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NEWS
Bay of Plenty Times Friday, October 14, 2011
OIL SPILL CRISIS
Scott Inglis FROM THE EDITOR
The disaster of Rena has galvanised community opinion. As the disaster continues to unfold, hundreds of people have been having their say by going to our website bayofplentytimes.co.nz, our Facebook page facebook.com/ bayofplentytimes or by emailing editor@bayofplentytimes.co.nz. Everyone has an opinion and the response to it and people love to read what other people think. We will continue to publish these views both online and in print. So, after you’ve read our comprehensive coverage in the paper, or caught the latest update on our website, why not have your say? Today we have six pages of coverage and some fantastic up-close photos of Rena from Katie Cox. I thought the one on the front page was especially dramatic. I hope you find it informative.
Death notices ANDREW, Bernice Evelyn formerly Oliver (nee Rose) ECCLESFIELD, Bruce Duncan MORTLAND, Joyce POOLEY, Wayne James TIMMS, Patrick (Rocky) ■ Full details: A17
Editorial Editor
Scott Inglis
Deputy Editor Chief Reporter
bayofplentytimes.co.nz
Rachael Arthur Kate Newton
Editorial inquiries 07 577 3154 News tips 021 654 304 editor@bayofplentytimes.co.nz news@bayofplentytimes.co.nz photos@bayofplentytimes.co.nz sport@bayofplentytimes.co.nz
The Bay of Plenty Times, published since 1872, is a division of APN News & Media.
Lifetime of memories missing Family faces frustrating wait out of the loop
By Graham Skellern Business Editor
By Michele McPherson news@bayofplentytimes.co.nz Precious videos and photographs of milestones in their children’s lives are what Tauranga couple Craig and Wendy Fellows most want rescued from Rena. The couple, who moved home from Sydney last month, has no idea where on the 236-metre ship the container holding their car and furniture, along with a lifetime of memories and treasures, is stored, or whether it is in the ocean. ‘‘It’s pretty bloody hard, actually. It’s frustrating. We’re going through highs and lows. We’ve got to be optimistic. It may still be on the boat,’’ Mr Fellows told the Bay of Plenty Times. The removal company involved had approached Costamere, which owns the Rena, but was told no information about the containers was being released. Mr Fellows said he thought the company could have at least provided an 0800 number or website where those with belongings aboard Rena could get regular updates. ‘‘It’s very frustrating being kept out of the loop,’’ he said. After being away for 10 years, the 41-year-old and his wife Wendy had returned to the Western Bay on September 14 after Mrs Fellows was made redundant from her job as a lingerie designer and was offered a role with Mount Maunganui company HOTmilk. They had brought with them a large suitcase each, containing enough clothes to last them a few weeks, while their children, Grace, 6, and Cooper, 5, selected some treasured toys. ‘‘Luckily I grabbed a couple of mementos and the kids grabbed a
Comvita target of $70m takeover
SPARSE: Craig Fellows and his children Grace, 6, and Cooper, 5, at home in Ohauiti. Their household goods and car are on Rena.
couple of toys each,’’ Mr Fellows said. Also packed in the container was the family’s back-up hard drive containing photos and home videos and the negatives from their wedding held halfway around Mauao, looking out to the harbour entrance and Matakana Island — ‘‘all the irreplaceable things in life’’. They had paid $2100 for insurance on the container, which covered only market value replacement of items that were less than seven years old.
‘‘Luckily I grabbed a couple of mementos and the kids grabbed a couple of toys each.’’ Craig Fellows, Tauranga resident
‘‘We were expecting breakages at first, but not a total loss,’’ Mr Fellows said. Having lived in older homes and with young children, Mr Fellows said a lot of their furniture
was old and yet to be replaced. He said when he had visited the Port of Tauranga website on Wednesday last week, it stated the Rena was in port at 3am, so when his niece had told him a ship had
PHOTO/JOEL FORD 131011JF56BOP
hit a reef he was confident the family’s belongings were not affected. However, he had then heard a media report the ship involved was Rena and 15 minutes later he had received a call from the removal company confirming the worst. A week on, the Fellows know little more about the container carrying their belongings and thanks to the support of family are living in a sparsely furnished home in Ohauiti.
