An interim report on the safety of the Cape Kidnappers walk has recommended the beach should remain shut for at least another six months.
The 5-hour walk from Clifton to the iconic gannet colony along the beach has been closed since January after a massive slip came down, seriously injuring two Korean tourists.
Engineering firm Stantec were commissioned by the Hastings District Council to advise them on the geotechnical risks of further slips and the danger to the public.
Their interim report has found that 25,000 cubic metres of rock fell on January 23 and the speed of the tumbling boulders would have been "extremely rapid".
The cliff face halfway along the beach was at a higher risk of collapsing due to a previous smaller landslide which crumbled in the same place in 2015, likely caused by erosion.
It’s expected the risk of further landslides in the area will decrease with time, however the risk is "unquantified" but likely to be higher due to the increasing number of visitors to the walk.
The reports states that large rockfalls are not needed for fatalities, even a small landside could kill.
It recommends the council keep the beach closed until a Quantitive Risk Assessment is completed to assess the landslide risk along the whole beach.
That would take at least six months and could cost up to $600,000.
The Hastings District Council will vote on the decision at a meeting on Tuesday next week.
The Department of Conservation is currently reviewing all ten of its Great Day and Short Walks after documents revealed they continued to promote the Cape Kidnappers walk despite two risk assessments stating the chance of landslides on the beach were a "unacceptable" risk.
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