Smith said she had lived there six years, and reckoned interest in the falls only really took off after the spot was featured on The Bachelor New Zealand television show in 2015.
The picturesque pool and waterfall are at the bottom of a slip-prone track and near-vertical descents on 100-year-old ladders.
Tauranga City Council parks and environment team leader Warren Aitken said there had been four helicopter rescues since 2013.
"When people go there they're putting their safety, and even their lives, at risk. It's not worth it."
There had been no reports of injuries this summer.
The council had not done any formal monitoring of visitor numbers but anecdotal reports from rangers put the figure over 100 on one day recently.
The $2.7m plan to upgrade the Omanawa Falls access.
Aitken said Omanawa Falls had "always" been closed to the public.
A $2.7m plan to improve the access and open it up to the public had attracted a $1 million funding offer from the Government's Tourism Infrastructure Fund.
The project was conditional on the rest of the funding being approved in the council's Long-Term Plan, which has yet to go out for community consultation.
Google searches for Omanawa Falls over the past two years. Image/Google Trends
The internet's love affair with Omanawa Falls
Omanawa Falls' popularity has been propelled in recent years by social media.
More than 650 photos and videos location-tagged to Omanawa Falls or Omanawa have been posted on Instagram since December 1 last year.
