The 2011 grounding of the MV Rena (Rena) on Otāiti (Astrolabe reef) in the Bay of Plenty, New Zealand is considered to be the nation’s worst Maritime environmental disaster, with the recovery costing upwards of $500 million (NZD). This grounding and the associated impacts have been a divisive issue in New Zealand, which historically has a ‘clean, green’ image associated with the landscape and coastline and due to the culturally and politically charged environment present, due to the suite of ongoing environmental impacts in the years following. The differences in opinion regarding the recovery and fate of the wrecked vessel and reef, were brought to a head in the resource consent process started by the Rena’s owners. In May 2014, the owners of the Rena lodged several resource consent applications under the Resource Management Act 1991 to leave sections of the wreck, remaining cargo and associated debris on Otāiti. The resource consent application also included provisions for future discharges of contaminants from the remnants of the vessel and remaining cargo, within the period of consent (10 years). The different stakeholder groups with vested interests in the reef and affected areas had varying views on the recovery and resource consent application, which is especially true for the affected indigenous groups who additionally consider the impacts experienced culturally and spiritually. The opinions, views and the impacts experienced by/of the different affected stakeholder groups regarding the Rena recovery and associated impacts can be thought to be linked to their worldview. This has resulted in a wide array of differing worldviews present in this scenario and stakeholders that have been impacted differently by the disaster and recovery process, and therefore had differing opinions regarding the future of the reef and the Rena, creating an immense aura of uncertainty surrounding the future management of the reef ecosystem.
Results/Conclusions
This paper presents an analysis of the worldviews of eleven of the key stakeholder groups with a vested interest in the Rena disaster and impacted regions, as well as showing the difference in perceived impact using the indigenous decision making framework, the Mauri Model. The analysis demonstrates an indigenous method to address the uncertainties often present in post-disaster contexts: both human and environmental.