St Clair erosion continuing

THE sea steadily continues to work its ravages at St. Clair while man is seeking some means of preventing the destruction, and incidentally endeavouring to pass on the responsibility from one local body to another. For the past six months this erosion has gone forward, and there can be little doubt that if it is allowed to continue for a few months longer the results will be serious. Recently a fence of manuka scrub, 3ft in height, was erected at the foot of the sandhills to the eastward of St. Clair, but almost the whole of this has already been demolished, and the remainder is fast disappearing. The action of the Domain Board in levelling off the top of the sandhills near St. Clair has caused some concern, and it has also evoked a good deal of comment, there being a very general feeling that the board could devote its money to some more serviceable purpose. The chairman (Mr J. H. Hancock) points out, however, that the action of the board is in the direction of preserving the sandhills from being constantly worn down by the combined action of small boys and the wind, and as the level area will ultimately be planted in grass, making a firm surface, greater stability will thus be attained. The board hopes to proceed shortly with the erection of the proposed groynes, the Harbour Board having promised to lend the necessary plant for driving these. At the same time a number of St. Clair residents hold the opinion that the erection of groynes will not prevent the erosion, and they believe that a preferable and safer

course would be to place a concrete wall along the foot of the sandhills.