Save Ocean Beach

The natural and physical resources of Ocean beach and its adjacent City Dunedin are under threat and you can help!

The high beach profile (the level of sand) on Ocean Beach for the first half of the year has proved invaluable in recent weeks. While there was some sand loss in the early part of winter, a good deal of the very healthy reserves of sand remained until recently. Much of it was stripped away by the strong winds and high tides experienced during July. With the removal of that sand buffer, a section of the rubble wall has been uncovered and there has also been damage to the Reno mattresses that provided protection to the toe of the dune at Middle Beach. The Reno mattresses are being repaired, the rubble wall reinstated, and sand levels at Middle Beach are being topped up on an 'as required' basis.

That maintenance regime will be continued while the information gathering process draws to a close. A Project Team has been appointed to study the information that is being collated for the Long Term Management Plan, and the program for completing the studies and preparing the Plan remains on track.

Encroachment by heavy seas checked
ODT By Allison Rudd on Mon, 27 Jul 2009

It was estimates $50,000-$60,000 had been spent at Middle beach in the past few days trying to protect rock mattresses laid at the base of the dunes, which had been exposed by last week's heavy seas, and trucking in sand dredged from Otago Harbour and tipping it down the face of the dunes.He estimated the width of the dunes had decreased by 2m-3m in the past two years.The end of Moana Rua Rd fell away last Thursday, and the face of the dunes was now close to a large fence erected in 2007 to stop people from using a dune-top track which has also since succumbed to the sea.

It was difficult to believe the Moana Rua surf club building had once sat between the end of the road and the beach, he said.

"When we demolished that [in 2001] there was a lot of criticism. People said it would have made a good restaurant. But the area it was sitting on does not exist any more."





full ODT article online here By David Loughrey on Sat, 25 Jul 2009
An ODT online poll was also run

From a POLL at the Otago Daily Times Sat, 25 Jul 2009
Below are two comments related to the POLL


Sand Erosion - Submitted by jade on Sat, 25/07/2009 - 9:05pm.

I have lived in Tomahawk for 35 years from 1960 to 1995 and lived right across the road from the sandhills. During that time I have seen the line of dunes going down to such an extend that I circulated a petition expressing concern at the excessive sandmining that occurred. (I believe it is still going strong). The Ocean Grove Domain Board members rubbed their hands in glee at the goldmine at their doorstep and took no notice of the petition that was signed by 95% of the residents. When we amalgamated with Dunedin I wrote to the Dunedin City Council expressing my concern at the continuing sandmining and the erosion of the dunes. I received an answer from a Mr Archer who wrote that the Dunedin City Council shared my concern and that something would be done as soon it came under the Council's jurisdiction. In 1995 I left Tomahawk, disappointed with the lack of action as the Dunedin City Council despite their promises, did absolutely nothing. I believe that the erosion at Tomahawk beach is not only caused by nature, it also did have a mighty helping hand by the continuing sandmining over so many years


Beach Erosion - Submitted by MikeStk on Mon, 27/07/2009 - 11:19am.

It really doesn't matter whether it's caused by global warming or not - the fact is that peak high tides are eating away the only protection South Dunedin has between it and the Pacific. And all the we really have there is a pile of sand.

It's not like peak high tides like this are not predictable (hint: all the fuss about solar eclipses is a little related, tide tables are readily available). Let's face it if the sand loss continues for much longer we're going to have to build something like a concrete dike from St Clair to Lawyers Head.

As I've mentioned in this forum before I think this is potentially the most pressing problem the council has before it - it's quite scary to read that they've not budgeted anything for the issue - instead we're blowing our piggy bank on vanity projects like the stadium - any sensible local body should have reserves for just this sort of occurrence or should have anticipated the problem and have planned ahead.

Channel 9 news - July 24, 2009 - 7:41pm

Council Contractors have been working to minimise the effect of erosion on Middle Beach which has occurred because of high tides over the past few days.

Local sports fields at Hancock park are in danger of becoming part of the coastline after the exceptionally high tides and winter swells have undermined sand dunes.

