Rather than spend more millions on trying to fix the problem, start at the root cause.

Prior to the bridge being built the amphitheatre was the high point of the road, after the build the low point.

It appears in about 1990 major drainage road works was carried out at Clifton. 

This involved the channelling of the runoff from the catchment area above Clifton, through a surge pit just north of Clifton School Road, plus kerb and guttering of the road from Clifton School Parade to the bridge area.

The resultant consequence is that the discharged water is now directed down the road to the bridge and consequently down the bridge to the amphitheatre.

The amphitheatre is part of the drainage system. It is highly likely the volume of water being discharged from the Clifton system caused the collapse of the southern end of the former road – about 1992 – in a one-in-20-year storm; and the ongoing erosion of the road that led to its closure and consequently the construction of the Sea Cliff Bridge.

Similarly, on the northern side, the storm water from the access to Coalcliff Colliery is directed down the roadway onto the amphitheatre due to the camber of the roadway.

My investigation into the 2012 storm damage showed the kerb near the amphitheatre had been removed prior to the event and would suggest flooding was a known problem. The bridge drainage system is designed to remove water falling on the bridge, not the vast volume redirected from Clifton and Coalcliff.

Fix the root cause or forever pour money down the drain treating the consequences. The drainage system at Clifton has already cost over $50million in road works. How much more do we need to waste?

Ian Young, East Corrimal

Well done to Queensland. 

The better team won on the night. Not knowing much about rugby league, I still couldn’t help but notice that the refereeing seemed to be heavily influenced by the biased Queensland crowd by 10 to 20 points at least.

I thought Mick Ennis, the NSW fill-in, was their best player. 

Go figure. 

The game seems to have been dying a slow death over the past decade; but we can’t let this happen. 

If we didn’t have body contact sports, then our jails would be overflowing. Keep the faith.

Steven Thomas, Shellharbour

I am not a follower of football, but after seeing the picture in the Mercury today (Friday), I was disgusted to see two NSW players holding a Queensland player and pointing his head to the ground.

This should be illegal in sport.  Think of the consequences if he had broken his neck or his back. I don’t call this sport.

Carol Stumbles, Dapto

Could someone tell me when we changed from a democracy to a dictatorship? Our PM is reminding me more and more of Vladimir Putin each day. 

What’s next? If anyone disagrees with his decrees will they quietly be shipped off to the Gulag? 

Eric Davies, Keiraville