RESTORATION OF ST. CLAIR ESPLANADE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 15006, 2 December 1910, Page 8

RESTORATION OF ST. CLAIR ESPLANADE

REPORT BY PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT ENGINEER.

A report has been obtained by the Ocean Bench Domain Board from Mr F. W. Furkort, Disbriot Engineer, PuWic Works Deparhnent, on Iho question i.f protective groins at Ocean Beach, St. Clair. This report, which affects Hie question of the restoration of the St, Clair will be considered by the board at a meeting on •iV 1 1 u y thereafter ati effort' will be made to arrange a conference, between the Domain Board, the Public Works Committee of tho City Council, and probably tho St. Clair Improvement Association, with a view to discussing the whole position.

,^ n Mio report which he has submitted to tho' Domain Board, Mr Furkert states, intor alia, that, after examining the protective works, and also the beach at intervals, in his opinion the scheme of protective works carried out is on tho right lines though in certain details lie considers it might have been improved upon. As he umfciTstcod their purnosc was to prevent erosion of tho sandhills and tho private property in tho vicinity of St. Clair, it appeared that they had effectively seared tho purpose for whioh they were arreted, as no further, erosion had taken place since thoy wore constructed. As to whether it was desirable to build additional grains, this depended on whether on not it was desired to attempt to drive the sea baik with the object of gaining the ground which was lost prior to' 1901. With a proper'system of groins it would be possible to drive the high water mark Eoaward as fur as neoessarv to rcgiin ground for a street on tho seiward side of the block between Farbury load and Beach street. While making inquires ho found that somo of the local people were in favour of hu/ing a portion o[ this block so that a street :tnd esplanade might be formed abovo the r.resent high water mark, in which case the present groins would not requiro much extension. Others, howevor, wished to o'rfct a sea wa.ll, so tint tlit Peplanade might lie renewed on the lines which it occupied many years ago, Some of the residents considered that if this sea wall were erected the groins would then not be necessary. On'that .point l ho entirely disagreed _ with them, and ho considered that to build a sea wall ori the line of ."Smith's Wall" '(boundary of/ old esplanade). without, first protecting and extending tho beach by means of groins would 1)0 courting disaster, and the wall would bo extremely' expensive to, construct, and would have the effect of denuding tho beach of sand.. If the old esplanade was to bo restored, the groins must bo extended and strengthened, and the high water mark driven sufficiently seaward to enable a comparatively cheap esplanade wall to bo constructed, Or even to allow of an esplanado being constructed without anv sea wall. He considered it was a great pity that, when tfo sand was high these crroins wore not raised and lengthened, thereby securing the advantage wiiicll had been gained. At the_ present time, too, the hii'h tide passed behind two of the groins, which was a very undesirable slate of affairs. The extent t-c which it would, be desirable t" extend tho groins and cause accretion of the beach was limited by the necessity ot preventing filtirf; up of the baths, and by the undesirability of creating a largo extent of sand above high water mark, which, when dry, would blow about, causing ercal annoyance unless it were fixed by ihe planting of sand-binding j-rasses or oilier plants, oa' covered with clay.