DRIFTING SAND.

Press, Volume LXIX, Issue 20878, 10 June 1933, Page 10

DRIFTING SAND.

PROTECTIVE MEASURES AT NORTH BEACH. INSPECTION BY LOCAL BODY REPRESENTATIVES. The first steps towards arresting the inward drift of sand over the five miles sea-front from North Beach and the Waimakariri mouth were taken by representatives of six interested local bodies who inspected the area yesterday afternoon. The Christchurch City Council has already started protective works along its own frontage, and the meeting decided to call a conference of the Waimairi County Council, the Selwyn Plantation Board, the Canterbury Education Board, and the Crown to try to apportion the cost of protecting the rest of the distance of approximately three miles. The work will be carried out with unemployed labour.

The following local body members made the inspection:—Messrs T. H. Butterfield (chairman of the Reserve Committee) and M. J. Barnett (Superintendent of City Parks and Reserves), representing the Christchurch City Council; A. Peverill (president) and S. W. Richardson, representing the United Burgesses' Association; J. F. Scott and W. P. Spencer, representmg the Selwyn Plantation Board; J. W. Crampton and J. S. Barnett representing the Citizens' Unemployment Committee; W. J. Walter, J. Liggins, and W. G. Chapman, representing the Waimairi County Council. Mr Spencer also represented the Education Board. City Council's Work. The formation of protective works along this front by relief labour was first proposed by the Mayor (Mr D. G. Sullivan, M.P.) about three years ago. The question was again brought forward by the Metropolitan Relief Works Committee seme 12 months ago when a similar inspection was made, but nothing was done beyond the Waimairi county granting the City Council permission to erect a fascine along its frontage on the esplanade. The council decided to proceed with the work when the estimates were prepared in 1932, and later in that year the construction of roads and other preparatory work was carried out. Unemployed labour under the council's supervision is now engaged in building a foredune along the whole front, and subsequently marram grass will be planted to fix the sand. -Ultimately the whole area of about 300 acres, which is now a waste of sand, will be planted with pinus insignis.

Frontage Divided.

Yesterday's meeting was the outcome of representations which were made to the Unemployment Committee recently by the United Burgesses' Association. The Waimairi county has been particularly interested, since the esplanade along the whole five-mile front is vested in it. Of the frontage inside the esplanade the City Council has about two miles, and the balance is divided among the Selwyn Plantation Board, the Education Board, the Crown, and several private owners. . The party first inspected the fascine which the Waimairi Council has erected for a distance of about 15 chains from Beach road northwards. The fascine has built up a high foredune, and behind it marram grass has been planted and appears to be flourishing. Mr W. J. Walter said that the council had done this work in. order to make the area into a picnic ground. It was already very popular, and many Christchurch residents visited it in the summer months. A Pronounced Drift. The members walked on for some distance down the beach to the point where the City Council is beginning the construction of its fascines. Later an inspection was made of the inward edge of the sand, where the rapidity and extent of the drift were obvious. The principal agent is the east wind, which is continually blowing the sand to the rear of the beach, and which by its persistence prevails against the counter north-west and south-west winds. - After some discussion Mr S. W. Richardson moved the following resolution: — "That representatives of the Selwyn Plantation Board, the Waimairi County Council, the Canterbury Education Board, and the Crown meet to try to apportion the cost of duning the length of sea-front not covered by the City Council; and that for the guidance of the meeting Mr | M. J. Barnett be asked to prepare estimates of the cost." The resolution was unanimously carried, and Mr Barnett agreed to give the information that was asked of him. As soon as the estimates are ready the meeting will be called by the Waimairi County Council. Suitable Relief Work. The work is considered particularly suitable for unemployment relief, since the only costs involved are for transport, wire, and supervision. The City Council has already 100 men at work in the Bottle Lake area, and this number should be considerably increased if the other local bodies decide to proceed with then* section of the duning. Discussing the work that the City Council is undertaking, Mr M. J. Barnett said it would be a long and slow process before the whole area was properly duned and planted. He recalled that the sand fixation on the west coast of France, covering thousands and thousands of acres, had been started before the Napoleonic wars, and was still proceeding.