Ed,

I write this letter to you with a sense of irony. We have been through the last week of torrential rain and talk of flood. This prompted me to take a drive along McIntyre’s Lane Gulmarrad, which runs from Big River Way to Sheehans Lane. This road is also celebrating a first anniversary of the sealing of the final kilometre after a 15 year wait. Sadly in January 2020, during torrential rainfall, the road suffered damage to the gutters and culvert. So after a month the road surface was badly damaged.

Enquiries to council came back that they had applied for funding under a Flood Recovery Programme Grant. Obviously Bushfire Recovery Economic Grants are easier to source and have approved. The funds for a “shovel ready” roundabout in Yamba have mysteriously appeared to great fanfare. Unfortunately after 11 months it appears that Flood Recovery Grants have more strigent criteria, as McIntyres lane is still in disrepair. Seems rather sad that council is not as enthusiastic about all its roads.

Tom Porter, Gulmarrad