A full resource consent process with public consultation will be undertaken before any decision is made to leave the remains of the Rena wreck on Astrolabe Reef, reports the regional council.

Bay of Plenty Regional Council's Chief Executive Mary-Anne Macleod says no consent application by the owners and insurers of the wreck has been made yet.

The Rena remains on Astrolabe Reef.

Mary-Anne says a 'full and robust” statutory process will be followed if a consent application is lodged for any part of the Rena to remain on the reef.

'Under the provisions of the Regional Council's Coastal Plan, resource consent is required for any structure to occupy the seabed.

'A full and robust statutory process would be followed in accordance with the requirements of the Resource Management Act,” she says.

Recent announcements about the ultimate fate of the remaining Rena structure have raised questions about the process that will be followed, says Mary-Anne.

Any consent application for leaving the structure on the reef will be publicly notified to give the public every opportunity to express any concerns through this statutory process.

If a consent application is made in the future, the Regional Council would engage the best available scientific and technical advice to ensure an informed decision could be made, says Mary-Anne.