Gurney said the lives of swimmers, kayakers and people walking along the river and lakeshore were at risk from dangerous weirs beneath the Kawarau Falls bridge, willows and of collisions with jet-boats.
His submission to the Queenstown Lakes District Council's annual plan in May had fallen on deaf ears.
''I've told the council and I can't see any plan and I haven't heard back from them about how to mitigate these dangers.
''With the increased activity down there they are encouraging with walkways, residential development and the new bridge, there's going to be someone who falls in.
''If there is a drowning, it is going to look bad for them.''
Now was a good opportunity to do something while earthmoving machinery being used for the construction of the new Kawarau Falls bridge was available.
Holes in the riverbed below the weirs should be filled in to prevent recirculating water trapping a swimmer, while willows encroaching into the river by the rapids needed to be removed.
''Willows are like a sieve, entrapping swimmers against the current.''
He wanted the jet-boat lanes under the bridge better delineated with buoys, along with improved signs to reduce the chance of jet-boats colliding with kayakers.
Gurney said new pathways around the new bridge would attract more people to fish, kayak and walk in the area.
''Mark my words, someone will drown in there, likely a child falling off the track, a fisher or a naive tourist taking a swim.
''The gold fever has changed to tourist fever, and we've got to plan for dumb tourists.''
