St Clair site still vacant 10 years on

There are no immediate development plans for the only vacant commercial section in the Esplanade block at St Clair - after almost 10 years of remaining derelict.

31st March 2011 ODT article - St Clair site still vacant 10 years on

St Clair Seawall Fencing Issues

The St Clair Esplanade is undergoing $177,736 of repair work just seven years after its upgrade.

27th April 2011 - Esplanade repair bill tops $170,000 ODT article here

30th April 2011 - DCC acknowledges St Clair railing error ODT article here

Mr de Vries questioned the council's use of mild steel, rather than stainless steel, for the fence. He also raised concerns about rust appearing on recently repaired parts of the fence.

Media comments on Next Generation hearing submissions April 2011

http://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/156972/surf-break-threat-feared

not much mentioned really, and the other article

South Coast Board Riders Association counsel Brett Gray said the association believed the impact of the disposal of soil at sea or at three current disposal sites would have a serious impact on the city's protected surf breaks.

Its main area of concern was the application to dispose of soil at the Aramoana "spit" disposal mound and Heyward Point, which could adversely affect the quality of the wave produced there.

"This wave is recognised nationally and internationally as one of the best beach-breaks in the world. In good conditions, over 100 to 200 people can be surfing at that break."

Surfers had been aware of the adverse changes to the quality of waves directly affected by the disruption to the swell corridor since the port had been disposing of dredge spoil at Aramoana, he said.

The true effects of the additional disposal were unknown and although wave monitoring had been promised, it would not give an accurate picture of the effects.

The association and Surfbreak Protection Society spokeswoman Nicola Reeves said they did not oppose the dredging of the Otago harbour basin but hoped the port company would look at alternative ways to dispose of the spoil and called for independent analysis of the effects on the wave quality, installation of a camera above the existing dump site and robust monitoring of the spoil mound and effect on the Aramoana surf break four times a year."

http://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/156971/grant-port-otago-consents-orc

"The Otago Regional Council has upheld its recommendation that Port Otago's dredging and disposal consents be granted but it has suggested amendments and added conditions to ensure its effects are more tightly controlled,"

there needed to be a good level of certainty for specific activities or monitoring to provide a degree of confidence that potential effects would be adequately monitored. Monitoring of the dredge spoil activities was a crucial aspect of consent for the activity, she said

"It is clear . . . there will be effects as a result of the deposition [of spoil]. What is in contention is the nature and scale of the effects and whether the scientific research will be found to be an accurate representation of the actual effects."

Bathymetric surveys should be taken during and immediately following the major capital dredging and disposal activities at a minimum of every three months and continue annually for three yeas after the capital dredging had ended, she said.

New Video Submission to Port Hearing Panel

Presented to the hearing panel Tuesday at 10.30am .

Click here for the written submission

Dredging Deception

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Surfers Unite to Save Aromoana Surfbreak | Promote your Page too

Below is a letter I wrote to the Otago Daily Times, they probably won't go near it, so posting here will give it some air

Dear Simon and Rebecca,

This is a private email to comment on your recent articles:

Economy v environment issue again

Harbour plans dredge up opposition

My name is Nicola Reeves, I am the South Island rep for Surfbreak Protection Society which is a charitable organisation dedicated to protecting surf breaks around New Zealand from inappropriate development, water quality issues and low impact access for all.

I have been meeting with Port Otago for 3 years in the Next Generation Projects' consultative phase. I submitted to the applications in August 2010. I was scheduled to speak to the submission on Thursday morning, but illness will not allow me to do so, Jayin Hutchings will be speaking on Surfbreaks behalf.

The campaigning of Surfbreak Protection Society (SPS) resulted in protecting 19 nationally significant Surf Breaks around New Zealand under Policy 16 of the New Zealand Coastal Policy Statement (NZCPS) 2010.

'The Spit' surf break at Aramoana is one of these surf breaks now protected, along with two other local breaks in direct line of sediment disturbance from the Next Generation Project - at Murderers and Karitane.

The Spit surf break has been directly affected since dumping began there in 1985, prior to then a world class wave still existed due to swell and wave refraction over the ebb delta at the mouth of the harbour. Detectable improvements in the peel angle of the wave due to the spoil mound has been recorded along with the potential for the destruction of the wave by continued dumping to an already full spoil mound.

Surfbreak Protection Society is very concerned about the actual and potential adverse effects that will or are likely to arise if this consent is granted for the proposed activity. This could result in significant adverse affects on the ‘wave environment’ and ‘amenity value of surfing’. The Council is required under policy 16 and 13 of the NZCPS to protect the Spit surf break.

