct is built around what Council has already said it values. Across reconciliation, environmental restoration, economic recovery, and disaster resilience, the Colemans Point Precinct delivers directly against the objectives Council committed to in Reimagine Lismore: A Plan for the Future 2025–2035, and it does so at no cost to Council.

Across each of those priorities, here is what the Precinct delivers (click on the + to read more):

  • The consortium brings $800,000–$1.5 million in staged capital investment, meaning the site is transformed at no cost to Council. The 10-year financial model projects the Precinct to be operationally self-sustaining from Year 1, generating a growing surplus without ongoing Council contribution.

  • The Ranger Hub gives Council a permanent, First Nations-led disaster preparedness and recovery base on the Wilsons River, directly advancing Reimagine Lismore Objective 2, Strategy 2.1, which commits Council to facilitating increased resilience to natural hazards and disasters, and aligning with the NSW Disaster Adaptation Plan Guidelines.

  • The native plant nursery and riverbank restoration program directly supply Council's own Rainforest to River program, extending environmental work Council is already committed to, and advancing Reimagine Lismore Objective 2, Strategy 2.2, which commits Council to working with partners to protect natural habitats, waterways and catchments.

  • The cultural gathering space, Ranger-led tourism experiences, and events program fill a gap the Lismore, Nimbin and Villages Destination Management Plan 2024–2028 explicitly identifies as a priority - Aboriginal cultural experiences. This means advancing Reimagine Lismore Objective 4, Strategies 4.1 and 4.3, which commit Council to stimulating economic growth and enhancing tourism

  • The Precinct's location alongside the Showground, Turf Club, and Northern Rivers Rail Trail positions Colemans Point as an anchor for the broader events and visitor economy corridor, further advancing Reimagine Lismore Objective 4, Strategies 4.1 and 4.3.

  • An Aboriginal-led future for Colemans Point gives Council a visible, enduring expression of its commitment to First Nations peoples, directly advancing Reimagine Lismore Objective 3, Strategy 3.1, which commits Council to promoting respect for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and their heritage.

  • The consortium carries the operational and financial responsibility of the site, so that Council receives the full community, environmental and economic benefit of the Precinct without being asked to fund, manage or operate any part of it.

Community support for the Precinct

Eleven organisations across Lismore's government, environmental, cultural, business, and First Nations community, each of them with an existing working relationship with the consortium, have formally backed this proposal. Together, they reflect a community that already believes in what this consortium does.

  • Southern Cross University — Office of the Pro Vice-Chancellor (Research & Education Impact)

  • Business NSW Northern Rivers

  • Indigenous Land and Sea Corporation (Australian Government)

  • WWF-Australia

  • Resilient Lismore

  • Northern Rivers Performing Arts (NORPA)

  • Country Women’s Association of NSW Lismore Branch

  • Wilsons River Landcare

  • The Channon Craft Market

  • Nimbin Valley Dairy

  • The Returning Indigenous Corporation

  • Lismore Lantern Parade

What’s next?

Follow along on Jagun Alliance’s Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn as this proposal unfolds, and be the first to hear updates as the project progresses.