Ballina - Surrounds vs Lismore - North

Ballina - Surrounds and Lismore - North are neighbouring areas that offer different levels of convenience for residents. Lismore - North is much more walkable, with 59.5% of homes in a 15-minute-city walkshed compared to 38.0% in Ballina - Surrounds. Lismore - North also has far higher rates of homes within a 15-minute walk of schools (78.1% versus 49.1%) and health services (61.0% versus 34.4%). In contrast, Ballina - Surrounds has far more homes within a 15-minute walk of a park, at 78.9% compared to 67.4% in Lismore - North.

These two areas share a First Nations median age of 24 years, though their educational and financial profiles differ. Ballina - Surrounds has a well higher First Nations household income of $2,073, while Lismore - North has a well higher share of people who speak a First Nations language at 10.4%. The gap in walkability between the two has widened over time, as Lismore - North has become increasingly more accessible on foot than Ballina - Surrounds.