Your articles indicate via wording and the graphic by Hayden Smith that the revised plan stage one dredged spoil from the capitol dredging 'Next Generation Project" of 500,000m3 per year, then 400,000m3 would be dumped at sea 6.5 K's out at the proposed new dump site 'A0'. This is not entirely correct.
The current inshore sites at Shelley Beach, The Spit and Heywards Point are the first and preferred disposal sites for stage one as stated in the recommendations report (march 2011), with the balance of spoil over 450,000m3 to be disposed at the A0 site. The currently owned dredges are not equipped to travel that far out to sea unless it is calm, as well as the prohibitive cost.

There is potential for 600,000m3 to be dumped at Aramoana over the next 3 years which will adversely affect the surfbreak.
The current statistics for spoil deposited at the Spit site over the last 5 years averages 32,000m3 per year. Reports published in 1998 and 2005 state that the dump site at The Spit is full, with a 43% retention of spoil per annum, and any further dumping would have a direct affect on the wave environment.

Experts in bathymetry and inshore wave science including information from reports commissioned by Port Otago have also indicated that the spoil site at The Spit, Aramoana is full, and further dumping has the potential to adversely affect the surfable breaking wave. A wave of this quality is a rare asset and has a great recreational and social and economic value.

The AEE report (May 2010) supplied with the resource consent applications state that there will be NO effect on the surfable wave at Aramoana and surfing in general.
This conclusion is ONLY based on the modelling for the A0 site 6.5 k's out to sea, NOT the CUMULATIVE effect of dumping at the current inshore sites. Where very obviously there will be a major effect.

PHOTO - The mechanism conducive to forming the surfable wave at The Spit Aramoana is created by a 'wave crest snap' as the swell rounds the ebb delta at the mouth of the harbour, the swell then moves over the dump site.
The spoil mound modifies the swell adjusting the peel angle improving the wave to a point, although energy is dissipated from the wave as it passes over the mound. A total absence of the spoil mound still gives a high class surfable wave with a slower peel rate and angle.

Unfortunately the presence of the ebb delta and offshore bathymetry creating the initial wave crest snap is artificially created by the construction of the fixed harbour mouth and mole built in the early 1900's and continual dredging of the harbour.

When is the BIG ONE?

The only earthquake to cause significant damage in Dunedin occurred on April 9, 1974. I remember it clearly actually, even though I was only 4 years old. I was standing in the living room looking out window, the floor was rolling and I was really scared.

The quake was estimated to be 12km deep and centred 10km south of the city. (see ODT articl)

So a major faultline runs pretty much right underneath our house in Waldronville.

Taieri fault lines need research

Otago Daily Times By Eileen Goodwin on Tue, 7 Sep 2010
Research was ongoing, but it was now speculated Dunedin's 1974 earthquake was caused by the Green Island fault, rather than the Akatore fault, whichhad not been active for 1000 years, and 2000 before then. read more here

Quaking in our boots: How prepared is Dunedin?

Otago Daily Times By ohno and Kim Dungey on Sat, 18 Sep 2010

If earthquakes were as regular as clockwork, then a "big one" of magnitude 8 affecting Otago is 43 years overdue. "There is a 50% chance over the next 50 years that there will be a magnitude 8 earthquake on the alpine fault. read more here
Some facts that we should all be aware of. (source)

• The New Zealand Alpine Fault is one of the world’s most prominent and active fault lines
• The East Coast of the South Island is part of one of the earth’s tectonic plates
• The West Coast of the South Island is part of another plate
• The Southern Alps have grown 20,000 metres over the last 25 million years, but have eroded most of this growth away
• Much of the erosion of the high country ends up on the beaches of our coasts
• The Alpine Fault is due to move in a major way
• All of the above will impact upon us, or our children, and how will we continue to live in the “shaky isles”.

"The New Zealand Alpine fault which stretches 650km from Fiordland to North Westland, is known to have been the host of five events of about Force 8 magnitude where the effects have either been observed or can be measured geologically. The dates that can be provided for past events are circa 1350, 1475, 1615, 1725 and 1826. Using these dates, published in the recent “Hostile Shores” by Dr Bruce McFadgen, the interval between major movements coming forward in time, has been 125 years, 140 years, 110 years, and 101 years. The average gap between major movements over these 660 years has been 119 years. Using this average, another major Alpine Fault movement could have been anticipated in 1945. In other words, we are overdue by some 65 years, although if the longest gap of 140 years is used, we are overdue by only 44 years."

It is generally agreed between geologists from all round New Zealand that a Force 8 event would result in an 8 metre horizontal displacement and a 4 metre vertical displacement along the fault.

So with all this earthquake talk, I came across an interesting video on youtube on the "Expanding Earth" theory. Kind of blows the whole tectonic plate theory out the window.

