SEA EROSION QUESTION.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXXXV, Issue 92, 15 April 1903, Page 2

SEA EROSION QUESTION.

URGENT NEED FOB REMEDY. At the Borough Oouncil meeting on Monday evening, Or. Oollis mentioned that the cliff at the bottom of Gover,street was in a very unsafe state, consequent on the action of the.sea in that! locality, He said that the pjraon j which the Railway Department was playing with was worse than ever. Or. Oonnett stated that the Department had applied to the Harbour i Board for permission to take stone from the quarry, to be used on protective work. The letter had not yet come before the Board, bnt.having regard to the previous transaction, when the Department asked fur forty thousand yards of stone, and took a huudnd, he thought it was hardly likely the request would be complied with. Or. Oollis suggested applying to the Board for permif sioa to tab:a tha boulders fiom low water mark, and pile them against the cliff. Or. Lealand urged that something shou'd be done without delay, as while time was being waste i oo regotiations, the cl-ff was being rapidly washed away, and not only was valuable land lost, but a favourite pleasura resort for a large number ot people was vanishing. Only last week a considerable fall of earth took place. The Mayor suggested that the Engineer should report on the matter. Ho considered that the cost of an affec ive remedy would te more likely to run into thousands tl an hundreds. He understood tbe Government realised that the onus rested with them. Tha Town Olerk stated that Mr Mcintosh, Railway Engineer, estimated the cost of a wall at .£4OOO.

Or Bellringer thought: if the groins were raised they would be more effective.

The Engineer said a lot of sand had been collected by the groins. The sea struck with great force in the bight and caused the eroiaon, At the same time the eddies carried out the sind. Beyond the bight there was no difficulty. He considered that only a rock protection would b3 of any use along the area of the bight.

Or Garter moved that the Government be again urged ro cirry out the promised work of continuing the stone wall to protscl the cliff. Or Brooking, in seconding the motion, said it was scandalous that the Government were doing nothing to protect the cliff from sea ravages consequent on their work. The motion was carried.