Proposed Management Options for Ocean Beach

Proposed Management Options for Ocean Beach

Closes: 25/11/2011

In 2008, the Council appointed a Project Team to gather data and consider management options for Ocean Beach. This followed significant erosion on the beach in June/July 2007, the DCC’s replenishment of sand on the beach and other remedial works as part of a now established ‘holding pattern’, and a comprehensive consultation process. Since then the Project Team has gathered and analysed that data and completed a risk assessment process. It has now identified proposed management options for Ocean Beach, taking into account the existing processes and risks.

A report from Tonkin & Taylor dated October 2011 entitled: ‘Ocean Beach, Coastal Issues and Options’, sets out preferred options for managing the area using an adaptive management approach. The report is available for inspection at the DCC’s Customer Services Centre and Libraries from Tuesday 25 October during their ordinary opening hours. A summary of intent and submission forms are also available. The information, plus background material on erosion at Ocean Beach, can be found at www.dunedin.govt.nz/consultation.

Submissions must be received by 5.00 pm on Friday 25 November. Hearing dates have been scheduled for Tuesday 31 January to Thursday 2 February 2012. Please state in your submission whether or not you wish to be heard.

Consultation documents

• Public Notice (PDF, 21.5 KB, new window)This document is a pdf copy of the Public Notice for Proposed Management Option for Ocean Beach consultation.
• Tonkin and Taylor Report (PDF, 3.8 MB, new window)This report summarises the existing and potential future situation. It also describes a range of potential generic options to address the shoreline erosion.
• Statement of Intent (PDF, 1.7 MB, new window)The Statement of Intent outlines management options for Ocean Beach and summarises the Tonkin and Taylor report.
• Impact of Scenarios on Ocean Beach Domain (PDF, 463.6 KB, new window)this map shows the impact of Scenarios on Ocean Beach Domain.
• Managed retreat sandy backdune (PDF, 1.2 MB, new window)This illustration shows the managed retreat with sandy backdune.
• Reshaped dune marram foredune (PDF, 1.2 MB, new window)This illustration shows the reshaped dune with marram foredune.
• Slideshow Stakeholders Meeting (PDF, 4.6 MB, new window)This is a pdf of the slideshow presentation to the stakeholders meeting.
• Submission Form (PDF, 23.3 KB, new window)This document can be used to make a submission regarding the Proposed Management Options for Ocean Beach.

Consultation details

Closing date	25/11/2011
Contact person	Business Development Team Leader
Public feedback	Online submission form (new window) Email to - oceanbeach.comment@dcc.govt.nz Post to - Proposed Management Options for Ocean Beach, Community and Recreation Services, Dunedin City Council, PO Box 5045 Moray Place, Dunedin 9058, Attention: Lisa Labuchagne Hand deliver to - Proposed Management Options for Ocean Beach, Customer Service Centre, Ground Floor Civic Centre, 50 The Octagon - Attention Lisa Labuchagne
Public meetings	The public meeting is to be held on Monday 7 November 2011 at 7.00 pm. The venue is the Port Otago Room, first floor, Edgar Centre, corner Portsmouth Drive and Teviot Street. All interested members of the public are cordially invited to attend. A summary of the options and submission forms will also be available at the meeting .

The first ever International Symposium on the Protection of Waves

The international conference on Wave Protection takes place in two of the most beautiful destinations on the planet: Biarritz, France and San Sebastian-Donostia.

This will be a meeting of the minds to discuss how to protect surfing coastlines worldwide from the effects of climate changeand the impacts of increasing populations flocking to the coast.

What Is The Value Of Waves?

Various initiatives for the preservation of the waves are conducted internationally. Therefore NGOs Surfers Against Sewage, Surfrider Foundation, Save the Waves Coalition, Salvem O Surf, with scientific support of Dr Tony Butt, organize a major international conference on the recognition of the value of the waves and their protection in the world.

While the coasts are attracting more and more people and territories seek to protect against the effects of climatic disorder, conservation of surfing waves is becoming a major issue on many coastlines.

