I thought and wondered alot over the weekend why people are not honest about their intentions and actions, why there is always dishonesty where money is concerned, and over the potential of loosing face. I also have to include myself here.
I find myself not writing on my blog what I REALLY think about many things, including for example the 'political' aspect of the current sand dune process. For me my dishonesty is not so much about money interests, its about loosing or gaining credibility/face, trying to stay neutral and reach for an understanding of both sides of everything. But in doing this I feel I am resisting a gut urge, the one that wants to cry out and say, 'hey this just isn't right'.
I spent many years as a monk, and one of my novitiate vows was asteya, or 'non stealing' .. which boils down to allowing all expressions to move through me without interpretation or interaction from my mind of right or wrong, good or bad.. if something was to be said.. say it/do it and let be, the is no 'me' to take blame or be punished and nobody to hurt. I can only be harmed by how my mind judges my personality, and interprets my actions against those of others actions and reactions. So now I find myself becoming absorbed and concerned with the dune erosion issue.. my 'soul' wants to act in many ways, but my mind restricts any upwelling to act with thoughts of doing wrong, and offending people. What a poor me egotistical outlook :0) Now I have had my jolt back to reality this weekend, I can expend some energy on enjoying my life and acting without repression. Everyone has a part to play in any drama, each and every one is wholly justified in their actions and intents, filling in a part of the divine play.
Life is bigger than the sandpit.
Clipping below from the ODT friday with a response from Mick Reece about the current situation, and short term action on the beach erosion issue.
Below a wider look at the 'works' so far.
Managed to find a tide low enough to get down on the beach and walk along to get some photos, couldn't make the walk all the way along to where they are laying the rock mattresses, as I would have been late for work, well I was 10 mins late as it was. Hard to get a clear shot as no sun gets in to the dune area, feel sorry for the workers, must be cold, look at the frost on the sand on the pic below! The sand thats being washed away already from this buffer is creating a nice surf bank at St Clair too.
Thanks again to Mark for sending me the scanned clips from the ODT, I appreciate it soo much.
And some 'Letters to the Editor' of the ODT newspaper.. plus an Editorial
Above left, workers concreting the concrete wedge in, with inset pic of the poured concrete under the stairs. Right, the other side of the stairs was filled in with the same wedge last week.
There have been many theories and talk about a suitable method of restoring our dunes to a safe and acceptable state without extensive costs and risks.
1/ More Sand Sausages.
2/ An artificial reef or bank.
3/ Continual re-supply of sand from the Otago Harbour/Tomahawk
4/ Sand trap fences, as Duke Gilles did in the old days
5/ Relocating Mitre10 Mega as an artificial reef
And all agreed the current action, although necessary is not a solution at all, just a bandaid.
I have had contact with an overseas company (Holmberg Technoligies) who have extensive experience and sucess in coastal dune restoration, and thought it offered an alternative to what is currently proposed, all it would need is the suppoort of the powers that be financially to empower the work.
Below is a copy of an email I received back from them:
Hello Nic,
Thank you for contacting Holmberg Technologies Inc.
Your contact details have been forwarded to me as the Rep.
"down under."
I've checked your Blog out and it is great! - you and fellow
Bloggers appear to share our concerns re conservation of the
coastline.
The situation on the coastline in Otago reminds me of the old
Chinese proverb which goes something like: -
"A crisis is merely an opportunity in disguise!"
The crisis on the Otago coastline is an opportunity for our
company to assist you through our knowledge and experience
and, (I suggest) an opportunity for stakeholders to learn
from the past, and open their minds to support a proven
alternative.
>From your perspective at least stakeholders should have
learnt some tough lessons about the limitations of concrete
walls and sand filled tubes and (soon to come!) sand
replensihment as a means to "defend" the land against the
open sea!!!
These methods simply dont work effectively (without adverse
effects on the environment) because the basic underlying
strategy of trying to defend against the sea is
fundamentally flawed.
Holmberg Technologies Inc's strategy is to facilitate
reconstruction of a beach profile to create a natural self
sustaining beach and dune system - i.e. Holmberg's strategy
works with nature rather than the "traditional" engineering
approach of working against nature - like most brilliant
ideas quite simple really!
To do this we use geotextile tubes filled with concrete to
initially (and after storms) trap sand suspended in the
system to rebuild the beach profile.
