Printmaking session a way to gather creative input

ASKING people to tap into their creativity may help to produce a vision for the complex task of managing Dunedin’s St ClairSt Kilda coastline.

The Dunedin City Council will run a printmaking activity for members of the public to explore their aspirations for the area.

It will, of course, take a lot more than that to deal with intractable problems associated with seeking to manage a dynamic environment.

Council coastal specialist Tom

SimonsSmith said the printmaking session was one of many ways the council was getting input from the community.

Others included meetings with business owners, school visits, letter drops, workshops and receiving hundreds of responses online.

The printmaking session on November 15 is part of the second round of what the council is calling community conversations about the St ClairSt Kilda Coastal Plan.

The way the council describes it, Dunedin does not have a coherent longterm plan or vision for the St Clair to St Kilda coast.

Sand dunes squeezed between the sea and development have steepened and become more prone to erosion from storms.

The seawall at St Clair Beach gets a battering and geotechnical bags, or sand sausages, placed beside the sea wall are considered a shortterm management technique.

Challenges are expected to be heightened by climate change.

The historical landfill located under Kettle and Marlow Parks is also at risk of being exposed by erosion of the sand dunes.

Mr SimonsSmith said attendance at different consultation events for the coastal plan had varied from dozens of people to a handful.

A community workshop is to be held at St Clair School today from 2pm.

‘‘We think it is important to hold a variety of events at different venues, days and times, to give as many people as possible the opportunity to come along to something that suits them,’’ Mr SimonsSmith said.

‘‘Overall, it has been a great response from the community.’’

Next weekend’s printmaking session was a chance for visual thinkers to communicate their feedback, he said.

People who attended the printmaking session could experiment with etched plates, inks and printing presses to create visual representations of what was important to them, he said.

The November 15 event is on at the Tainui School hall, from 10am to 4pm and will be hosted in conjunction with the Sandpit Collective.

The session will be run by printmaker Lynn Taylor and artist and researcher Jenny Rock.

Council staff will also attend, to talk about the St ClairSt Kilda Coastal Plan.

A draft of the plan is expected to be completed early next year, before further consultation.