The genesis of the waves comes from the alignment of multiple environmental factors, themselves relatively uncertain. This feature is responsible for vulnerability to any change in the environment that characterizes the waves.

This is why many surf spots have now been altered. Some even disappeared. There are several types of threats that can cause the disappearance of a wave.

Against this backdrop, the challenge for the surfing community is to highlight the fact that the presence of a wave exceeds the notion of pleasure it can bring to surfers. The objective is to characterize what are the economic, social and environmental values of a surf zone to a coastal area.

1. How Do You Define The Value of a Wave, and by Extension, of Nature?
2. What Are the Threats Facing the Waves?
3. Which Strategies Can Be Put into Place to Protect them?

These three questions will be at the centre of the conferences that take place on the two days.

To answer them, Surfers Against Sewage from the United Kingdom, Save the Waves Coalition based in Northern California, WiLDCOAST from Mexico,

Surfbreak Protection Society coming from New Zealand,

National Surfing Reserves from Australia, Portugal'sSalvem O Surf (…) and of course branches of the international Surfrider network (Australia, Argentina, Europe, Japan, Morocco, United States…) will all come together.

Representatives of the political and scientific worlds, joined by engineers specializing in coastal development, will discuss the issues surrounding waves within their respective areas of expertise.

Through a series of lectures and roundtable discussions, during which various experts will attempt to answer these questions, this event is the first major opportunity to offer the public an international panorama of reflections made in this area. This event will be considered as a success if:

We manage to use this exchange as a platform to discuss our larger goals as a global community of activists dedicated to wave protection. As such, we would like to introduce the idea of a global network of wave protection.

We are able to demonstrate a shared vision and how to continue the collaboration of all stakeholders in the future.

Potentially develop a joint conference statement on wave protection to set the stage for work plan for a future wave conference. Other ideas or initiatives can emerge, for instance to have the waves and surfing recognized as a worldwide natural heritage for mankind.

Swell restaurant sold in $1m deal

Home » News » Business

By Simon Hartley on Tue, 18 Oct 2011

News: Business

Swell Cafe and Bar at St Clair has been sold as part of the receivership process of three companies of local developer Stephen Chittock. Photo: Linda Robertson.

Swell Cafe and Bar in the Esplanade block at St Clair - constructed by local developer Stephen Chittock whose three companies are in receivership - has been sold in a deal worth more than $1 million.

The purchaser is understood to be Thai restaurant chain operator Murray Macarthy, but he did not return calls yesterday.

A decade ago, Mr Macarthy bought and demolished the nearby St Clair dairy, sandwiched between the Metropole and Hydro buildings within the Esplanade block, but the section has since lain bare.

When spoken to in March, Mr Macarthy was operating 12 Thai restaurants and had no plans to sell the vacant St Clair section.

After being bought out in March of his share of the construction of the new St Clair Beach Resort boutique hotel in the Esplanade block, Mr Chittock next put his remaining property assets in the block up for sale in June.

In early August, Mr Chittock placed his companies in voluntary administration, as part of an attempt to attract new equity investors, but nothing transpired.

However, amid reports his liabilities stood at $5 million against assets of $5 million, Mr Chittock's refinancing options began to unravel.

South Canterbury Finance's receivers were identified as the largest creditor, owed $1.5 million, and the receivers exercised their right to place his companies - White Island Investments, White Island Properties and St Clair Village Hotels - in receivership. The voluntary administrators withdrew from proceedings last week.

Mr Chittock's properties for sale have a combined value of $4.4 million and cover a total 2739sq m footprint, made up of the seven-unit Esplanade Motels and Apartments complex, Swell restaurant and three private residences. One of the houses sold for about $400,000 recently.

Mr Chittock had previously driven an Esplanade rezoning change to allow small scale commercial outlets. He was understood to have paid about $1.3 million for the Swell house, which cost a further $400,000 to redevelop into the restaurant.

Insolvency Management Ltd of Dunedin is overseeing receivership of the three companies.