We use concrete because experience has shown that sand
filled tubes dont stay intact for long, replenished sand
washes away (and eventually money runs out for its
replacement etc.) and the new beach needs the solid
underpinning of concrete to cope with storm conditions.
The tubes we use become buried out of sight very quickly in
open coastal environments and have not been shown to
interfere with the surf zone.
As you will have probably seen from the examples on the our
website Holmberg Technologies Inc has the experience and
technology to manage the type and magnitude of situation
which you are facing in Otago.
What we will need eventually however is the united support
of stakeholders.
If you have questions please do not hesitate to contact me.
I have attached some introductory information which you may
want to post on your Blogg.
Kind regards,
Chris Johnson,
Australasian Representative
For Holmberg Technologies Inc.
_____________________________________
Some more information about Holmberg Technologies
_____________________________________
Holmberg Technologies Inc.
Undercurrent Stabilizer™ System
A Proven Alternative Coastal Erosion Management Solution
Globally, the issue of how to effectively manage coastal erosion is of increasing concern to those who have an interest in the conservation of our precious coastal environment.
Over thirty years ago, Dick Holmberg, a visionary environmentalist, with a unique understanding of the oceans’ behavior gained from his experience as a deep-sea diver, became concerned about coastal erosion and the shortcomings of the methods that were being used to manage the problem. He responded by pioneering the development of an alternative coastal erosion management solution – the Undercurrent Stabilizer™ system.
To-date, Dick Holmberg’s company - Holmberg Technologies, Inc.- has applied Undercurrent Stabilizer™ systems to successfully manage coastal erosion in over 100 projects, responding to a wide range of site characteristics and objectives for clients that have included government, community and private interests.
In contrast to traditional approaches to erosion management, such as rock walls, groynes, artificial reefs and sand replenishment, Holmberg Technologies’ Undercurrent Stabilizer™ systems derive their success from working with nature, rather than against nature, to facilitate the reconstruction of a permanently self-sustaining shoreline environment.
A significant benefit of the Undercurrent Stabilizer™ system is that because it is a permanent self-sustaining solution, installations typically involve a once-only cost for assessment, design and construction. In most cases ongoing maintenance costs normally associated with traditional solutions are eliminated. At around US$2 million per mile Undercurrent Stabilizer™ systems are significantly cost-effective when compared to traditional solutions.
Often described as seabed speed bumps, Undercurrent Stabilizer™ systems are designed to slow sediment (e.g. sand or gravel) laden currents, to halt erosion and induce accretion.
Undercurrent Stabilizer™ systems successfully reduce wave energy and current velocities forcing the precipitation of indigenous sediment onto the shore. This reduction in velocity and hydraulic energy also reduces transport of sediment from the shore. The technology restores and protects the near-shore as well as facilitating the restoration and conservation of dunes and bluffs without interfering with the outer surf zone. The technology remains in place providing solid underpinning which facilitates storm protection.
Provided an initial feasibility study proves to be positive, an Undercurrent Stabilizer™ system is custom designed to address site-specific conditions, characteristics and performance objectives.
The system typically includes a geo-mass template designed to re-contour a deficit near-shore profile (one that loses sand) into a shallow, gently sloping accretion profile (one that gains sand). Each system is an interlocked network of concrete filled geo-textile tubes that extend like long “fingers” perpendicular to the coastline and sometimes incorporates a shore parallel component (especially where bluff or dune undercutting by wave action is possible).
Once installed, the technology follows the slope of the beach and near-shore and disappears completely out of sight, as the beach-face and near-shore accretes.
The effectiveness of Holmberg Technologies’ approach to coastal erosion management has been verified by independent scientific and technical studies and supported by international university research, as well as by thirty years of empirical evidence.
For more information visit: www.erosion.com and www.blufferosion.com
In Australia or New Zealand contact:
Chris Johnson, BBS. Australasian Representative, T/F 00-64(9)-5358066 – Email: andresim@ihug.co.nz
A mix of progress with the emergency sand dune rescue. Where trucks have been working around the clock bringing sand in from a quarry at Blackhead, and also sand dredged up from the Otago Harbour.
below: the first few days 5th July
Below: 7th July progress.
Above: Sand being stockpiled at Forbury Park Raceway, which is conveniently just opposite the entrance to 'Tennis Courts' track that leads to Two Thirds/Middles beach.
