Brunswick Valley Flood History...

Background Information

AIM : To educate the residents about past events relating to the Marshall's Creek flood plain.

OBJECTIVES : To assist interested persons to understand the true history of flood mismanagement within the Marshall's Creek and Brunswick River systems.

Let us begin with the present day flood disaster in June 2005 and work our way back. Click on the satellite map below to see an overview of the affected area ...

Map 1 - Satellite photo from 'Google Earth' 2005

click on map to download PDF file

This website presents attached details involving the history of the Brunswick Valley area and Byron Shire Council’s acceptance of their liability for increasing the flood level in this area.
1. see Council minutes 1976
2. see Cranston report confidential 1986

There is a video of the '84 flood and '87 Mothers day flood which conclusively details the rise in levels caused by the closure of these outlets including the latest closure of the bund blocking off the 2000 acre flood storage north of the bund.
1. see dvd nine news story 1987 Mother's Day flood (coming soon)

Map 2 - Historical flood outlets

click on map to download PDF file

The Council closed all the remaining natural outlets after 1987 when they skimmed the beach and blocked them, particularly between Golden Beach, New Brighton and the rock wall at Readings Bay
1. see rock wall at Readings Bay
2. see extract Warner report

We also need to identify what occurred at Wooyung in closing the natural outlet documented below in the survey map.
3. see survey map of Wooyung

I have fully documented the alteration of this area of coast since 1887 by man made obstructions.
1. 1887 map 3
2. cane drainage plan
3. see 1962 photo
4. wooyung outlet 1972
5. see wooyung outlet 1979

Map 3 - 1887 Survey map of Wooyung

click on map to download PDF file

The most contentious section of this documentation involves Byron Shire Council ordering the developers of Ocean Shores to close a flood outlet North of Golden Beach which was a condition of Development Consent for the construction of the Capricornia Canal.
1. see NOS outlet photo 1974
2. see Council minutes engineers report
3. see NOS outlet closed 1976
4. see Duputy Premier warning 1982
5. see Cranston report(public version)
6. see Cranston report(confidential version)
7. see dvd nine news story 1987 Mother's Day flood
8. see Council Engineers report significant differences
9. see NOS outlet still closed after 1987 flood
10. see aerial of NOS outlet closed 1980's

The construction of Golden Beach was undertaken by closing one of the largest natural outlets by the developers of that estate. This closure created a new flood blowout alongside Helen Street. It was also noted that the blowout intensity increased between New Brighton and Golden Beach.
1. see pre development aerial of GB 1954
2. see construction of GB closing outlet 1958
3. see Helen Street blowout 1972
4. see DVD Helen St flood June 2005 plus SGB beach levels
5. Enlarging of bund openings by Tweed Shire Council in 2008

Also attached are a number of photos of Orana Road, Narooma Drive intersection and one of water flooding over the northern end Balemo Drive from a gravely undersized culvert incapable of taking water from under the Pacific Highway. Additional photos of Natan Court and Capricornia Canal.
1. see Ocean Shores
2. see Capricornia Canal
3. see Natan Court NOS

I hope this helps to explain the gross mismanagement of rate payers money in creating a community of people not knowing where their future lies regarding the flooding of their homes.

Please take the time to uncover the truth and help the Brunswick Valley acheive its potential as a flood free community.

Jim Mangleson
2005

Definition of TRUTH: (Pocket Macquarie Dictionary)
1. something which is true or actual: to tell the truth.
2. agreement with fact or reality: the truth of a statement
3. an indisputable fact, principle, etc: mathematical truths
4. genuiness, reality, or actual existence.
5. honesty or integrity.
6. in truth, in fact, in reality; truly.