The 400m fence at the iconic lookout on Lighthouse Rd has been completed, with a project budget of $165,000, while an adjacent replacement footpath is expected to be finished by early March.
Alan Burke, a longtime Lighthouse Rd resident, questioned the decision to erect the fence and said "There are still probably a lot of people that haven't seen it. When the tourists and locals get up there, they're going to be gobsmacked".
A Napier City Council spokeswoman said "public safety" was at the forefront of the decision to build the new fence, after the old fence and footpath were "no longer safe."
"It was checked after a member of the public informed us they had leaned on the fence and it moved, and we found some of the joints on the old fence were rusted through.
"About the same time council was also approached by people who had lost friends and family to suicide, asking that we consider doing something about the fence."
The new fence, which complies with the Building Act, will be accessible via a new footpath that is due to be installed later this year.
Longtime Lighthouse Rd resident Alan Burke.
Burke said: "I have lived there for over 40 years and I am confused more than anything. We question the rationale."
Burke added: "It is a nice place to go this time of year if this wasn't all going on. People go up there watch the sunset with a glass of wine and a pizza. Now they have to be inside this big fence."
A Napier City Council spokeswoman said "public safety" was at the forefront of the decision to build the new fence. Photo / Warren Buckland
Burke questioned whether the council had "the interests of the wider community" at the forefront of its decision.
"These people make decisions and they don't consult with the community.
Burke added: "I could say get rid of it, but that might not be the smartest thing."
A fellow disgruntled Bluff Hill resident said the fence was "prison like".
"Everybody in the area says it is a disaster,'' he claimed.
WHERE TO GET HELP:
If you are worried about your or someone else's mental health, the best place to get help is your GP or local mental health provider. However, if you or someone else is in danger or endangering others, call police immediately on 111.
