Are lalandi bark chippings ok to use around plants as a mulch

I think you mean leyandii??? They should be OK to be used as a mulch if they are well aged. They will make the soil more acidic. They will also deplete the soil of nitrogen so you might want to add some extra nitrogen source along with it.
I had a bunch of chippings of the same and mixed it into my regular garden compost first to rot down a bit. Leyandii is slow to rot down though so don't expect the compost to be ready quickly.