USE OF SCARBOROUGH “Conflict Between Generations”

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 32215, 6 February 1970, Page 14

USE OF SCARBOROUGH “Conflict Between Generations”

The controversy over surfers using Scarborough beach appeared to have become a conflict between generations, the secretary of the Sumner Residents’ Association (Mrs M. A. Quince) said yesterday.

Mrs Quince dissociated herself from statements made on Wednesday by the president of the association (Mr B. R. Hansen) and a former secretary (Mr W. J. Baguley) that swimmers had been denied swimming rights to a large part of the beach. “It appears that the residents of Sumner have put up a united front against surfers. This is not so,” said Mrs Quince. “I would like to speak for the many younger residents of Sumner who use Scarborough beach from daylight to dusk almost the year round.

“In a heavy north-easterly swell there is no other beach in Christchurch suitable for surfing. At every other beach except for this particular spot near the Sumner lifeboat slip, it is impossible to paddle out to catch waves. In these conditions the heavy rip makes it dangerous for swimmers anyway,” said Mrs Quince. In a small surf the waves broke further along the beach, leaving the Scarborough sea wall end free for swimmers, she said.

“On very few days in the summer do the swimming and surfing areas coincide. The council has already engaged a bulldozer to remove some rocks and piles to enlarge the swimming area. I feel this is as much as they can

be expected to do,” she said. A contracting firm moved into the area between the clock tower and the sea wall yesterday and removed most of the piles from the old jetty. The piles and the rocks, some of which were also removed, were in the area suggested as a reserve for swimmers only. Some rocks up to 2ft in diameter were removed' altogether and the rest were! placed in a straight line at the southern end of the beach.

Also commenting on Mr Hansen’s statement, the Town Clerk (Mr M. B. Hayes)—in the absence of the chairman of the Christchurch City Council Parks and Recreation committee (Cr P. J. Skelletup) who put forward the proposed compromise—said that temporary signs would be erected at the beach for this week-end. “The council has not made a firm decision either way, but the committee has authorised the erection of temporary signs requesting, not ordering, all surboard riders not to use the area set aside for swimmers,” he said.

“On the other hand, there is .no reason why ordinary swimmers should not go anywhere on the beach at their own risk. There is no question of their being restricted to the special area,” he said.