A NEGLECTED ASSET

Evening Star, Issue 16349, 15 February 1917, Page 7

A NEGLECTED ASSET

THE OCEAtf BEACH

SUGGESTIONS AS TO IMPROVEMENT. A LESSON FROM DURBAN. No. I. The rare stretch of clean-sanded beach | from St. Clair to Lawyer Head is so ; capable of vast improvement as a means | of profitable pleasure that enviable I strangers are filled with wonder that so | little has been done to improve it and i make the most of a great asset to a city. They may not always know, of course, that in recent years the Ocean Beach has been such a trying-ground for municipal experiments in the direction of providing some facilities for pleasure-seekers at St. Clair—an enterprise that has not been very successful—as to deter progressive citizens from urging adequate development of a charming resort. And yet the unfortunate failure as to improvement has merely emphasised the scope for greater and more thorough effort in the same direction. What'is really required is a comprehensive scheme of improvement and equipment on the lines that' have proved remarkably successful in less promising places. The record of Durban—to say nothing at all of seaside resorts at Homo and not so far away—is a precedent ns well as an encouragement to timid administrators. It is pointed out by Mr J. Slmrt Wilson, a keen member of the Town-Planning Association, who knows Durban well and saw the manner in which that progressive town made a great profit out of an asset very similar to our Ocean Reach, that Dunedin is practically in the same position as Durban was at the close, of the South African War. ‘ That is to .say. the effects and influences of war called for the development of tho most popular means of revenue production. Money was tight, enterprise was crippled, and revenue was low. There was need of municipal activity and resourcefulness. ,It is scarcely pessimistic exaggeration .to suggest tha’t veiv probably Dunedin will bo confronted v.ith somewhat similar circumstances and needs as 3 result of an incomparably Skater war. There certainly will be need . what may be termed a reorganisation Dt fVT pleasures a reorganisation that would be most easily secured by simplifving pleasure and yet providing a maximum ot benefit with a minimum of expense. That, at any rate, was the method adopted by the shrewd people of Durban The capital of Natal, in a word, made the most of its beach, and thus not nnlv enconraged its own folk to spend their spare money on simple, though adequate, pleasures at home, but enticed neighbors from far and near to visit a pleasant resort. The initial outlay raised the inevitable howl of protest and conflicting suggestions and criticisms, but the result «as immediate profit to all concerned. Wise and attractive means of plav are always profitable. The improvement of the beach at Durban and a generous provision of varied means of juvenile and adult entertainment yielded acceptable profit to the municipality. In the season (winter) the population of Durban was doubled, and profit was general, for the , ?i eat influx of visitors meant the spend“f m nT y lhe bllsiness and accommodation houses as well as at the beach. In the opinion of Air Wilson less engineering difficulties have to lie overcome at Ocean Beach than there were at Durban in order to secure a similar standard of attractiveness. ■ At Durban the long stretch of sand-dune was first terraced.and soiyn m binding grass; then a substantial drive was constructed along the top for the full length of the dune. A wih F as made a pleasant promenade. A semi-circular pier providing a protected bathing area was constructed; and padfllmg ponds for youngsters, water-chutes merry-go-rounds, slides, switch-hack rail tv ay,, big wheels, and other means of entertainment were provided. The nh™ was made to hold some means of pleasure for everybody. And it was a bright and charming resort at night. b Mr to remarked 5 , . th « writt ‘ r ’ “ that wo should P p T nfc , 431110 x,nd€T tako a costly .cherne of development at Ocean Beach in jrder to take full advantage of so vahiahh m asset to Dunedin. A more modest cheme than Durban's would suffice for everal years; but I think the time is ery opportune to make thorough preparahon f OT oesmable, and profitable improvement, so that when the Empire cmer-s m u tbo storm and stress of war we should bo prepared to utilise the excellent and^th 0 ih ° ?5 Jvanta « 6 of the people ® n S 4he t A great deal is -aid as to climatic conditions behm agnhist a comprehensive scheme of development of , an Beach .0 something more than a oca resort, out that argument is I think, very much exaggerated. The beach muld be made profitably attractive f„ r a ..e.ison lasting from November to Easter would doubtless vould be considerably shorter. If lho beach were made a well-equipped pla.ygroimd, so to speak, as well as an ade-quately-equipped bathing resort, it wou'd yield pleasure and profit for at least five months in the year. It could be made an attractive seaside centre for the whole of Otago and Southland. During the past wo years there have been more visitors from the country than was formerly the rase, and if the facilities far varied enter tamment were bettor it is certain that that extension of the attractiveness of the beach would be further increased to a surprising degree. Durban started its scheme ct development of its beach in a very modes. way indeed, but success was so immediate and satisfactory that the anthonties did not hesitate ’to spend Time nuns of money in attractive improvemenu. And time proved the wisdom of a policy ot enterprise. Despite the somewhat unfortunate results of local enter prise during the past five years at Ocean Leach, most of the citizens are quite confidentthat if City Council tackled the St 0n I C s P irit > and d «vised a definite scheme of development, the active support of tho whole community would he obtamec, and success would follow. The public arc ready to take lull advantage at Ocean Beach if it were made move attractive, as regards facilities for pleasure mid equipment for pleasant entertainment especially for juveniles, to the peoole.’ inero can bo no doubt as to that." 1 Tho suggestions modestly offered bv Mr Wilson also raise the question as to the advisability of tho City authorities, through tne Reserves Committee of the City Council, co-operating with other representative organisations and associations so as to arrive at a conclusive decision respecting preliminaries; and to gain something like unanimity a s tu a complete scheme of improvements at Ocean Leach. Lack of co-operation and unanimity in tho past contributed towards, the lamentable failure of numiefpal enterprise. It is to be hoped that Mr Wilson’s suggestions will quicken public interest m tuo subject, anti thus lead to definite action towards making widely profitable use of a notoriously 'ner'hvte-d asset. ' 0