Dunedin Shark Nets, Stay or Go?

Pic: University of Otago forensic dentist Prof Jules Kieser with Barry Watkins' surfboard and a set of shark jams capable of making such an attack. Watkins was attacked by a shark in 1971


Report on shark nets
Otago Daily Times By Chris Morris on Fri, 11 Feb 2011
Shark nets protecting Dunedin's beaches remain in the sights of at least one Dunedin city councillor. Cr Richard Thomson has called for a staff report on the appropriateness of the nets, including their costs, any possible environmental effect and new scientific knowledge relating to the use of nets.

The report was requested at the end of Wednesday's community development committee meeting. Cr Thomson's move follows an unsuccessful attempt last month by several councillors to have funding for the shark nets removed from the council's draft budget for 2011-12.

read more

Shark nets: are they worth it?
Otago Daily Times By Nigel Benson on Sat, 1 Jan 2011
What would we think if the Dunedin City Council paid $36,000 a year to protect us from lightning bolts? We'd think the council was mad, surely?

Yet, the DCC is the only local authority in New Zealand to maintain shark nets.Never mind that there has not been a shark attack in Dunedin waters for nearly 40 years.

And never mind that marine experts, environmentalists and even council staff who oversee the programme say it is nonsensical.

read more

Shakes @ the Waterloo - 26th March

Digging in

Had to get to the beach today, couldn't stand another day inside, no matter what. Surf shots below.
So with this post I also took the opportunity to do a bit of a Blackhead quarrying update, I've been taking progress photos for months. The main sequence above is 15months of quarrying and lowering on the south side of the quarry which is the face that is seen from Blackhead Road and the carparks. Heaps of activity and changes, the one big thing is the disappearance of what I call 'the slip' which was clay slide shaped like an arch.

Diploma of Digital Film

One of the assignments for the Diploma of Digital Film at the Southern Institute of Technology. I had to plan, film and edit together a chase scene. Filmed using a Canon 7D and Rode Videomic. Music by Head Like a Hole - Hot Sexy Lusty

Last year I took a few papers studying towards a Diploma of Digital Film with The Southern Institute of Technology. I ended up dropping the screenwriting paper as it was a bit too much of a workload with also working, and struggling with being sick too. It was a real tough squeeze to get the 101 paper finished, but I got there, and managed to get top of my class with an A pass. This year I am taking two more papers, and started last week. The video above is one of my last assignments - Starring Andy Sutherland and Chris Lamb.

Seaweek Beach Cleanup - Brighton

5 adults and three children, including me and Jay turned up to deposit their collected rubbish from Beach cleanup points along the south coast around Brighton this morning.
A lady who walked the beach from Waldronville to Ocean view with her dog collected a supermarket bag of rubbish. Me and Jay collected rubbish around the surf lifesaving club and back bank, and along the Otokai Estuary and top domain.

Above: Scott and Caleb collected three very large sacks of rubbish from around the Waldronville area and gun club. And pic below: Sean and his daughters' Edith and Faye collected a large bag from the dunes and beach at Brighton.

I believe a few of the boys from Big Rock collected rubbish along the roadside from Brighton to Kuri Bush this afternoon.

The final weight of rubbish collected from Brighton was 170 kg.

Seaweek Coastal Cleanup 2011

BRIGHTON BEACH CLEANUP

Sunday March 6th 10am - All welcome to come along and help out.
A group from Big Rock Boardriders will work their way along the coast towards Taieri Mouth to pick up rubbish in the car lay-bys where the freedom campers frequent.
Please meet at 10am by the Skip

A DCC contractor will deliver two really big wheelie bins to the Brighton Beach carpark at about 9am on Sunday March 6. Collected rubbish can go in the bins, or if there is a lot, it can be stacked within a 2 meter radius of the bins. This will all be taken away by the contractor at or after 1pm the same day. While we still have a central collection point at Hancock Park, St Kilda, rubbish will be going straight into a skip without sorting and weighing as the dirty rubbish cannot be recycled.

Quake Blessings

Jayin and I have a large furnished spare bedroom available if you are displaced by the quake and want to leave the city.
We are in Dunedin, well away from aftershocks.
Please call or text 0274627494 if you are interested or pass on to someone who may need accommodation help.

Sending blessings and energy of support to those affected by the earthquake in Christchurch.
We know of a few friends who have lost their homes, many we have not heard from.

Sumner from the air

Sumner etc, Christchurch, taken 29th september 2009, forgot to upload

360degree sunset

Last night, for a short time there was a glowing sunset. This series' of 8 images was taken at my front gate, the roof in the middle is our house. An photo taken earlier in the evening of one of the ponds at the golf course over the road.