When Ocean Shores – now the largest town in the Byron Shire – was established, Council enforced strict directives. Houses were to be built from stone, there was to be no fencing or visible washing lines and vehicle parking provision must be provided on the block.
This town has changed from being the most beautiful in the Shire to one that is not, after lifting all the above necessities. Parked cars have completely blocked every footpath, and now one can have an additional portable so-called ‘house’ dumped on their property or able to even pitch a tent and rent it out.
After all these years supplying Council with millions of ratepayer dollars only to see it spent not on potholed roads, broken gutters etc etc. Why has this happened? Once this Council had no politicians waving banners but only nominated representatives. Ocean Shores had two and they did a marvellous job ensuring that this town was looked after. They never decided to build enormous statues depicting dead birds or to waste millions and millions on a road used by three per cent of the traffic entering Byron Bay or on employing staff who have not had the education to fully fulfill their duties and at great expense have to call in advisors.
It can be clearly seen that this town for many years has been completely forgotten, and my wish is that whoever gets into Council are not representing a political party. Many Councillors have been political party representatives and it can be seen that Ocean Shores has not been part of their vocabulary. Please do not vote for a politician, we have enough at State and commonwealth level.
Wilf Sprengel, Ocean Shores
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. 
