The Port of Tauranga says it will temporarily suspend operations as containers and debris from a stricken vessel are entering shipping channels.
The Rena has been wedged on Astrolabe Reef off Tauranga since 5 October. Up to 300 tonnes of heavy oil has spilled and 88 of its containers have tumbled into the sea.
A major clean-up is underway of beaches and the ocean.
The port says it will suspend operations between 9pm on Thursday and 6am on Friday. The suspension will only affect two ships, as other shipping movements have been rearranged.
The port says containers were removed from shipping channels on Thursday morning and it continues to use sonar equipment to check the area.
