Cape Kidnappers slip: 'Multiple fatalities' could occur in similar event - report

Friday, 1 March 2019

Permanent closure of the Cape Kidnappers beach has been ruled out despite a report finding another landslide could kill people.

Korean tourist Jungho Son and a friend of his were seriously injured in a slip on January 23. Speaking after the event, Son said he thought he was going to die.

The Hastings District Council then commissioned a report, released on Friday, which said permanently closing the beach through a bylaw should be ruled out because of insufficient information to justify the decision.

This is despite the report, which is being presented to the council on Tuesday, admitting there is 'potential for multiple injuries/fatalities' in the event of another landslide.

A drone photo of the rockfall that occurred at Cape Kidnappers on January 23, 2019, taken by GNS Science during a follow-up survey.

* Cape Kidnappers rockfall alarm first raised in 2009

* Tourist speaks about surviving Cape Kidnappers slip

Jungho Son, 29, discusses from his hospital bed the moment a landslide fell on him and a female friend at Cape Kidnappers.

* Bird eye view of Cape Kidnappers cliff collapse

* Two hurt, one critically in dramatic landslide**

Council officers said a Quantitative Risk Assessment (QRA) should be completed to assess the fatality risk for the area, as well as the remainder of the beach between Clifton and Cape Kidnappers.

A QRA was estimated to take six months to complete, at an estimated cost of up to $300,000.

Officers would pursue a cost-sharing arrangement with other parties including the Department of Conservation (DOC) to 'reduce the burden' on ratepayers.

DOC, which operates the walk, is undertaking a review into its Great Walks and Day Hikes, which needed to be completed before starting the QRA, the report said.

There are about 6500 pairs of birds at the gannet colony at Cape Kidnappers in Hawke's Bay. Gannet Beach Adventures runs tours out to the colony however these have ceased since the January landslide.

A DOC spokeswoman said it wouldn't comment prior to the council's consideration of the report, and until it had completed its own investigation.

Hastings district councillor and former owner of Gannet Beach Adventures Rod Heaps said there was 'no advantage' to closing the beach while undertaking a risk assessment.

'There's no real added value because [DOC] can put control measures in place advising those who don't know about the area of the risks that may be there … having a risk assessment done is not going to stop mother nature.'

DOC was in 'damage control' over 'not consulting with anybody' about the risks the walk posed and how it should address them before promoting it as a tourist attraction, Heaps said.

'[DOC's review] is definitely an over-the-top reaction of not doing your job properly in the first place.'

DOC heritage and visitors director Steve Taylor said its signage at the Clifton entrance alerted walkers to risks, including a warning of falling rock and not to rest below the cliffs.

'We take visitor safety extremely seriously which is why we’re undertaking the investigation currently, of which signage will be a part. DOC has to achieve a balance in managing visitors' safety across the land and waters it is responsible for.'

Hastings Mayor Sandra Hazlehurst said the council would consider all perspectives when making a decision on the national tourist attraction.

The beach has been closed since January's landslide.

The council report said another landslide which caused multiple fatalities could leave the council with 'potential reputation impact due [to] loss of confidence amongst [the] community/public', or a 'possible legal challenge' from an authority like WorkSafe.