When contacted yesterday, about where the proceeds of the more than $1 million Swell sale and $400,000 house would go, Iain Nellies said the money would be distributed to secured creditors, such as the mortgage holder and secured business creditors. The receivers' first report is not due to be released until next month.

Colliers International has been marketing Mr Chittock's Esplanade property assets.

Contacted yesterday, Stephen Cairns, of Colliers in Dunedin, said there were separate offers on the residential house beside Swell and also another in Bedford St, while the real estate company was "in talks with several parties" over a possible sale of the motel block.

From the early 2000s, companies of Mr Chittock's purchased or held interests in up to nine of 16 properties (five commercial and 11 residential) within the Esplanade block.

After redeveloping the 12-apartment Majestic Mansions block in Bedford St, he sold the complex in March 2009 for an undisclosed sum.

simon.hartley@odt.co.nz

Aramoana Paddle Out - October 16th at 12 noon

16th October at 12 noon 85 surfers paddled out at The Spit beach Aramoana to form a circle of celebration for the Aramoana/Spit wave.

The event was held at the mole end of the beach away from the actual surf break for safety reasons. The actual surfbreak is in the background under the cliffs.

The planners in front of the Aramoana Wave mural before the paddle out.

The circle of celebration for the Wave

Sponsors of the event, Surfbreak Protection Society and AirBanners.com

Tony Denley co-organiser with an incoming container ship at the end of the Mole

In the water

Ted Whitaker c0-orgainser of the paddle out

Nic Reeves co-organiser with her painted mural of the Aramoana Wave

Participants after the paddle out.
A video is being produced, published this week sometime.

Check out mondays ODT for an article and photo.

Thanks to everyone who came out for the event and participated.

Aramoana Paddle Out - October 16th at 12 noon

This 'Surfer Paddle Out' on the 16th of October 2011 at Dunedins' Aramoana, Whareakeake and Karitane surf breaks. This is also a national event, organised by Surfbreak Protection Society. where there will also be simultaneous paddle outs being held that day at many of the other 26 protected surf breaks the length and breadth of New Zealand, as well as popular surf breaks in city areas.

This Paddle Out event demonstrates the national groundswell of concerned surf break users, and our desires to have these natural coastal features protected from developments and activities that continue to threaten their existence, despite legal protection policies. Once they are destroyed they are gone forever, and in this era of declining natural resources and threats to our pristine landscapes and seascapes, these surf breaks face equivalent pressures for their futures.

Surf breaks are rare and delicate coastal features which are often close to coastal developments that threaten their very existence. Just last year 26 surf breaks of national significance were protected by law under Policy 16 of the New Zealand Coastal Policy Statement 2010. Of these protected, only 5 are in the South Island, three of which are within Dunedin City boundaries, being Karitane, Whareakeake and Aramoana.

Aramoana, also known as 'The Spit' is a world class beach break of exceptional quality due to its clean offset peaks and barreling pits held in a variety of swell sizes and directions. It is also one of the only offshore breaks in the prevailing southerly winds around Dunedin.

Dumping of spoil in the swell corridor of the Aramoana/Spit surf break from harbour dredging by Port of Otago has been affecting the delicate bathymetric conditions that contribute to the high class surfbale wave since 1985. Surfers and bodyboarders have noted a gradual deterioration of wave quality over the years, especially of late, and fear that continued dumping of dredged spoil may cause irreversible adverse effects on the wave quality.

A recent resource consent application by Port of Otago has been lodged to continue dumping spoil at the Aramoana/Spit, Heywards Point and Shelley beach dumpsites, with the intention of much greater volumes than have been placed there in the last 10 years.
It is felt that not enough accurate science has been presented by the Port in the applications for consent renewal, and we are asking that independent specialist 'surf science' monitoring be conducted immediately prior to any further dumping.

Please show your support by participating in the paddle out on your surfboard, bodyboard, paddle surfer etc.

There will be a charter bus leaving the Esplanade at St Clair picking up in the Octagon, and then the University bound for Aramoana in time for the paddle out, cost will be $5 per head.

You can also donate to the cause via www.surfbreak.org.nz 'join us'.

