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Oriental Bay Beach |
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The completed beach
In December 2002, the Council began building a bigger beach at Oriental Bay. The project involved enlarging and enhancing the existing Freyberg and Oriental Bay beaches, and adding a new beach east of the Band Rotunda - an area that used to be covered by stones. ImprovementsThe upgrade involved over 27,000 tonnes of sand and construction of the following:
The beach under construction
The beach's total sand area is now four times larger than before and the Freyberg grass area is twice as large. In addition, Oriental Bay's promenade was improved, providing a better surface, healthier growing conditions for Oriental Bay's Norfolk Island Pines, and 30 more parking spaces. The promenade lighting is also new - now dramatic spotlights shine down out of the pines. New Sand
Delivering new sand
The sand for the beach came to Wellington from an inland site near Golden Bay, Nelson. The Council surveys sand levels four times a year. The sand is periodically moved back along the beach to counter the effects of storms. The beach also requires an occasional top-up to replace sand lost over time. Official OpeningThe completed beach was officially opened by Mayor Prendergast on 18 January 2004, with a Mardi Gras beach party. The beach has been an enormous success. It is popular with Wellingtonians and visitors and has won several awards including:
BudgetThe expansion of the beach and the revamp of the bay cost $7.5 million. The project was jointly funded by the Council and the Plimmer Bequest. Planning and public consultation for the beach spanned seven years, followed by one year of construction. Related LinksDepartment Details: |
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