ST. CLAIR BEACH.

Evening Star, Issue 17333, 22 April 1920, Page 8

ST. CLAIR BEACH.

TO THE JEIJITOK. B'r.—Allow me to congratulate you for speaking eo strongly in your sub-leader against the -waste of public money by the Ocean Beach Domain Board—l mean by this_ body persisting in the erection o'f additional groynes. I understand that it because the 'Government Engineer approves this form of so-called beach protection. Is it not a fact that the present froynea are the design of the- Government ngmeer and that they have proved a signal failure? The City Councjfhave no authority from the people of Dunedin to waste £6OO on worthless groynes., It is the duty of the Minister of Publio Works to sec thatno more public money is wasted by a repetition of works that have proved unsuccessful. _ I would suggest that a board of marine engineers be appointed. aB this problem is Durely of an engineering na>*re.

_ The present Domain Board, bv persisting in the erection of groynes," are perpetrating a costly blunder. As one of your correspondents puts it, "any person not posing as an authority on marine engineering, but possessing a certain amount or common sense, should know that pile groyne* placed end on to the waves will have as much effect as,a pole in mid-ocean has of preventing a heavy s ea or a storm." What is the value of the Ocean Beach to Dunedin? Is it worth £200,000? Personally, I think it is worth very much more; therefore I suggest that £50.000 be raised and a breakwater erected at an angle looking nor'-east, to be composed of 10-ton concrete blocks, which would provide a small harbor for a fishing fleet and motor boats, and at the same time protect the beach from the heavy seas, ft would also be found that the sand would again accumulate and cover the present stony beach at St. Clair. It might be possible to quarry stones large enough for the breakwater from inside the cliffs at the Second Beach, but the handling would be very difficult. Concrete blocks would be the best, built on the same principle at the New Plymouth breakwater. In my opinion it would be wiser for the people of Dunedin to erect this suggested breakwater at St. Clair than to go in for a fancy Town Hall—l am, etc., Marine. April 20.