The Star: August 01, 2019

The Star Thursday August 1 2019
4
NEWS
news online at www.star.kiwi
Winter finally shows
its true colours
• By Matt Slaughter
THE RAIN and icy wind
yesterday was a reminder of what
winter in Christchurch can really
be like.
A few cold souls braved the
conditions, and said it was quite
a change from the blue skies and
mild temperatures they have
been used to.
Redwood residents Dennis
and Linda Goodson said they
were surprised how few wet
and cold days there has been
in Christchurch this winter
compared to previous years.
Said Mr Goodson: “We’ve
had quite a run of unusually
warm and dry weather, so this
is probably not so much an
aberration as a return to normal.
“The winter’s nothing like
it used to be when I was a
kid. I can remember going to
school for week after week after
week and the puddles were all
frozen. We just don’t get that
anymore.”
But he wasn’t complaining.
“I’m quite pleased actually, I’m
not a skier.”
Mrs Goodson was more
concerned.
“I disagree with him about
being pleased about it, because I
think it’s just a sign that we have
BRAVING THE COLD: Dennis and Linda Goodson said the
icy blast has been a surprise. PHOTO: MARTIN HUNTER
got changes in our climate.”
The cold weather looks set to
return over the weekend with
snow possible down to 800m on
Banks Peninsula on Saturday
and 500m on Sunday.
Next week is forecast to be
mostly fine.
Sea wall will need
to be rebuilt to
protect from storms
• By Louis Day
THE SUMNER Esplanade
rock retaining wall will need to
be rebuilt, says a University of
Otago professor.
Associate geography Professor
Mike Hilton said if the 1.2km
sea wall is not rebuilt within
10 years or so, there will be an
increased risk of exposure to
waves coming
over the wall.
This comes
after a report on
the wall from
engineering
consultant Jacobs
found there are 19
Mike
Hilton
points along the
wall where repairs
are required.
However, Prof Hilton said
there is no immediate danger.
“In the next few years, the
storm surge on that coast is not
particularly large. However,
when you look beyond the
short-term to the medium-term,
those storms are going to get
significantly larger and will have
a greater impact because the sea
level will be higher,” he said.
City council manager of
regional parks Kay Holder said
there are no plans to rebuild the
wall.
CRUMBLING: Darrell
Latham says there is a
strong case to rebuild the
Sumner sea wall.
“We know that in large
storms, seawater can overtop
the revetment, however, the
water is then contained by the
setback wall, which separates the
promenade from the esplanade,”
she said.
“The whole structure provides
two lines of defence, which
effectively manages existing sealevel
conditions. We’ll be using
the findings of this report to help
prepare a multi-year repairs and
strategy work programme.”
Linwood-Central-Heathcote
community board member
Darrell Latham felt there was a
strong case for rebuilding the
wall.
“The community needs the
reassurance that the sea wall is
not only well maintained but
designed to optimum and ideal
standards and is fully fit for
purpose,” he said.
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