Ngāruawāhia residents have given the thumbs-up for a separate diving platform, but many say it is not likely to stop young people daring each other to jump off the rail bridge.
Ngāruawāhia rail bridge, where children jumping off into the water have been hit and killed by trains. Photo: RNZ / Andrew McRae
The bridge has claimed two lives in recent years, including a nine-year-old boy in 2002 and an 11-year old girl in March - both were hit by a train.
Diving off the bridge into the Waikato River is seen as a rite of passage and one that has been going on for generations.
About 100 members of the public along with iwi, councillors, emergency services and KiwiRail came together at what was more of a workshop than a formal meeting.
People were encouraged to put post-it notes onto boards around the walls of the Memorial Hall.
One local, Roger Stack particularly liked one of the suggestions - a diving platform away from the bridge.
"Kids love to climb up things like that and jump off."
Ngāruawāhia locals at a meeting leave sticky notes on the walls at the memorial hall with suggestions for how to prevent further deaths at the rail bridge. Photo: RNZ / Andrew McRae
While he thought a diving platform separated from the rail bridge was worth a try, he was not so sure it would solve anything.
"There's always that dare-devil thing and with kids that's what happens."
Tilly Turner, a mother and grandmother, said young people would continue to seek out the rail bridge regardless of deaths and near-misses.
She said it was mostly Māori kids because Pākehā kids did not seem to jump off the bridge.
Mrs Turner knew her children jumped off the bridge and suspected her mokopuna did too. She had a clear message for them.
"'Don't jump off the bridge', but they do."
"It is almost like a initiation, it is a passage of age."
Ms Turner suggested moving the rail line completely out of the town and closing the bridge.
George used to work for KiwiRail and was well aware of the dangers of being on the bridge.
He jumped as a youngster but said the risk had increased and it was up to locals to try to stamp it out.
"We need as a community which looks across to the bridge and sees kids there to tell them to get away from there."
Ngāruawāhia locals meet at the memorial hall. Photo: RNZ / Andrew McRae
Kaumatua Pokai Nepia is 79 and has lived in Ngāruawāhia all his life. He jumped off the bridge as a youngster.
He said the fun has gone out of it as attitudes changed but young people today were still dared into jumping.
About 35 trains cross the bridge each day, and the number is expected to rise.
KiwiRail general manager network services Henare Clarke said the company had pretty much done all it could including security fencing and education, but nothing much had changed.
"And we have had a fatal and so all of us need to relook at things."
He said it was not just KiwiRail's problem.
"I think there is a whole raft of things that can be done and the loss of life is tragic."
Mr Clarke liked the idea of a separate diving platform but said it was not the company's responsibility.
Western Waikato police commander Andrew Mortimore said there was no single answer or silver bullet.
He said while jumping off the bridge had been going on for generations, now was the time to break the cycle.
"These community members who live with their young people are the ones that hold the key ideas and can influence change."
Ngāruawāhia Community Board Chair James Whetu said there was no one answer and it would require a multi-prong approach.
"Whether it is an alternative jumping platform, education, penalties around trespassing, things like that and I am anticipating a combination of those that would be suggested by the community for us to explore."
Waikato District deputy mayor Dynes Fulton said the community must say the situation is not right and take responsibility.
"Saying what happened before and what happened in our youth isn't part of the solution."
"The rail track is not a playground and the message is clear," he said.
The ideas will now be collated and published this month before a decision on the next step.
