Jim Mangleson, Ocean Shores
Interesting article by Steve Hansen regarding artificial reefs for Byron’s erosion problem (Echo, 21 July).
He mentions historical charts and photos of Byron Bay but neglected to mention the closure of many natural major creeks and outlets shown in them, which have been artificially closed.
Those historical creek outlets, apart from reducing flooding, also provided huge amounts of sand to renourish the beaches. That sand is now silting our rivers, creeks and waterways and causing unnecessary flooding.
Consecutive Council committees have failed in their duty of care to correct these man-made obstructions causing flooding and coastal erosion.
Byron Council is the only council in the world that ordered the closing of one of these outlets and has minuted (27 July, 1976) the acceptance of the liability for the increase in flooding behind that outlet.
Byron Council is the only council that has built a Community Hall in the path of one of these closed outlets. The blocking of Marshalls Creek by the Public Works Department is acknowledged by them as a major cause of the destruction of Sheltering Palms in the late 1960s.
While the erosion is of major concern, sand bags or artificial reefs will never fix the flooding and erosion of our beaches caused by Council negligence.
For four decades The Echo has printed the stories some people loved, some people hated, and some pretended not to read. If you want us to keep telling the truth, the real truth, not the sugar-coated version. We’ll need your support to keep the presses rolling. 
