Hutt City Council

Eastbourne Meeting 15th November 2007

Feedback from attendees after Jim’s presentation:

 

Ø      Marram grass as opposed to natives for Dune Restoration: Marram is taller, builds higher/steeper dunes that extend further inland. They are a mono-culture and hard to grow. Not as salt tolerant. Spinifex is a native, grows quicker and takes the dunes further forward.

Ø      The steep profile of the Marram dune is more subject to erosion – erosion scarp is higher due to the dune being higher. Not as quick to repair.

Ø      Browsing from rabbits/hares – use Pingao grass.

Ø      The Hutt River provides lots of wood. How good is wood as a dune builder? It is good – helpful to start dune recovery. Spinifex grows the dune forward quickly. High tide beach needed to create a sustainable dune.

Ø      In New Plymouth they have used brush fences to trap the sand. This has been quite successful. Use wood to help establish the dune.

Ø      Retaining walls won’t last forever. Does the force of the sea get dissipated elsewhere? Yes. You will have a 20 – 40 year sea wall life depending on the location and type of wall used.

Ø      Days Bay doesn’t have the option of moving the sea wall.

Ø      Beach nourishment – enclosed beach so sand can’t escape. Sand will meander to other beaches. What happens when the sand runs out?

Ø      Create an artificial headland.

Ø      Small trial area in Days Bay of Pingao grass. Maybe extend if successful.

Ø      Can you plant Spinifex/Pingao into shingle? They generally require sand. If you can feel sand blowing in a wind – then generally planting will work.

Ø      Gravel – following the coastline from the river. Don’t know if it’s permanent or a natural cycle? If you have had periods when there has been less gravel and more sand, it is a natural cycle.

Ø      Extract sand at Pencarrow/Fitzroy. Replace with gravel. Lost migration of fish to and from lakes.

Ø      Concrete blocks in front of Mahina Bay – in the sea. Want them removed.

 

 

What are the issues/challenges facing your Beaches?

·        Days Bay – today face of road edge is falling off onto the beach. No vegetation here. Getting worse and worse over the years.

·        Scouring by streams – under footpath area.

·        Too much grooming – not needed at all. Leave the timber, firewood, rubble, seaweed to incorporate into the beach. Save heaps of money!

·        By leaving driftwood on beach (not grooming) there will be more driftwood blocking roads after storms.

·        Not so (comment above) – it only comes on the road in a storm.

·        Preventing the road from being further extended onto the beach.

·        People fossicking (hoovering) for kaimoana. Stop them. (This had several ‘stop them’ added to it).

·        South end – dogs have higher priority than people (signage). Dogs foul the beach.

·        A shared resource and so we should not let people plunder it for self use.

·        Litter could be controlled by beach care groups for each bay. Set them up!

·        Litter – local kids dropping stuff; visitors with beer bottles and cans; debris brought down from Hutt River.

·        Maybe they shouldn’t groom Days bay beach north of the wharf; also Point Howard beach. (several people added agreement to this)

·        Rubbish – plastic bottles washed down the Hutt River.

·        Publicise the effects of people taking gravel/rocks from the beach. (not more notices)

·        Protecting services under the road – Days Bay north.

·        Leave the wood/tree debris on the beach (after floods). Don’t take it away, don’t groom. They are fun to play on!

·        Fires lit by young people who drink and then break their bottles into the fire. Others left to clean up! This needs to be nipped in the bud. All residents to be aware and report nocturnal goings on to Fire Brigade and Police.

·        Weekends are horrible – Days Bay.

·        Rubbish after summer nights – e.g. firework debris, disposed of disposable nappies.

·        DO NOT groom beaches – but do encourage residents etc to remove plastic, cans, bottles etc.

·        Try to integrate the beach with the cliff/hillside rather than thinking of them separately – a natural beach environment will be complemented by a natural hinterland.

·        There has been no value given to a beach for marine species.

·        Duck pond contamination – Days Bay.

·        Please limit beach grooming. Keep large parts with natural logs and seaweed to feed the food chain.

·        Wood supply from Hutt River – how important is it for beach stability and development?

·        We need to understand the relationship with Hutt River management and the Harbour beaches. How much sand does it supply? Should sand extraction stop?

·        In front of HW shelf – young people’s fires need to be stopped. Wrecking dunes, burning wood, breaking bottles – dangerous glass.

·        Consider trial beach nourishment on beaches – possibly with Days Bay, Lowry Bay or Point Howard.

·        Make sure food gatherers leave enough for the future. Don’t hoover up everything e.g. winkles, and baby shellfish.

·        Pollution – more controls required to reduce pollution.

·        Reduce use of beaches by dogs.

·        Get GWRC to install litter traps on stormwater system into Hutt River to reduce plastic litter getting into the harbour and onto beaches.

·        Areas of hard surfaces adjacent to coast e.g. roofs, asphalt, driveways, concrete gardens. REDUCE them in the area.

 

 

What do you value about your Beaches?

 

 

What would you like to see achieved at your beach (Desired outcomes)?

Lowry Bay

 

Robinson Bay – Gravel area

 

Robinson Bay – dune area

 

Days Bay

·        Clean so it can be used for picnics etc. not a place for disposing of used disposable nappies!

·        Do not groom the beaches – you know nothing of its value.

·        Less grooming (several added agreement to this post-it).

·        Dunes can never be re-established in Lowry or York Bays – the road is too far seaward. But in Days Bay, we could restore the dunes by moving the road east, into the park. We could sacrifice grass to create natural dunes.

·        Extend Pingao trial to Days Bay.

·        More litter control, removal. Residents can do it.

·        I object to little fellow playing all day with little front end loader shifting logs around at great expense to ratepayer and destroying all the fascinating stuff to be found!

·        Stop beach grooming.

·        Pedestrian access to the northern end of Days bay beach is very good. It here was a good ramp or steps a good proportion of pedestrians would walk along the beach to the wharf. (several added agreement)

·        No grooming north of the wharf – something for everyone.

·        Discharges from storm water stopped or at least better managed.

·        Erosion controlled – no more loss of dunes and high tide beach.

·        Summer is busy at weekends. Park at Seaview and have a shuttle bus or shuttle ferry to Days Bay. Overcrowding on the roads.

·        I endorse plan to continue Marine Drive repair and dune reclamation BUT bigger picture – let’s move road behind the park!!

·        Build walls with less slope to clear sand erosion – 701-735 Marine Drive.

·        A walkway from Days Bay to Rona Bay – great for residents and visitors.

·        Integrate storm water discharge into over all dune restoration as storm water pipes appear to be a major contributing factor in sand loss.

·        No more wall at Days Bay. Let’s try Spinifex and Pingao for 2-3 years yet.

·        Re-route road not beach. (several others have also ticked this one)

 

 

Eastbourne/Rona Bay

 

Point Howard

 

Mahina Bay

 

Eastbourne timber fence at road edge: keep maintaining; replace when funding available; remove gradually?

 

Marram grass: has its uses; or should we have long term plans to replace it?

 

Burdan’s Gate, South Pencarrow Coast road – problems/suggestions?