An Aramoana Appreciation Beach Festival & Concert is being organised for late November, so please keep an eye out for this unique and positive event.

Public to have say on erosion plans

Home » News » Dunedin

By Chris Morris on Thu, 8 Sep 2011

News: Dunedin | DCC

The public will be asked to have their say as the Dunedin City Council considers plans to combat erosion at Middle Beach that could lead to a "managed retreat" from the area.

Councillors at yesterday's council community development committee agreed to consult the public on a draft Ocean Beach management plan prepared by consultant Tonkin and Taylor.

The draft plan covered an area stretching 4km from St Clair to Lawyers Head and includes Middle Beach, where serious erosion occurred following severe storms in 2007.

The report recommended continuing the council's holding pattern of monitoring and sand replenishment work - put in place following the 2007 storms - in the meantime.

However, the report also canvassed 13 longer-term options and recommended a managed retreat from Middle Beach and Kettle Park, or construction of an inland buried backstop wall to protect the area, over the next 10 to 50 years.

Initial estimates showed the work could cost between $8 million and $19 million, including a clean-up of the old landfill underneath Kettle Park at risk of being further exposed by continued erosion.

Council community and recreation services manager Mick Reece said he hoped consultation could be completed by the end of this year, with recommendations that followed considered as part of next year's long-term plan hearings.

Detailed information gathered by the council's Ocean Beach project team would also be made public through the council's website to aid the consultation process, he said.

chris.morris@odt.co.nz

Last Post

Over and Out

This blog is on hold for winter, I will be back on board in the spring.

I am still running the 'Save Aramoana' campaign this year. (Please join the facebook group for updates).

So please subscribe to my posts by RSS posts feed (top of blog on left), so when I do get back on board, fingers crossed, you will be notified of any new posts. But for now I have to let the blog idle.

namaste Nic Reeves

Surf Breaks Workshop - Auckland

A workshop has been organised to discuss the inclusion of surf breaks into legislative planning frameworks.

Surf Breaks Workshop (side event)

When: Tuesday 31 May, 7.30pm - 9.30pm
Where: The University of Auckland, The Design Theatre, Conference Centre, Building 423, 22 Symonds Street

Seventeen regional surf breaks were recently declared as nationally significant under Policy 16 of the New Zealand Coastal Policy Statement (NZCPS) 2010.

A workshop has been organised to discuss the inclusion of surf breaks into legislative planning frameworks. Topics to be covered include:

(a) What are surf breaks?

(b) What impact might Policy 16 have on planning and resource consent decisions?

(c) How might surf breaks be provided for through marine spatial planning and planning documents?

The group of experts who appeared before the NZCPS Board of Inquiry Hearing on Policy 16 will guide a round table workshop on these topics. These experts will include Hamish Rennie (Senior Lecturer Environmental Management and Planning, Lincoln University), Robert Makgill (Director, North South Environmental Law), Matt Skellern (Planner, University of Auckland- Surfbreak Protection Society) and Dr Shaw Mead (Technical Director, ASR Ltd).

This promises to be an interesting and informative forum. Entry is free and all are welcome

Please contact James Frazerhurst at ASR Ltd for more information j.frazerhurst@asrltd.co.nz

This is where the “The University of Auckland, The Design Theatre, Conference Centre, Building 423, 22 Symonds Street” is …

http://maps.google.co.nz/maps?ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Raglan,+Waikato&ll=-36.853645,174.769065&spn=0.00152,0.003433&t=h&z=19

Raw Session from Saturday

Session on Saturday, first time in about 3 weeks that I managed to get down to the beach to take photos. A few comments on my blog, and emails about the lack of content on my blog. I'm not going to apologise for being absent, I just hope that soon I can get fixed so I can get back to my life I once knew. Two top are Andy Sutherland having a good day and Jayin on his new single fin. Below are screen shots of the whole session with Andy, Jimi, Matt & Lamby

Dune contamination tests done

http://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/141606/dune-contamination-tests-done

Developer sells share in hotel

http://www.odt.co.nz/news/business/154066/developer-sells-share-hotel

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