DUNEDIN HARBOR, AND THE CHURCH HILL.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 231, 16 September 1862, Page 6

DUNEDIN HARBOR, AND THE CHURCH HILL.

{Per favor of tlie Editor of the Daily Tikbs. )

Sir,-You have opened up a matter of vast importance in JPTew, Zealand md Otago in particular in your late articles on Harbor and Coast improvement. -... ~,-.. ... ■-. ■ '■■-. ■■' To establish a reputation for dangerous and uncharted coasts,—shallow sand filled, and cramped harboi-s; is to put a serious check on mercantile eaterpriae, and so to make our unimproved coasts and harbors levy a heavy tax on the entire community. *? Beginning at llunedin as the., central object of interest- to us, it would be well if mercantile men would bestow more earnest consideration on the harbor improvements, and tlie results likely to follow from projectedJplans. - It is admitted on all hands that the shallowness of the water, (not its extent of basin, ia the chief evil of the Dunedin Harbor—in other words: from the sea upwards there is too much snnd aTnd mud. The great need then; is—the removal of, the over abundant material; / Your sensible remarks on the immeihato employment of dredges must commend themselves" to the~common sense/ of all.: Now Sir, preliuming thedredge boats loaded with the rescued debris. What willwe do with it Ibecomes the question, and, is- it not possibley permanently to retain tiud economise it. ' Your cry, (aiid it is, I believe the outspoken voice ofthe, public) is—"clear out arid, if possible, keep clear thte harbor aiid its approaches." "-■■-' / / Now, let us enquire what is the proposed plan of the Government in the carrying out of the harbor , improvements and extension. While the necessity hi acknowledged; and on every side stated to be " clear T oat,'-'theii*systemandprncticeh"fillu^,-" and the latest example of this is affordedin their avowed intimtion to cub down' the Church Hill, i;in: order- to 'bbtaia material forthe propeftednew docks/! ■'■', v /A* very superficial inspection of the stone obtainable from the Church Hill willshow-to any unprgudiccd pjrson, thatlt wotild be unwise to adopt it in ?any rtitaininff walls which may be required in the'formation of the works referred to; It is not obtainable, hi' 'blocks of sufficient'balk to bo 'trustworthy for siich works. The balance of the material of which the hDI iscomposed, iasandin-a-greater or; less • degree of stratified cohe^idilvnonebf^ it'deservlng the name of . such material there is a thousand times jtaftre thanenougK4iffti<3T'liorbpf^feadjr T "i *'r/";' / I It will npt»do toiopk.at this matter from a narrow, "caatradfedjpoint,ofjight,7"Thebr^idqucstwri^of the greatest good to bi obtained fisom-aVftilabfe imaterial, fafth^oneto be<b6ninderedi -' And surely the-removal o^the Church Hill^which is not in at^lf an e\il; is ou /tha JaTrji of the; Government a work" of '•■ Superorogatioti" ipi'rmrmed at"the \ expensed of • tb^rpeople. "i • wliile ai|d'*cbWihel^^t >the !*Ba^ a ipgaitive and permanent gooil to the Colony^and p^:there t are many very besrvy and necessary street , :mttzA&&MZmiidt). froimtou¥of which,-if*ifequlrefl^ .both stone and other material icould^in abundance be .^Pwß^^^' Gpvernm^n^vfliile in this direction jW^/thCT^o]a!d;lMi 4: racliievitii| a; pwitlve go^d1 to" th^ 'Cdßimi^^y;':,;-''^*^----wMS«j^^*f sf- y^r/-.^; ■ ;1, Ibfbne/riull f^v sorry to see the Church Hill ffimfa&Xn. /fac^the Jmmttyrti 1!

gone once it h removed, aud Its boldest aud most .beautiful feature destroyed. On^aiany grounds, thereforeri "maintain that the removal of the Church Hill and the further *' filling up' system in the Bay, are wrongful <acpenditures ot the public funds, and that the signs of the times demand a reversal of such policy. 1 The only ground of defence which can be advanced by the advocates for the removal of the hill, seems to me to be a grounded on doing a positive evil, thafc n problematical good may come from it. There may be many very cogent reasons why tbe hill should be cut down, and why more mud should bo heaped into the Bay, but I must say I have failed after a careful searching to find out a satisfactory renson why either the one or the other evil should be permitted by the public at their ovm cost to he perpetrated; while as you have partially shown, and as I would further hibnbly submit, a positive and permanent good will ari<« from clearing away existing; accumulations. I have the honor to be, §ir, Your obedient servant, R. A. Lawsok, Architect, &c.