The latest edition of The Echo literally blew me away. The power of civil society really spoke – CONGRATS!
Consumed as I am by the South Australian tragedy of the algal bloom spreading up St Vincents Gulf and Spencer Gulf – I spent my childhood of 17 years in the SA state and played, worked and lived in predominantly Glenelg – the Belongil aided my recovery from chronic fatigue syndrome with daily swims and attunement to the tides and critters who migrated to its shores.
Now, I sense deep distress. For years I have written (when issues arose) of Belongil fish kills and ‘foam’ – indeed my first letter on same was 30 years ago.
Now with ‘some’ knowledge I share a tip. You may be aware of the wonderful work that Mary Gardiner did, with activists, on Byron waterways, addressing plumbing and water issues – at Christmas 2024, the sand dune in front of Elements totally collapsed. Approximately 15 to 20 feet fell, impacted by the ‘cyclone’ and foul weather. Indeed, I was just out of hospital and staying with a friend at the Ocean Shores Golf Club. I learned from folk, via a shared ongoing Facebook post, that 40 male community workers had worked tirelessly with spades to unblock the Belongil and allow waters to flow into the sea.
Horrified I was, more so now. I am trying to source where the stormwwater from central Byron township flows to. According to some sources two main stormwater outlets remain blocked and choked. One at Main Beach and the other at the Beach Hotel. Indeed, to remedy the flooding issue in central Byron it has been stated (not confirmed) ‘that a single stormwater drain flows from the Byron township to the outflow in Belongil.’
With the proposed SEP to create an ‘alcoholic party town’ combined with ongoing ‘high-end’ development, it would seem that the risks of this ‘unsound water outlet’ to the Belongil will result in the potential rise of flooding and fish kill, and risks that create blooms when climate change conditions surface.
The Belongil also deals with West Byron stormwater flows.
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. 
