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“Swimming Rights Denied To Public”

A voice had to be raised in defence of the swimmers who had been denied swimming rights to a large part of Scarborough beach, the president of the Sumner Residents’ Association (Mr B. R. Hansen) said last evening.

He was referring to a suggestion put to the parks and recreation committee of the Christchurch City Council this week that an area between the clock tower and the Scarborough sea wall be reserved exclusively for swimmers, while the rest of the beach be left unrestricted for the use of board riders and swimmers.

“T h e Christchurch City Council has listened to the voices of the surfing fraternity and given them a complete victory,” said Mr Hansen.

The association was responsible for obtaining the sea wall, the garden plots, the light standards and also had a part in the acquisition of the facilities at the beach such as the tea-rooms, dressing sheds and children's paddling pool, he said.

“The association was responsible for the banning of Swimming at the beach because of the serious pollution from sewage, and was also responsible for getting the Sumner sewage redirected to Bromley at a cost of $300,000,” he said. “Surely this gives the public some rights since they pay rates for the use of these facilities and as citizens they are entitled to share in them. ‘The surf-riders ignored the ban on swimming which was imposed by the council to safeguard the health of the people. Because the surfriders defied the ban they feel they have prior right to this part of the beach. “Under the present suggestion put forward by the Christchurch City Council, the swimmers have been given an area from the clock tower to the east. Have the

; city councillors been down ! to have a look at low tide? There is virtually no water for swimmers in the area suggested,” he said. ‘The surf-riders are not prepared to be reasonable and think of the general public,” said Mr Hansen. “Most Sheltered” Scarborough was the most sheltered beach in Christchurch where people could swim and learn to swim in calm water, said Mr Hansen. The removal of the rocks and piles from the old Bell’s baths area as had been suggested might have a serious effect on the outlet of the Sumner main drain during times of heavy rain, which coincided with heavy seas, he said. ‘The Drainage Board might have something to say to this because the proposed new flood relief drain will also empty into Bell’s baths. “To deny the people of Christchurch access to the best and safest swimming beach is a serious matter. The surf-riders have plenty of suitable water along the remainder of the Sumner beach. Surely they cannot refuse the swimmers the right to swim without worry of possible injury from a surfboard because on some occasions only there is a good surf at Scarborough," said Mr Hansen. A past secretary of the asso-

ciation, Mr W. J. Baguley, said that the suggested scheme was “totally unacceptable” as at low tide there was no water in the area the council proposed should be reserved for swimmers. Surf board riding was a fine sport but a suitable compromise—on a 50-50 basis—could be reached over the use of the Sumner beach.

Mr Baguley said that most of the comment by people supporting surf board riders using the beach was that the swimmers abandoned Sumner beach when it became polluted. “Prohibited” “The swimmers did not abandon the beach but were prohibited from swimming there by the Health Department,” he said. “Of necessity. the only place left for them to go to was Clifton Beach.” At the time—six or seven years ago—the Sumner Residents’ Association conducted an intensive campaign to encourage the Christchurch Drainage Board to connect the Sumner sewer outflow to the Bromley treatment works. “On January 9 this year this connection became a fact and all credit is due to the drainage board. But it is only since then that the board riders have protested about the influx of swimmers on the Sumner beach,” said Mr ; Baguley.

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Permanent link to this item

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19700205.2.89

Bibliographic details

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32214, 5 February 1970, Page 12

Word Count
684

“Swimming Rights Denied To Public” Press, Volume CX, Issue 32214, 5 February 1970, Page 12

“Swimming Rights Denied To Public” Press, Volume CX, Issue 32214, 5 February 1970, Page 12