A $1 million donation to help with recovery costs from the Rena grounding will go some way to ease the toll borne by businesses and organisations in the Western Bay, says Western Bay Mayor Ross Paterson.
The Mediterranean Shipping Company, which chartered the Rena, announced the establishment of a $1million Recovery Fund on Wednesday to aid Bay of Plenty residents and help cover the costs of the disaster.
A Mediterranean Shipping Company container is emptied out at the Rena container processing plant in Te Maunga.
The Rena was carrying 1368 containers when it ran aground on October 5, 2011.
The $1 million fund will be shared equally between Western Bay of Plenty District Council and Tauranga City Council, to help repay some of the clean-up and recovery costs of the Rena grounding.
In the Western Bay, Matakana Island, Maketu and Waihi Beach communities were particularly affected by the pollution and debris washed up from the wrecked Rena.
'I hope this donation will in some way repay the enormous emotional, physical and financial toll these local communities suffered from this disaster,” says Ross.
'At the time there was no hesitation from hundreds of our local residents to get out on the beaches and clean up oil, debris and to help stricken wildlife – it was a dreadful time that I hope this region will never again have to experience.
'As the MSC shipping company are not the owners and were not responsible for the operation of the Rena or the damage caused by the grounding I give it full credit for coming to the party in this way and acknowledging the impacts of the grounding on our foreshore, coastal waters, wildlife and communities.''
The Managing Director of the Australasian Subsidiary MSC, Kevin Clarke, says with the financial resolution reached earlier this week between the owners of the Rena and the New Zealand Government, MSC feels it is appropriate to go ahead with its earlier pledge of the $1 million donation.
The Government and Rena owners Daina Shipping agreed to a $27.6 million settlement earlier this week.
'We have a longstanding and positive partnership with the Port of Tauranga. With 250 port calls per year the Port is important to our business," says Kevin.
'Following the grounding of the Rena we wanted to support the wider communities of the Bay of Plenty with this goodwill gesture.
MSC has been in discussion with local representatives from the Bay of Plenty and an agreement has been reached between MSC, the Western Bay of Plenty District Council and the Tauranga City Council as to the distribution of the recovery fund.
The money will be held in special reserve account and will be managed by an appointed distribution committee.
1 comment
Typical for the little people
Posted on 05-10-2012 18:46 | By captainbirdseye
Well how fantastic is that, the council has a million to play with, the government has 27.6 million from Rena insurers and as per usual the people that really matter, the local business community have bugger all. This government had an ideal opportunity to support all of the local businesses affected seriously by Rena and tell the insurers ' NO DEAL' until you compensate the businesses who have either gone broke or are nearly there due to Rena. How wonderful that the councils and Government have swelled their coffers, at the expense of the people that voted them into office. Same old same old National Government, lets look after ourselves first, do as we please and bugger the people that pay our wages. Its about time that the Government, insurers, MSC and owners of the Rena took responsibility for the locals that are the real casualty in this fiasco!
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