New work to offset beach erosion

Dunedin City Council parks officer Renee Gordon on Middle beach, at the end of Moana Rua Rd, the...
Dunedin City Council parks officer Renee Gordon on Middle beach, at the end of Moana Rua Rd, the front line of the battle between land and sea. Photo by Peter McIntosh.
After years of battering from the sea, the precariously located sandhill at Middle beach, Dunedin, is suffering from a rear-guard action - a pounding by wind and rain.

The result is more work by the Dunedin City Council at the end of Moana Rua Rd, St Kilda, after wind and rain erosion in the past few months collapsed some of the clay capping on the dune, and exposed the concrete footings of a deer fence at the very end of the road, parks and reserves team leader Martin Thompson said.

In 2007, storms caused major damage at St Clair, St Kilda and Middle beaches.

Among other works, sand was taken from the Otago Harbour and dumped near Middle beach to help shore up the dunes, and "reno mattresses" made of steel-mesh cages filled with rocks were placed at the foot of the dunes.

The council has a $400,000 budget to deal with the problems until a longer-term solution is found.

Work on a long-term management plan to deal with beach erosion has been under way for some time. The council's most recent update, released last month, said data collection and research into the different aspects of the beaches was continuing.

Completing some research, though, was taking "a little more time than the council would ideally prefer".

"The project team's report to the council on the best options for [the area] can only follow the receipt of all relevant information, and that report will now almost certainly be in the second half of 2010."

Mr Thompson said the beach itself was fine. The slope of the dune has changed markedly since the middle of last year, when the sea was battering what was then a steep slope.

Contractors would work on Monday and Tuesday to dismantle the fence at the end of Moana Rua Rd and remove clay capping and a section of asphalt seal.

The asphalt seal below the gate on the southwestern side of the fence had begun to give way, with a gate "completely overhanging".

A lower fence and additional warning signs would be erected about 8m back from the current location. A temporary deer fence and gates installed last year further down Moana Rua Rd would remain.

- david.loughrey@odt.co.nz

 

Add a Comment

 

Advertisement