Answers later, first plug leak

Rotorua and Tauranga can be likened to a brother and sister.

They poke fun at each other, occasionally whine about what the other is up to and gets jealous when one gets something the other really wants.

But deep down, we are close enough to genuinely care about each other. Honestly.

It is true there has been a bit of mud flung between the two cities over recent years over such things as who gets the Bay of Plenty Steamers' home games and whether Tauranga can offer a good Maori cultural tourism experience.

But when the Rena cargo ship struck a reef last week and started to spill oil in our precious Bay of Plenty waters, here in Rotorua we were truly sad for our neighbours.

As the oil leak worsens and more wildlife is reported dead or suffering, our hearts go out to Tauranga.

But it's not just the Tauranga locals who will suffer if this potential environmental catastrophe isn't quickly fixed.

Thousands of Rotorua locals head to the Western Bay each year to enjoy the beach life, pick kaimoana from the coastal hot spots and fish in the waters.

Bay of Plenty regional councillor Tai Eru from Rotoura was quoted on Saturday as saying no matter what the cost, the ship needs to be refloated before an environmental disaster ruins the region.

He is right. It appears every effort is being made to put this right. But it can't happen fast enough. We hope they are working around the clock.

And when this is over, someone or something must be to blame and accordingly held to account.