Independent views By Brendan Horan

Is Tauranga considered such a safe seat in the National Party election strategy that they can continue to dismiss local concerns in respect to the Rena and Route K? I guess these questions will be answered next year.

How New Zealanders and locals respond to theRena disaster will be the test of environmental conscience for this generation. It is of little surprise New Zealand's international environmental standing has fallen so dramatically when we are prepared to accept all is well, when the festering rotting wreck is still on the reef and dangerous wires, rusting containers and other debris litter the surrounding sea floor.

Sadly, most New Zealanders will be content to be lulled into thinking that this nation's worst environmental disaster is over; and that the Astrolabe Reef, as recently reported, is 'nearly at its pre-Rena state” and all is well with the Bay of Plenty.

As reported, Maritime New Zealand's response to the grounding is that it was 'flawed but ultimately effective”.

But, we people of the Bay of Plenty, those of us that live here, are aware of the true facts. We know the report to be false; that it is deplorable, blatant propaganda. The truth is the wreck of theRenais still on the reef and the area is identified as hazardous, with dangerous wires, rusting containers and other debris littering surrounding seabed.

We also know that in October 2011, the people of Tauranga were eager to volunteer; and Maritime NZ had a ‘hurry-up-and-do-nothing' policy. While seabirds and fish were washing up on Mount Maunganui beach and Motiti Island, they told us all was well. Now again, they want us to believe this most recent report; that we have nothing to worry about, the reef is fine.

The Astrolabe reef used to be one of the most pristine and bountiful fishing and diving spots in the world. Now we cannot fish or dive there, and haven't been able to for the last two years. This is the reality. The fact is the wreck of theRena is still on the reef for all to see – and the cargo ship's owners are applying for resource consent to have it remain there forever.

New Zealanders have two options, they can believe that all is well with theRena, Elvis is alive and living in Tokoroa; and man might not have walked on the moon.

Or they can believe that to return the Bay of Plenty to its former glory, the wreck of theRenamust be fully removed.

So the question is: Are we as a nation going to do something about it? Or has our environmental conscience diminished to the point that we are willing to hear no evil and see no evil.

Facebook.com/Brendan.horan.336 twitter.com/brendanhoran or call Brendan on 07 574 0253.