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People deal with the impact of Rena containers on Waihi Beach - Source: Supplied
Containers wash up on Waihi Beach - Source: ONE News
Milk powder washed up on Waihi Beach. - Source: ONE News -
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Tauranga's mayor says the impact of the Rena break up needs to be dealt with rapidly to ensure "our reputation as a visitor destination is still in tact".
Stuart Crosby said that if debris washed ashore at Mount Maunganui "the main thing" is that it was picked up as quickly as possible.
Crosby said there were currently around 200,000 residents and visitors in the Western Bay of Plenty and that "we want to make sure that they are enjoying their summer vacation".
He told TVNZ News at 8 said the timing of the Rena split was "not good" but said "we all have to work together and deal with the situation as best we can".
He was speaking after containers washed up this morning at holiday hotspot Waihi Beach.
Police received calls about the occupants of a vehicle taking bags of what appeared to be milk powder this morning before driving off.
Members of the public are advised not to approach items washed ashore for health reasons. The beach was closed today but has since reopened.
Do you have pictures of containers, debris or oil from the Rena? Send them to us at news@tvnz.co.nz
Another seven containers are known to be within a mile of the shore, and container recovery company Braemar Howells has been using tugs to tow them offshore.
Aerial observation flights suggest that up to 40 containers were in the water, all of them north of the harbour entrance, Maritime New Zealand (MNZ) said.
As of this morning, 21 have been tagged with buoys and they will be corralled and collected as soon as conditions allow, Sharp said.
Impact of Rena spreads
There was a warning today that containers and debris from the wreck of the Rena could reach as far north as Mercury Bay in the Coromandel.
The total number of containers lost overboard since the ship split overnight Saturday has been revised down to 150. It was initially thought up to 300 containers were lost overboard.
Claudene Sharp from Braemar Howells said it was "a very dynamic situation" but trajectory models suggest most containers and debris will wash up between Waihi and Mercury Bay, near Whitianga.
Four containers have washed up on Waihi while more have washed up at Bowentown and Matakana Island. Those containers contain timber, milk powder, paper and tyres.
There have been reports of floating oil around Waihi Beach and Matakana Island and four oiled penguins have been discovered so far.
MNZ salvage manager David Billington said containers containing cryolite from the Bluff aluminium smelter were still around the wreck itself.
Transport Minister Gerry Brownlee downplayed the risk of cryolite spilling into the sea, saying it was a "dense product that dissipates in water".
Green MP Catherine Delahunty earlier called on MNZ to make public a list of the containers, the chemicals contained in them, and what is being done to ensure they do not spill into the ocean.
Billington said if the stern sinks, then it is highly likely that containers still in that part of the ship will sink as well.
Brownlee said he was confident in how MNZ was handling the situation.
He said the responsibility for the clean up and the removal of the wreck lie ultimately with the owners of the ship.
Cleanup underway
The public are being urged to report all sightings of debris to 0800 333 771, but not to try to remove anything because of the risk of contamination or injury. Debris reported this morning includes timber, milk powder and plastic material.
Maritime New Zealand National On Scene Commander Alex van Wijngaarden has urged people to use common sense.
The three nautical mile exclusion zone remains in place around the Rena, along with a 1500 feet aerial exclusion zone. This is to ensure the safety of shipping and aircraft, and enable response operations to continue unhindered by civilian sea and air movements.
Bay of Plenty Regional Council is advising boaties to stay off the water due to the large amount of debris and containers in the coastal waters following the Rena breaking up.
Any boaties who head out should be extremely vigilant and aware of the risk of hitting floating and submerged items, the council said.
The Harbour Master has established a cautionary area in the western Bay of Plenty, which includes the area from Waihi Beach to Mayor Island to Maketu. All vessels in this area are recommended to navigate with extreme caution.
Sheen of oil
Trained oil spill response teams are prepared to respond to any reports of fresh oil on the beaches and two vessels are prepared for on-water oil recovery within the harbour if sea conditions allow, van Wijngaarden said.
Anyone seeing fresh oil on shore is asked to call 0800 OILSPILL (0800 645 774).
Meanwhile, salvors have not yet been able to land on the stern section of the Rena to assess its state, although this morning's aerial observation showed no significant change in its position on the Astrolabe Reef.
MNZ Salvage Adviser Jon Walker said internal flooding meant that the stern section would not float if it came off the reef.
The bow section of the vessel is still wedged firmly in its original position, but is suffering internal damage from wave action now that it is fully exposed to the sea, he said.
- Newstalk ZB
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