Rena update (update 119)

30 November 2011: 10.30am

Salvors are making the most of good weather to remove more containers from the stricken ship Rena off the coast of Tauranga.

Swells are likely to increase later in the week, with a change in the weather to north-easterly winds. There has been no change in the state of the vessel overnight, and a light sheen of oil extends from the vessel, but no black oil is visible.

Twenty containers were removed from the Rena yesterday. The total number of containers removed from the vessel is now 165.

So far, 960 tonnes of waste has been disposed of from shoreline cleanup operations. Another 1,331 tonnes of liquid waste has come from the bird washing process at the wildlife centre where 245 penguins and 43 dotterels are still housed.

Fifty-six little blue penguins are almost ready to be released and large numbers are awaiting reintroduction to salt water to prepare them for release.

A team will survey penguin areas on Mōtītī Island overnight on Thursday to check for any oiled birds and a beach cleaning team will be working near Grant Place in Pāpāmoa East.

So far 7,950 people have registered as volunteers, as well as 154 groups, including corporate groups, which include another 4904 people.

Volunteers have so far spent 18,975 hours working on beach clean-ups and 750 hours have been worked under the Adopt-A-Beach programme.

As the volunteer response has begun to drop off, the last planned beach cleans for volunteers will take place at Papamoa East opposite Grant Place at 8am each day until Sunday 4 December.

Anyone who wants to continue to help can join the Adopt-A-Beach programme which complements the foreshore cleaning operations being led by Maritime New Zealand. Those interested should contact renavolunteers@gmail.com or call 0800 884 881 extn RENA (7362).

Members of the public are still asked to report any signs of fresh oiling on the beaches.