Rena no longer a risk to human health

The wreck of the "Rena " on Astrolabe Reef was no longer a risk to human health, the Environment Court heard on Mar 5, 2017. Matthew Casey, the lawyer acting for the Astrolabe Community Trust, was giving evidence on the first day of an appeal hearing expected to last four weeks. "The wreck is now in a state where the potential for harm to the environment has been minimised, and there is no risk to human health". The trust was established to apply for resource consent to leave the remains of the wreck on the reef. Mr Casey said almost all iwi, and especially those with the closest associations with the reef, had accepted that consent to abandon the remains of the "Rena" on the reef should be granted. Motiti Island's Ngai Te Hapu and Papamoa hapu Nga Potiki lodged the appeal. They have challenged the decision made a year ago by the Bay of Plenty Regional Council to leave the remains of the Rena, plus its equipment and cargo, on the reef. An independent hearings panel appointed by the council spent six weeks in 2015 hearing evidence on the trust's consent application.     (1 hour ago, by Timsen )