Brett Pacey has walked the banks of the Tarawera River for most of his 62 years. He knows the rhythm of the water and the habits of the children who play there. Last September, he noticed something new. It wasn't just natural erosion. It was human-made.

Children were digging into the embankment, carving out makeshift caves and steps into the soft earth. Pacey saw the danger immediately. He didn't stay silent. He took his concerns to the Kawerau District Council, not once, but twice. He stood before the Mayor and the chief executive, pleading for action before the ground gave way.

His warnings were met with meetings, emails, and jurisdictional hand-offs. Then, on April 16, the ground gave way. Paul Mason Lloyd, 10, and Luti Maui Mafi, 11, were fishing when the bank collapsed, trapping them beneath the debris. They did not survive.

The Paper Trail of Inaction

Documents released under the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act reveal a frustrating cycle of bureaucratic hesitation. In September 2025, Pacey addressed a council meeting, telling officials, “I’ve been barking on about this for quite a while, and I don’t see any reaction coming out of it.”

The council’s response was to initiate a consultation process. Internal emails show the district council inspected the site but concluded that further assessment was “outside of the expertise we retain in-house.” They reached out to the Bay of Plenty Regional Council. The regional body, in turn, questioned its own responsibility for that specific stretch of the riverbank.

By November, Pacey was back at the council chambers. He urged them again to “sort this out.” He described the rising river levels and the children still chiseling into the wall. The council’s records show that a recommendation to install warning signs was finally made—but it came just two days before the fatal collapse.

A Community Left With Questions

For the people of Kawerau, the tragedy has left a void. The riverbank, once a place for gathering watercress and catching trout, is now a site of mourning. Pacey remains haunted by the timing. He wonders why it takes a death to trigger a response.

“Why is it that people wait till a death happens before they do anything about it?” he asked. It is a question that now sits with the coroner. The investigation into the deaths is ongoing, and the legal responsibility for the site remains a point of contention.

The Kawerau District Council has declined to comment on the specific causes of the collapse or the allocation of responsibility. In a statement, the council noted that it “does not agree with how it has been characterised by other parties.”

Key Takeaways

  • Repeated Warnings: Local resident Brett Pacey formally raised concerns about the unstable riverbank at two separate council meetings in late 2025.
  • Bureaucratic Delay: Documents show that while councils discussed the site, the only concrete action—a recommendation for warning signs—was proposed just 48 hours before the tragedy.
  • Ongoing Investigation: The deaths of the two boys have been referred to the coroner, with questions regarding site management and safety oversight still pending.

The tragedy has fundamentally changed the town’s relationship with the Tarawera River. For now, the focus is on the coroner’s findings. But for those who saw the danger months in advance, the bureaucratic process was far too slow. The warning signs were finally discussed, but they were never installed in time.