Council transportation manager Alex Finn cautioned the council that if someone else was killed jumping off the bridge, then a parent might point to the coroner's recommendation.
However the fence had not stopped people and the council could not be held responsible for the actions of others, he said.
Erecting a fence to stop people jumping off the footbridge would also make the footbridge unsightly, in the same way as the existing fencing made the road bridge look untidy, Mr Finn said.
There was little debate around the recommendation which asked the council to "accept the principle that council is unable, despite the installation of fences and the use of signs, to physically deter people from endangering themselves by jumping off the bridge".
As well as being an eyesore, councillors also heard that the fence prevented pedestrians from seeing cars coming down the hill and on to the bridge.
Meanwhile, the prospect of the footbridge getting built next year has taken a big step forward after Tiaki Engineering Consultants produced a plan in which the cost of the bridge has been reduced by nearly half to $265,000. The company has proposed a light frame suspension bridge.
The reduced financial hurdle means the bridge could be built next year and will be considered for funding in the 2013-14 annual plan.
The McLaren Falls Environment Enhancement Group has agreed to attempt to secure additional funding for the project.
