DCC Update - July 2009

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.

Moana Rua Rd slip

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."

'High alert' as beach battered

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

Is Dunedin's beach erosion a sign of climate change?

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.

CH9 - Swells Undermine Sand Dunes

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.

Ocean Beach Photo Update

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!

Ch9 news - Erosion Threatening Middle Beach

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.

Beaches set for protected status

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)

Community & Recreation Services Report

CHURCH PLANTING BY DESIGN part 3 (final)

The third way we can develop our spiritual gifts and talents is to SERVE WHERE WE FIT

God needs us where he designed us to be. We must embrace our unique place in the church. In writing to the Corinthian church, Paul said, “But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be" (1 Cor. 12:18 NIV).

If you would read 1 Cor. 12:12-30, Paul continues to tell us how important each person is to each other, and that each of us have a role and fitted for a particular ministry in the church. The question is, are you doing your part in the body? If you’re the hand, don’t act like you’re the feet? Or if you’re the toes, don’t act like you’re the heels.

The other night in America’s Got Talent, there was a guy came on stage to do a body contortion show. He can walk with his feet and head twisted to the opposite direction but the front of his body is pointing the other way. It was, just as one of the judges said, “freaky.” The truth is, there some individuals in church who are acting like a “freak.” Doing things in the church body which they were not designed to do. Are you in the wrong spot in the ministries of the church? Are you functioning just as God designed you for?

We need to serve Christ’s body, our community of faith, our church, like Christ who "did not come to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (see Matt. 20:28).

Our church is where we are called to serve Him with our unique design. It is through our church that we can grow and develop in our faith in Him as we serve one another. It is through our church that we can become fruitful in our faith.

CHURCH PLANTING BY DESIGN part 2

The second way we can recognize our spiritual gifts and develop our talents is to:

KNOW OUR MINISTRY WHERE WE CAN USE OUR GIFTS

Some accurately refer to this process as discovering God’s will or “calling” for our lives. Often, Christians agonize as they attempt to discover God’s will in a particular situation or for the direction of their lives in general. But you will realize that in most cases, God’s calling is founded on His Word.

Such calling is then confirmed in the affirmation of godly people in church and the unmistakable confirmation through our fruits or the results of what we do. We should be able to confirm 3 things when we find out our calling. I call this the “Three P’s of Ministry” based on Eph. 4:11-13 and other texts:

1. Our People of ministry to whom we’re called (e.g., Men, Women, Adults, Children, poor, rich, business people, professionals, students, etc.
2. Our Place of ministry (e.g., is it here in Church setting, in campuses, in offices, in the pier, in the camp site, outdoors, in playing field, in the dug out, in the red light district, in downtown, in the prison, etc.) and lastly,
3. Our Position of ministry (i.e., are you called to be a pastor, a teacher, an evangelist, prophet, etc. according to your gift)

In one of my recent conversation with a pastor, I shared with him my ministry and what I do. In a piece of napkin, I drew for Him a cross enumerating my priorities in ministry which I call, "My F.R.A.M.E. of ministry (click picture below for details). He said in response, “That is why I like to talk with you and have this kind of fellowship. I don’t have the training as you do and I definitely need inputs such as this for myself." Then he said "You’re ministry for us pastors is really something that I value and needed. You have the ability to bring and organize people together." Through such words, I feel affirmed that what I do is definitely what God wants me to do. On a personal note, I find a deeper understanding and acceptance to all that I went through in life, knowing and seeing how God has shaped me uniquely for such moments.

May the Lord help you know and understand your personal calling. Do give me a call if you need help in determining your spiritual gift and your calling in ministry. Blessings.