Below: Co-ordination of truck movements to and from this entrance.
The 10th July 2007 progress below
Channel 9 News Item - July 9, 2007 - 3:19pm
source link
"This afternoon DCC staff briefed council on the final cost of the emergency measures to save Dunedin's St Clair and Middle beaches from erosion.
Councillor Paul Hudson said the bill was $500,000 but that's only the cost of the current band-aid solution.
He says, no one can guess how much the final solution will be but it's the rate payer who has to pay."
Channel 9 News - July 9, 2007 - 2:19pm
This afternoon DCC staff briefed council on the final cost of the emergency measures to save Dunedin's St Clair and Middle beaches from erosion.
Councillor Paul Hudson said the bill was $500,000 but that's only the cost of the current band-aid solution.
He says, no one can guess how much the final solution will be but it's the rate payer who has to pay.
Front page of the ODT again today, will the the article speak for itsself:
along with a brief of the plans for the emergency restoration work.. hope thisis keeping the expat kiwis up to date on the happenings
Had work for most of the day, managed to get to St Clair to see the progress at about 4 this avo.
Had a chat with a nice DCC guy, who explained to me that one of the very real concerns with the erosion of the sand dunes at Middles, was the danger of the exposure of the old rubbish dump material.. and the potentially toxic spew that would litter the beach and sea. The area under Kettle park and towards Moana Rua Road was the site of an old rubbish dump where everything and anything was dumped there including carcasses. At work today a conversation with a resident in the area in the 1940's explained to me when the very large rubbish dump was being filled in, the rats had nowhere to go but to invade the surrounding houses.
Above: A truck refeulls from a truck at the surf lifesaving ramp
Front page again, again.. " Sand Shift for Beaches" Otago Daily Times 3rd july 2007
I arrived at St Clair about 3.30 today.. to get a coffee at Starfish.. saw the front page of the ODT there.. and jaw scraping ground took my latte over to listen in on the group of officials discussing the procedure for saving our city from inundation from the sea.. Emergency measures to pump sand from the harbour, store on the wharf, and truck out to middles and throw overe the sausages.. for now.. 2 thirds, to St Kilda will be closed to the public during their operation.
What exaccerbated the situation was the actions of some ****/s who attacked the sand sausages with a knife splitting nearly all of them open and spilling their protective contents onto the beach, which mostly washed away.
I took photos.. walked along to Moana rua road via the beach, and ended up making a video out of them.
Within the same week.. the front page of the ODT again. Seriously? with the very real threat of more severe erosion along the same beachfront.. I witness the incomprehensible timing for the unveiling of a major development on the Esplanade. Yes and I know change is inevitable, and nice plans Mr Chittock (although the units look like glorified filing cabinets), but in my many conversations over the last few weeks with members of the public, we feel quite concerned with the questionable integrity and longevity of the new sea wall. I cannot comprehend how the Dunedin City Council can approve a building consent of this magnitude, with underground carparks too, so close to the sea wall and shoreline at this point in time. We have had the wall 'leaking' last week, with a continuous flow of water from between the panels, the erosion of the panels themselves with rocks/logs and wave action. Continual destruction of the steps and ramp.. dune erosion and intense loss of sand along the beaches making the low tide line where the high tide line was 6 months ago.
Look, is this just me with concern? anyone else with an opinion?
Channel 9 News Item - July 2, 2007 - 3:54pm
source link
"Dunedin City Council are racing to beat another bout of bad weather forecast in a fortnight by shoring up the city's eroding coastline.
This afternoon the DCC announced, with severe storms forcast from the 13th to the 17th of this month, they're considering taking sand from the Port of Otago dredge and trucking it to Middle Beach.
The landscape at Middle Beach is prone to erosion and the current weather patterns are only hastening the dune's demise."
My good friend Mark sent me through the scanned images of the front page of the ODT Friday 29th June .. I added in the air shot of Middles from a year or so back for a comparison.
Also here a link to the 3 news item about the coastal erosion at Oamaru where 20 metres of coastline was washed away in 4 weeks
And I took a few photos the other day from up Moana Rua Road where workers were taking out the last fence posts in the dunes that were a metre away from the end of the road, for safety reasons ( before they ended up on the beach). Also a shot of the wood and chain ramps from around middles washed up on St Clair beach beneath the wall.
