OCEAN BEACH DOMAIN BOARD

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22891, 27 May 1936, Page 6

OCEAN BEACH DOMAIN BOARD

*3>. , ANNUAL REPORT The following report on the operations of the Dunqdin Ocean Bench Domain Board for the year ended March 31 will be submitted by the chairman, Mr John Wilson, at the animal meeting to-mor-row afternoon: — RELIEF WORKS. A good deal of useful work waß again accomplished by means of relief labour during the year. The main operations comprised the extension of the scu walking at St. Clair, and the construction of the hockey grounds near Moreau street. ESPLANADE EXTENSION. At the close of the year operations in connection with the Esplanade extension were drawing to a dose, and the completed job was expected to be out of hand early ill the new year. There can be no doubt but thnt the walling constitutes a noted improvement to the sea front at St. Clair, and greatly enhances the amenities of the whole area, From the public point of view the approach to the beach has been rendered much more convenient and comfortable, and the frontage to the access from the corporation playground and surf bathing pavilion have likewise been considerably improved. Tim work was originally authorised by the board on October 20, 1!)32. at n'n estimated cost of £SW), exclusive of all labour and supervision charges, and operations were actually commenced in February, 10-'53, Relief labour was employed almost exclusively on tin* job, and it can be claimed, therefore, tllilt in (his particular case the men were engaged in a useful work which has produced an asset of permanent value tn the community. The work would have been beyond the resources of the board if relief labour bud not beep available. IVv lh" tbue tli" work •« completed the board will have provided out of its own funds approximately ~l2<SO, the whole of which wax expended on materials, tools, cartage and other sundry items required i" tin' construction of the sea wall, plus the formation of the adjoining roadway, the construction of a substantial retaining wall which it was found necessary to erect on the landward side towards the cud of the eastern section, mid tho construction of extcn-,

I sjons to the concrete steps opposite the ! bathing pavilion. The bulk Qf the work j was carried out under the personal supervision c-f tho. board's foreman (Mr L. Wraight), to whom the board js |n> j debted for the successful carrying on and ( completion of the operations, The board j is also indebted to the Otago Harbour ( Board for the loan, without charge, of I its pile-driving plant, and to the City j Council, through the city engineer, for assistance from time to time during the progress of the workST. CLAIR HOCKEY GROUND. Tho constructiop of the St. Clair . Hockey Ground by relief labour was coutiuued during the year. The portion of tho ground already levelled was sown | down in the spring, aud a further area , is being propared for filling. Tho cost of filling material for these works constitutes more or less of a'difficulty, and assistance in this connection from those i who will use the ground would be woli come. ; ST. KILDA-ST. CLAIR PATHWAY. This work, which was also a relief 1 labour operations, was complotod during the year. Through access, which was ' disturbed by the construction of tho ' playing areas at St. Clair, has now 1 therefore been restored. RECREATION GROUNDS. ! Considerable ' maintenance attention was given to the various plny- ; grounds on the Domain. In particular No. 1 ground, at Hancock Park, was re-filled and levelled with 000 yards of . clay and top-dressing soil, and sown down in the spring at a cost to the I board of £IOO. There is now a good I sole of grass on iho ground, and it is in ' j good order for Rugby. The ladies' hockey ! ground and the St. Clair football ground iwere also given necessary attention, and were in good playing order during the year. LAWN TENNIS COURTS. In view of thp close proximity of the j refuse tip to the St. Kilda lawn tenuis [ courts, it was found necessary to carry ; 1 out some work on the eastern end of the tip with a view to improving the general j appearance of the face. A scrub fence 1 was also erected to form a screen. i PLANTATIONS. , The hoard was again able to secure 1 5000 Pinus Muricata from the State i I Forestry Department at nominal cost, i and these were planted out in the east- i ern end of the domain. Existing planta- 1 tiona received attention, and firebreaks

1 wore cut where necessary. The Ngaio Grove at St, KiUla has now 100 well* established young trees, which have every appearance of doing well. I ST, KILDA ENTRANCE. The rockeriea and flower plots at ilw St. Kilda entrance were given necessary attention during the year, and the dls. play of flowers was quite satisfactory considering the conditions. Additional flower beds were formed and planted out in the spring. BEACHES AND SANDHILLS, A considerable amount of maintenance work in connection with the boaohes and sandhills was called for during Hie year. Unfortunately, one of the periodical denudations of sand from the St. Clair boacli occurred, and the beach has remained consistently low, Scrub groynes were erected with the ob. j jeet of checking the erosion, and unless conditions improve it would appear that considerable attention will need to be given to this section of the beach early in the incoming year. The danger with a low bench is tlie simultaneous forma* tion of " cuts" which run across the bench, and, if allowed to reach the ton of the sandhills, threaten the latter with destruction by eroding the sand at the Ihihc. The ai'ea is being watched care. fully and, as far as possible, measures will' be taken to safeguard the dunes against the possibility of damage. It is possible that the question of renewing the groynes may require to be gone into if conditions on the beach do pot improve. GENERAL MAINTENANCE. Maintenance work on the sand dunes generally has increased (luring the year. The fore dune continues to increase in height and therefore become* more liable to " gapping" by the wind. The bare areas thus formed be planted with marram, otherwise they increase in area and the trouble from wind-blown wild recommences. A great deal of this re* planting was done during the current year, nnd its scope is increasing yearly. The regular maintenance work of forming and clearing paths, repairing fences, clearing sand, grass cutting, etc., also received attention by the regular staff.. The low state of the beach necessitated the lengthening of the concrete steps leading down from the Esplanade extern sum, and this Work proved to be of some magnitude. Scrub shelter fences were also erected on the beach at St, Clair for the convenience of the public. It is perhaps not out of place to point

out that the domain is assuming moro each year the eharaoter of * park, and as time goes on the process of transforming the eand dunes into recreation areas and plantations will inevitably involve the board in increased costs for maintenance. During the past few years maintenance coats have risen steadily) due, of course, to the extension oif the playgrounds and other permanent all of which must now receive regular attention if they are to be preserved in good shape. RECOMMENDATIONS, The following recommendations for tho incoming year are submitted;*— (a) Completion of esplanades-asphalt-ing surface, painting fence, and fixing seats. (b) Completion of hookey grounds. (c) Extension of wall on Victoria street to Morcau street and planting the area enclosed. FINANCE. The board commenced the year with funds totalling £O3O 3s Gd, comprising credit hank balance of £382 14s Id, and Post Office Savings Bank deposit £547 0s fid. Receipts totalled £32.")3 Cg 2d, comprising levies £12(57 Ills 10d, interest £l3 5a Id, refunds U.B, No. 5 wages £lO2l 14s 3d, tip charges £2(10, sale of sand £4O 3s, rent £39 JOs, and sundries Expenditure totalled £3702 U 8 10d, comprising materials £573 Iss, wages of regular staff £1353 3s, U.B. No. 5 wages" £1614 3s od, cartage £?1 12s 6d, trees and seeds £35 0s Id, and other sundry items totalling £BO lis 9d. The cash balance to commence the new year is £420 17s 10d, representing orodit bank bfilartce £l6O Ha Od, and balance at the Post Office Savings Bank £BOO 3s 4d.