Omanawa Falls. Photo / File
A coroner has ruled members of the public should stay away from Omanawa Falls for their own safety - at least for now.
Coroner Michael Robb's comments come following the release of his finding into the death of an international student who drowned at the falls in 2018.
Robb ruled Kishore Kumar Arvindan, 27, from Hamilton, died by drowning on April 22, 2018.
Robb is urging the public not to visit the falls until Tauranga City Council can establish safe access.
Despite the area being fenced off, Arvindan and some friends from Hamilton entered the park and made their way to the bottom of falls to view the waterfall.
One of Arvindan's friends tried to cross a stream but the strong current pushed her into a deep pool at the base of the waterfall and she struggled to keep afloat, the finding said.
Arvindan jumped in to help but had difficulty, so another tourist also jumped in. All three were struggling in the water and Arvindan never resurfaced.
His body was found the next morning by police divers.
Youth Search and Rescue New Zealand Charitable Trust general manager Steve Campbell backed up Robb's call.
"Without a doubt, there will be others injured and more deaths at Omanawa Falls unless people adhere to the ban and stay away. It's only a matter of time."
Campbell said unless Tauranga City Council "rethinks" the security measures it was difficult to stop people determined to scale fences and take this risk.
"This is a really iconic beautiful spot and unfortunately, despite all the accidents over the years, it's a near-on impossible task to deter some people.
"Sadly, that includes locals who aren't adhering to the council's message that this is a no-go area for very good reasons," he said.
He said it was also "very dangerous" for first responders called on to rescue people.
"Without a doubt, there will be others injured and more deaths at Omanawa Falls unless people adhere to the ban and stay away. It's only a matter of time."
Todd Dunham, a TECT Rescue Helicopter pilot, agreed.
Dunham said he and his colleagues backed the council's safety message "100 per cent".
after attending a number of serious incidents at the falls over the years.
This included a 24-year-old man who suffered serious back injuries after he jumped 18m off the falls into the water in 2017 and several people falling from cliff faces.
"Until people can legally and safely access the falls they need to hold fire and adhere to the ban as a moment's bit of fun can quickly turn to disaster," Dunham said.
Several Omanawa Rd residents are calling on the council to take urgent action.
One long-term resident told the Bay of Plenty Times that she was sick of being abused by people blocking entry to her driveway during their visits to the falls.
The resident, who asked not to be named, she said had phoned the council numerous times over the years about people flouting the ban and illegal parking in the area.
"I have given up complaining as it's a waste of time as nothing is done about."
Gareth Wallis, the council's community services manager, said the council did not actively monitor visitor numbers at the falls as the track closure was clearly signposted.
Wallis said Tauranga City Council had no jurisdiction to police parking in the area.
"We are actively working through options for cultural ambassadors this summer and may consider security as any project work progresses to a construction phase."
Wallis said the council was working with Tourism Bay of Plenty to get the travel sector to edit their online listings to ensure visitors knew the track was closed.
He said the council had committed $2m to improve access to the site, including $1m from the Tourism Infrastructure Fund, and so far had invested $987,945 on the project.
This included technical reports, buying 1031 Omanawa Rd to help facilitate the project and a project group which including local hapū Ngāti Hangarau had been established.
"We are currently working with our project partners to understand how we can reopen the falls and what that will look like – though it will need to include a walkway/boardwalk and supporting infrastructure," Wallis said.
"We'll then be in a position to work through the design and confirm construction dates."
He said the council was committed to reopening the falls but only after full consideration of the "safety, historical, cultural and environmental significance" of the site.
Omanawa Rd resident Sarah Levers said the number of visitors' vehicles regularly lining both sides of the road was an "absolute nightmare".
Levers said getting in and out of her driveway was near-impossible at times.
"We can see them arriving from where we live and people are clearly scaling the fence and using the track to go down to the falls.
"There are even people regularly turning up in sign-written work vehicles."
Levers said when she and her husband first moved to the area two years ago, some of their neighbours offered to show them how to get down to the falls.
The new mother said they often had visitors to the falls trekking through their property and asking to use their phone to call AA because their vehicle had a flat battery.
Levers said the council had done "nothing" about enforcing the ban, despite numerous phone calls.
"We're often fobbed off and told to ring the police," she said.
"Because there are no repercussions, not even a fine or slapping people with a trespass order, lots of people continue to flout the ban.
"At the height of summer, we can have 40 to 60 vehicles a day lining the road up to 200m on both sides of the falls entrance way," she said.
"We just fed up with the lack of action."
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