The Rena grounding

The Rena grounding was one of New Zealand’s worst maritime environmental disasters. The government, iwi and local community came together to fix it.

In 2011, a container ship called the MV Rena ran aground on Astrolabe Reef near Tauranga. This wreck caused an oil leak and littered the ocean with debris.

It was one of New Zealand’s most significant maritime environmental disasters.

But it was also a time when the government, iwi and local community came together to take action. Immediately following the grounding these groups worked together to fix the environmental effects.

Appointed salvors worked tirelessly to remove oil, containers and debris from the vessel.

In 2012 the then Minister for the Environment Hon Dr Nick Smith launched a four-year recovery plan that was completed in 2015.

Today, the environment is recovering well. Experts expect that this shipwreck shouldn't have any long-lasting effects on Bay of Plenty beaches and coastal fisheries.