Cerebos Gregg’s, a household name in coffee, sauces, salt and spices, has today launched a $70 million takeover bid of natural health products company Comvita New Zealand. A co-owner of Dominion Salt at Mount Maunganui, Cerebos Gregg’s told the New Zealand Stock Exchange and Paengaroabased Comvita it wants to take full ownership, offering $2.50 a share to existing shareholders. The surprise offer has a built-in 19 per cent premium on Comvita’s closing price yesterday of $2.10 a share. In mid-September Comvita, one of the Bay’s leading companies, upgraded its profit estimate for the year ending March 2012 to about $8 million on sales of more than $90 million, and its share price jumped from $1.75. Around that time Cerebos Gregg’s executives were completing their final inspection of Comvita, having visited the business from Sydney. The offer is conditional on 90 per cent acceptance by Comvita shareholders. Cerebos Gregg’s has said Comvita would be delisted from the sharemarket but its main office and manufacturing operations would remain in the Western Bay. Cerebos Gregg’s chairman Trevor Kerr said the company had a long-term view of Comvita and would focus on sales growth and achieving higher value for its manuka honey. ‘‘We will invest in research and development, and assist in sales and marketing in Asia where Comvita brands are not yet well established,’’ he said. Cerebos Gregg’s has been a 50 per cent owner of Dominion Salt for 40 years. Comvita, which employs 330 people here and overseas, manufactures and distributes manuka honey, health supplements, olive leaf, skincare and woundcare products. It exports to Australia, South East Asia, Japan, Britain and North America.
IMPORTANT MESSAGE 5
for people living in the Bay of Plenty - RENA - Ship Grounding
The damage on our usual pristine coastli coastline has continued over the last 24 hours. There is not only more oil, we are now seeing containers that have toppled off Rena ending up on our shores. This poses huge safety risks for the community which is of major concern for us. Because of this, we are advising people to stay off the beaches – from Mount Maunganui through to Maketu. That is, unless you are part of the official clean up.
Want to help clean the beach? We are looking for volunteers for the beach clean up programme ‘Operation Beach Clean’. The programme has been set up to register, train and schedule volunteers from the community.
Wildlife
Volunteers
Any sighting of wildlife with oil should be reported to:
0800 333 771 Please do not try to clean up oil or handle the wildlife. The wildlife needs trained responders to handle them. Wildlife centres have been set up. If you want to volunteer to be part of the clean up, please call the number above.
The programme will give you an opportunity to clean up your backyard in a safe environment. Volunteers will receive training, personal protection equipment and shovels etc. If you want to volunteer, please look at the information in the “volunteers” panel on this page.
Your willingness to support the response efforts is greatly o You must be 16 years of age or older and physically fit. appreciated. If you want to be part of “Operation Beach Clean”, please register www.boprc.govt.nz/oilspillvolunteers o You must be at willing to work a minimum of a 4 hour shift. by phoning 0800 645 774 or register in person at Mt Maunganui, o Registered volunteers will be contacted by text and / or Omanu or Papamoa Clubs. email to reportSurf for clean-up. • You be 16bring yearsyour of age older and physically o must You must ownorgumboots. Volunteersfitwithout • You their must own be willing to work minimum 4 hourto shift gumboots willanot be permitted clean-up for safety reasons. • Registered volunteers will be contacted by text and/or email to report o Dofor notclean-up. bring additional equipment, such as your own • You must bring your gumboots. own protective suits,own shovels, rakes,Volunteers sacks andwithout gloves:their these gumboots not be permitted to clean-up for safety reasons. will bewill provided. • Do not bring additional equipment, such as your own protective o Please bring your sacks own food water. Clean-up suits, shovels, rakes, and and gloves: these will becan provided be physically challenging you will need to stay well• Please bring your own food andso water. Clean-up can be physically nourished. challenging, so you will need to stay well nourished.
Health Warnings
Disruption to normal services Tauranga City, Western Bay of Plenty and Bay of Plenty Regional Councils would like to advise that due to the significant staff response required to support the Rena effort our normal levels of service are being disrupted. While we will continue to do our very best to provide you with responses as normal please be advised that this may not always be possible in the next few days and weeks. We ask for your patience and apologise for any inconvenience caused.
Containers Please do not attempt to open any of the containers as some of the containers could contain hazardous material. It is an offence to open or retrieve anything from them. If you do see a container, phone:
0800 OIL SPILL
The oil spillage on the beaches has produced in some areas a noticeable smell. This smell is likely to diminish over a period of one or two hours from the time the oil has reached the beach. Some people in the vicinity may experience some physical discomfort so it is advised that they should shut windows or avoid the immediate vicinity of the beaches and avoid all immediate or secondary contact with the oil spillage. If anyone experiences discomfort they should move away to an area of fresh air.
Community Meetings Papamoa Venue:
Papamoa College (Theatre)
Address: 151 Doncaster Drive, Papamoa
Photos - Left to right: Stuart Crosby, Ross Paterson and John Cronin
Iwi Liaison Support Team
Guest:
Prime Minister, Rt Hon John Key
When:
(Today) Friday, 14 October at 2.30pm
There is an iwi liaison team on hand in the Incident Control Centre. Please call them on:
Mount Maunganui
0800 294 463 (0800 AWHI MC) if you wish to speak to an iwi liaison person.
Venue:
Mount Maunganui College Hall
Address: Maunganui Road, Mount Maunganui When:
(Today) Friday, 14 October at 1.00pm