October 02, 2012
Environment safety concern over Rena wreck
The mayor of Tauranga says if part of the Rena is to be left on Astrolabe reef, it must be made physically and environmentally safe.
A year after the cargo ship went down on the reef outside Tauranga Harbour; its Greek owners have signed a $27 million deal to pay some of the Government’s clean-up costs.
Iwi are upset that the deal includes an option where the owners could leave part of the hull as long as they get resource consent and paid an extra $10.4 million.
Mayor Stuart Crosby says leaving the stern behind is the cheapest option, but he doesn’t like the idea.
“At the moment they are removing the bow part piece by piece to at least below the waterline and to a degree that’s an out of sight, out of mind issue but underneath the water is the bigger concern,” he says.
Mr Crosby says the bottom of the ship is coated with toxic anti-fouling compounds which could affect the ecology of the reef for years to come.