A new study says there have been few long-lasting enivironmental impacts from the grounding of the container ship Rena off the Bay of Plenty coast, but the area has not returned to its previous state.
The Rena ran aground on Astrolabe Reef, near Tauranga, on 5 October 2011, losing 267 containers overboard and leaking more than 350 tonnes of oil into the ocean, coating beaches and wildlife.
The report, part of a $2.4million recovery plan, says there is now little evidence of oil or tar balls along the Bay of Plenty coast and the condition of marine animals has improved.
But due to its proximity to the wreck, Motiti Island still needs further monitoring, the report says.
