Bay of Plenty Regional Council is going to erect barriers and make other modifications to the Te Tumu Cut groyne structure at Maketu in an attempt to make it suitable for recreational use – particularly for the anglers already using it.

This move follows an investigation into use of the Te Tumu Cut groyne structure from where a woman fell and died last month.

This structure is to receive a safety upgrade following the death of an angler there in January.

Part of that investigation was a report which outlined several options for future use of the groyne ranging from full closure to making the structure suitable for recreation.

Bay of Plenty Regional Councillor Raewyn Bennett says the council decided to proceed with making the structure suitable for recreation.

'The groyne was constructed many years ago, at the outlet of the Kaituna River, to prevent the location of the river outlet changing position and was never intended as a recreational area,” says Raewyn, the council's Mauao constituency representative.

'While council will be changing the groyne into a recreational area,” says Raewyn, 'it was not a large space and people who wished to use it would need to be considerate of sharing it.”

The council's environmental hazards group manager Ken Tarboton says a number of details still need to be worked through to make the structure suitable for recreation.

'While we still have to finalise what work needs to be done and the best way of getting this done in the quickest possible time, we do expect work to start in the next couple of months and hope that it won't take long to finish it,” says Ken.

'The structure would remain closed until the works have been completed and we will continue to monitor the site during this period.

'We have taken the action of closing the site and now undertaking the work to make it suitable for recreational use with the best interest of the public in mind.

'We hope that people will respect the closure and give us the time required to complete the works.”