Auckland City beaches will see more sand

Auckland City yesterday agreed to spend $5.3 million replenishing sand on eight city beaches over the next five years.

St Heliers will be the first of the eight identified beaches to see more sand, in a bid to protect the seawall.

Councillor Scott Milne, chairperson of the Recreation and Events Committee, says that action must be taken to preserve city assets before more costs are incurred building new seawalls.

“St Heliers is the priority beach for re-sanding,” says Mr Milne.

“The sea wall is in a similar condition to that of Kohimarama’s before the re-sanding work got underway. St Heliers Bay is being pounded by waves and the seawall has begun to collapse in places because it’s no longer protected by sand. The re-sanding of these beaches will ensure Tamaki Drive is preserved for pedestrians, cyclists and motorists.”

Sand replenishment at Pt England Reserve, Pt Chevalier, Herne Bay, Home Bay, Sentinel Reserve, Blockhouse Bay and Taylor’s Reserve is an investment to protect the city’s assets with great community benefits.

“This is what councils are meant to do – it shows leadership and good stewardship,” says Mr Milne. “Investing $5.3 million over the next five years both protects the city’s asset while providing beach reserves for all to enjoy.”

The council will spend $300,000 on planning, design, coastal engineering consultation and consent work this financial year.

The recommended programme for sanding the eight beaches is: St Heliers Bay Blockhouse Bay Taylors Reserve Pt Chevalier Beach Pt England Herne Bay Sentinel Reserve Home Bay

© Scoop Media

Gordon Campbell: On the Sony cyber attack

Given the layers of meta-irony involved, the saga of the Sony cyber attack seemed at the outset more like a snarky European art film than a popcorn entry at the multiplex.

Yet now with (a) President Barack Obama weighing in on the side of artistic freedom and calling for the US to make a ‘proportionate response’quickly followed by (b) North Korea’s entire Internet service going down, and with both these events being followed by (c) Sony deciding to backtrack and release The Interview film that had made it a target for the dastardly North Koreans in the first place, then ay caramba…the whole world will now be watching how this affair pans out. More>>