Regional Council welcomes launch of Environmental Recovery plan for Rena

Environment Minister Nick Smith yesterday launched the environmental recovery plan, to address the long term effects of the Rena disaster on the wider Bay of Plenty region.

Bay of Plenty Regional Council Chairman John Cronin said the plan is a key document which will drive the restoration of the environment and coordinate all efforts including the work of the Regional Council.

"The Regional Council is in this for the long-haul. We have been a part of this since day one and will continue working through the recovery process and long term monitoring in the Bay of Plenty. We look forward to working in partnership with the mix of organisations and iwi through this recovery process."

The plan brings together a wide range of central, regional and local government organisations and iwi, with the goal to restore the Bay of Plenty environment to as close as is possible to its pre-Rena state.

The plan identifies the environmental issues for the beaches, seabed, water, fisheries, wildlife and management of waste and sets out who is responsible for the recovery and monitoring of each.

A governance group has been established to oversee the implementation of the plan and to make sure everything possible can be done to restore the environment.

"Bay of Plenty Regional Council has a number of key staff who have been seconded to the Rena recovery project team, as well as our leadership team who have an integral role in the implementation of the recovery plan," Mr Cronin said.

"We are very fortunate to have the support from central government to begin this recovery process and to have a plan in place to ensure that we achieve the best outcome for our environment and our community."