ISLAND BAY.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1616, 6 December 1912, Page 3

ISLAND BAY.

MOVEMENT TO IMPROVE FORESHORE. DEPUTATION TO CITY COUNCIL A day or two ago the chairman of tho Reserves Committee of the City Council received tho following letter from the Island Bay Municipal Electors' Association :— "Sir,—Tho Executive of the Island Bay Municipal Electors' Association desires to place before you in writing a schemo of work which it urges the council to carry out nt Island Baysduring tho year 1913. Briefly tho proposals are as follow:— (1) "The beach—Widen and complete the esplanade from men's dressing shed to the point just beyond ladies' dressing shed. Reclaim small area between tho above two points (viz., at' end of Brighton Street) to form a triangular plot for a 'plantation.' Form and asphalt footpaths and plant trees and provide more seats thereon. (2) "Reof Street—Plant suitable trees on one or both sides or Reef Street leading from tho train terminus to tho beach. (3) "Corner Clyde and Eumber StreetsPlant with shrubs the small plot of space street land near Fire Brigade Station. (4) "Clyde Street zig-zag—Plant trees and (or) shrubs at the Zig-zag at north end of Clydo Street where it joins Deo Street. "The beach improvement is the largest of our proposals, but my committee is of opinion that this work can be done at a comparatively small cost. 'The remaining three items are works left over from last Arbor Day, and wo ask that arrangements be niado, well in advance to enable this work to bo done on or about Arbor Day, 1913, with the assistance of working bees which will be organised. "Island Bay has one of the safest beaches in or near Wellington, and it is a very pleasing sight to see tho largo numbers of women and children there every fine afternoon during the summer, and on fine Saturdays and Sundays; the two dressing sheds are totally inadequate for tho meu, women, and children, who wish to use them. Incidentally I would mention that a children's dressing shed is badly needed. This bay has never had a great deal of money spent on it _ and my committee now urges the council to obtain an estimate of the cost of our proposed improvements at once, in order that tho scheme may bo approved and provided for on the 1913 Estimates." Yesterday afternoon a deputation from tho association, headed by Mr. A. E. Od-' lin, waited on the City Council to press the claims set forth in the letter. Mr. Odlin said that the chief need at Island Bay was for the improvement of the beach, but ho left sure that he could recommend other proposals to the committee for favourable consideration. Eo did think it was time the beach was improved. Years ago, when the place was under tho Melrose Borough Council, of which Mr. Frost was at one time Mayor, an esplanade' scheme had been proposed. Now that Wellington had grown so much the scheme warranted consideration, and he hoped that something of the sort would be • carried into effect next year. Ho submitted plans and a perspective drawing of the bay with the proposed improvements. It showed a neat concrete wall following tho sweep of the bench from one side of the bay proper to the other, a wide roadway, and in the corner (near Mr. Justice Edwards's house) a triangular plantation. Mr. Odlin said that the land • in that corner would need to be reclaimed, but only to a dcptli of 5 or 6 feet. Mr. Coy said that the bay was the playground for thousands of children and the people of tho district felt that they had not been altogether fairly dealt with. He called attention to the bad' effect on the beach that was being created by tho carting away of so much shingle between the fishermen's huts and the end of the concrete wall (west beach). Councillor Smith: Who is taking it away? Mr. Coy: "Drays." In explanation . he : said ho thought it was being removed by the City Engineer's Department's men but it would not inconvenience them it they went further round towards tho septic tank for shingle. The'chairman said that it was thought the next gale would bring the shingle 1 up again. (Laughter.) He thought the committee, should' meet the members of the deputation on tho spot after the holidays. He controverted Mr. Coy's statement that Island Bay was not receiving fair treatment by the council. The expenditure there had been the biggest of any part of the old Melrose ward. There had been the culvert, for instance, but what was out of sight) was apparently out of mind. The plans would bo submitted to the officers for a report. '