On Wednesday, this pile of rubble was sitting at the base of the dunes, but that pile has been brought forward to create a shock absorber to the force of the waves.

These developments are seen as a temporary measure, as the Council is currently gathering data in order to come up with a long term solution to erosion in the area from St. Clair to St. Kilda beaches.

UPDATE 25th July 2009 article from ODT
"It's as serious as it's been since the emergency [in 2007]."
Contractors next week would build a new mattress and place it behind and beneath the existing ones.


Above: today looking down towards St Clair, below, compare to a series of images over the last 2 years from a similar spot. Although the beach profile is lowered, there does not seem to be such an effect on the St Clair end, with most of the erosion around Moana Rua Road. Also a bit further along where the Tahuna outfall pipe was, has been gouged out more than the rest of the beach .


Above left: pulled back view , right: closer view of the digger work at Moana Rua, where in the last two days they have delivered truckloads of sand over the edge of the road, and replenished sand over the rock mattresses and boulders recently exposed at the base, as seen below:
Two days ago

Above photo taken on Wednesday from the base of Moana Rua Road at Middle Beach, note the scattered boulders on the sand at the base. Also the exposed rock mattresses. Significant lowering of beach profile.
Below left: the digger arrives, and first thing it tasks to is to dig up the scattered boulders on the sand(as seen in pic above)and place them on top of the rock mattresses. They are now all gone. Now, I understand that removing these actually cause more erosion. I was told that this was done at St Clair when they were building the new sea wall. Rocks were removed from the shoreline which caused significant lowering of the beach profile. They are actually needed to retain sand. Any thoughts on this?

Above right: damaged and exposed rock mattresses.
Article "Tides flood roads, erode dunes" at ODT.
Below, today St Clair, a good fill of sand at the base of the sea wall.
Motel progressing well, I think its looking pretty good!


Channel 9 News - July 21, 2009 - 7:16pm

Work is currently underway on Middle beach between St Kilda and St Clair, as erosion is threatening to undermine the sand dunes keeping the sea at bay from South Dunedin.

The issue has been a significant one for the city over the last few years, and is adding pressure to the Dunedin City Council to come up with a long term strategic plan to combat it.

Otago Daily Times
By Chris Morris on Wed, 15 Jul 2009
Eleven of Dunedin's coastal reserves look set to be given new protected status, at the expense of some recreational rights, in an effort to protect vulnerable sand dune systems.

The move would see coastal reserves next to beaches at Long Beach, Ocean View, Warrington and Karitane, and seven other locations, reclassified.Under the Reserves Act 1977, local authorities were required to classify the primary use of the reserves they owned.However, councillors at yesterday's community development committee meeting voted to approve the reclassification of 11 coastal reserves around the city from recreational areas to "local purpose (coastal protection)" zones.

Subject to final approval at the next full council meeting in August, the changes would become part of the council's draft Coastal Dune Reserves Management Plan, due to be released for public consultation in October.The new plan laid out the future rules governing work to protect dunes at Dunedin beaches.


To be protected

• Kuri Beach (two areas on coastal side of Taieri Mouth Rd)
• Brighton (coastal side of Brighton Rd)
• Ocean View (coastal side of Brighton Rd)
• Island Park
• Ocean Grove (coastal side of Tomahawk)
• Te Rauone
• Long Beach
• Warrington
• Karitane
• Waikouaiti (in the vicinity of Matanaka Dr)


The usual winter weather has caused a significant reduction in the beach profile (sand levels) on the Ocean Beach.

There is no cause for concern, but the area is now being monitored more frequently. The Council's applications for retrospective consent for emergency works on the beach (carried out in 2007 and 2008) have now been heard by the Otago Regional Council, and their decision is expected shortly. Much of the background data and studies needed for the Long Term Management Plan have been collated, and a Project Team been appointed to review this.

Further information is still coming to hand, and the Project Team's review should be completed before the end of the year. The draft Management Plan will then be submitted to the Council and released to the public for consultation.

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