Dunes Managed To Prevent Sand Spread

Concentrated management of the sand dunes on the east coast has been carried out by the Christchurch City Council since 1995.

The management is necessary to prevent sand being blown into the adjoining roads and properties.

The Regional Parks Team Leader, Kay Holder, says that she knows some residents are passionate about their area of the beach. “Usually Coast Care notifies residents of reshaping and any other work but in a case at South Brighton recently it failed to give warning of reshaping,” Ms Holder said today.

She said the failure to notify residents was an oversight and Coast Care regretted it.

Each year the worst eroded dunes along the whole beach were reshaped and it was done to prevent “blow outs.” This is where wind erodes the front of the dune, sometimes causing tongues of sand to blow right over into the back dunes or on to roads. Sometimes it happened after people had destroyed vegetation by walking on it, Ms Holder said.

Sand was frequently blown onto roads before the Coast Care programme started.

The remedial work had to be done in winter when the sand was moist and there was less wind, she said.

It was carried out each year to stabilise the dunes along the full length of the coast. The dunes were replanted as well as being reshaped. Ice plant was used initially and then filled up with native species.

Two storms and high-tide events had hit the east coast beaches in recent weeks, Ms Holder said.

Further information: Kay Holder: 025 201 5657 or 371 1797.

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