Lismore's Koori Kitchen told to shut down to make way for more car parks

The service was one of the first providers of free food and social support for those left homeless and displaced by recent floods, but complaints to council have seen their operations forced to close.

The Koori Kitchen in Lismore, a community hub that was set up in the wake of devastating floods in the region, has been forced to close by Lismore City Council after they received complaints about the location and loss of parking spaces.

The Lismore local council has ordered the closure of the Koori Kitchen after complaints were made by local residents about the loss of parking spaces where the kitchen is located.

Setting up at Browns Carpark, which is located opposite the former Koori Mail Newspaper offices, the Koori Kitchen offered free meals not only to those affected by the floods, but also in response to the rising cost of living in the area.

In a statement, released by the Koori Kitchen via social media, the organisation said that they were advised by Lismore City Council to start packing down their marquee over the next few weeks.

"The council have received a handful of complaints regarding the loss of parking due to our marquee," reads the post.

"We feel extremely sad that we will no longer be able to support the Lismore community, as we know there are still many displaced people who require this kind of essential service."

The General Manager of The Koori Mail, Naomi Moran reshared the Kitchen's statement on social media, commenting that the decision was made without community consultation.

"Absolutely appalling that a group of decision-makers who have never volunteered at the Kitchen can determine whether the community still needs help or not," Ms Moran said.

A grateful community mourns

Lismore has been hit by successive flooding in the past eleven months, hampering recovery efforts and leaving the community 'exhausted'.

The kitchen attracted local support from chefs and volunteers, able to provide up to 600 hot meals per day and at other times offered a space for mental health and social support services.

Speaking to NITV Radio late last year, the co-founder of the kitchen, Chelsea Claydon said, "People know we are there; it is a sort of a security and a comfort spot for them to come and have a chat with other people that have gone through the same thing."

However, during its time of operation, there has been a history of conflict with the local council including the issuing of parking fines to kitchen volunteers.

Residents who were served at the Koori Kitchen have responded to the impending closure with both sadness and gratitude.

"Thank you so much for feeding and caring for thousands and thousands of people in our community after the February 2022 disaster. Stand proud of a behemoth effort," wrote Louise Somerville on Facebook in response to the closure statement.

Bel J Hanson added, "This is terrible of the council. Have not seen the carpark full ever since Feb. Thank you for all you have done."