Tauranga tribe Nga Potiki a Tamapahore is taking the initiative to assist in the Rena oil spill by focussing on the clean up along Papamoa beach and monitoring in Rangataua Bay.

Nga Potiki Rena response co-ordinator Matire Duncan says Papamoa beach and Rangataua Harbour are the traditional food cupboards for her people and they are very distressed by the Rena disaster and long term effects this will have on the area.

The New Zealand Defence Force prepares to transport a quad bike and a trailer to Motiti Island.

She also has high praise for the community effort in the clean up.

'Everyone is doing their bit to help, we are seeing our Maori communities getting right into the clean up from Matakana, Rangiwaea and Motiti Islands, to our Tauranga hapu along all the coastal areas right through to Ngati Whakaue ki Maketu (Maketu), we are all working together with our wider communities and it is great to see.”

Matire says with the help of Kaitiaki coordinator Hinenui Cooper, they have trained more than 200 people for clean up.

'We have been issued with clean up kits and are deployed as required by central command. Training is held at Tamapahore Marae daily at 1pm and everyone is welcome to attend - it is open to the public.”

The Nga Potiki have made Tamapahore Marae available for clean up crews from outside the district and are hosting volunteers from as far away as Northland.

On Monday Nga Potiki coordinated direct assistance to Motiti Islanders.

'I am so proud of our Whanau and their generosity, Tom and Nui Cooper donated a quad bike and trailer to Motiti to assist with transport of people and goods on the island and a trained clean up crew have been flown over to assist with the clean up for a week.

'Our Nga Potiki Trust covered the cost of transport and food supplies, as a collective effort it was really neat.

'We are also working with our the Eastern Iwi Collective (Waitaha, Tapuika, Ngati Makino, Ngati Whakaue ki Maketu) as the Rena disaster affects us all, sharing information and resources is so important and I would like to encourage everyone kia mahi tahi tatou – keep working together.”