HARBOURSIDE SLIPS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23202, 28 May 1937, Page 10

HARBOURSIDE SLIPS

DISPOSAL OF MATERIAL ENGINEER'S SUGGESTION

The suggestion that where slips on harbourside roads necessitate the clearing away of material an endeavour should be made to tip as little as possible into the harbour was made by the Otago Harbour Board's engineer (Mr J. M'G. Wilkie) in a report submitted to the meeting of the board last night. , . , The report, which was adopted, stated that during the recent wet weather two large slips and some 18 small ones occurred on the road between Dunedin and Portobello. On inspection, it was found that the material resulting from one slip was being thrown into the harbour in order to give passage for traffic as quickly as possible. Material from three other slips was being carted and deposited on the shore side of the road. "The engineer of the Public Works Department assured me that no more spoil would be thrown over the sea wall than was absolutely necessary to clear the road for traffic, and, from what I observed myself, I consider that the Public Works Department is acting up to the spirit of this assurance. " Below Portobello, on the road under the jurisdiction of the Peninsula County Council, traffic was completely blocked by a large slip, much of the material having been pushed across the road into the harbour. Some 20 men were engaged clearing the road, the whole of the spoil being shovelled into the harbour. While the prohibition of any spoil resulting from slips being thrown into the harbour might be an unnecessarily harsh imposition, it is suggested that only the removal of that portion of the slip required to allow traffic to pass should be permitted to go into the harbour. The remainder should be carted and deposited in a locality beyond the reach of the tide. Otherwise the face of the material thrown into the harbour should be later protected with stone pitching to prevent attrition by wave action."