6 Nov 2014

Council says Rena should stay on reef

11:01 am on 6 November 2014

The Bay of Plenty Regional Council is recommending the Rena wreck be left on the Astrolabe reef.

The grounding on Astrolabe Reef created one of New Zealand's worst maritime and environmental disasters.

The grounding of the Rena on Astrolabe Reef created one of New Zealand's worst maritime disasters. Photo: RENA PROJECT

The container ship ran aground on the reef off Tauranga, in 2011.

A report released by the council said as long as key issues could be addressed, such as mitigating the effects of copper on the environment, the wreck should be allowed to stay.

The report recommended conditions on the wreck being allowed to stay should include clearing debris, removing sections of the bow and working to remove copper from the environment.

A resource consent application to leave the a wreck on the reef would be heard by the Environment Court and the report will be passed onto the court as part of its consideration.

The Government had previously called for part of the wreck to be taken off the reef.

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