Day 1 of Rena hearing underway

Military personnel pictured at work to remove oil from Papamoa Beach after the container ship MV Rena struck the Astrolabe Reef off the coast of Tauranga on October 5, 2011.

The first day of the Rena Resource Consent Hearings in which the fate of the wreck will be decided has begun.

Held over a period of weeks, the hearings will look into the application from the ship's owners to leave the wreck where it lies on the Astrolabe Reef (Otaiti).

Judge Whiting has opened the proceedings by assuring the members of the gallery that the fate of the wreck is far from decided.

"We propose to make our determination solely on the evidence and presentations and within the statutory framework."

Matt Casey QC, appearing on behalf of the applicant, said the hearings were the culmination of a lengthy process to resolve the question of what should be done with the ship wreck of the Rena.

"It's been a long journey for all concerned."

Mr Casey said the application was for consent to leave the wreck in situ.

The hearing was not concerned with the grounding of the Rena of what happened following, he said.

"Many submitters have expressed opposition to the consent because of their feelings about the grounding and the environmental harm that followed. This hearing is not about those matters. It is about the future and in my submission, about nothing else."

Media and panelist gather for day one of the Rena hearing. Photo/John Borren

Mr Casey said there had been contamination during the wrecking, in particular from copper, TBT, PAHs, the heavy fuel oil and possibly cryolite.

He said the potential harm to human life was minimal.
"The owner . . . has invested a lot of time and effort to inform the community and to listen to their issues and to respond to them. The result is a situation they consider represents the best outcome for the community."

Mr Casey said the salvage operations had so far run to a cost in excess of $500 million, making it the second most expensive salvage in maritime history, second only to that of the Concordia.

"The wreck now joins the pantheon of wrecks around the cost of New Zealand which in our short history numbers somewhere around 3000."

The first witness called by the applicant was Captain Roger King, who has been involved almost since the Rena wrecked.

Mr King detailed the history of the wreck and the difficulties of the salvage.

The container ship Rena sits in two pieces on Astrolabe Reef off the coast of Tauranga. Photo/File