Large investments and concern for clean-up of the Rena wreck has produced a substantial funding gap and effort to protect Tauranga City's environment, says councillor Murray Guy.

While out at the weekend Murray noticied an increasing amount of litter and small industrial sized plastic beads in the gutters along Cameron Road in Gate Pa.

He believes efforts to maintain a clean and tidy city have slipped as people tend to focus on recovery of the plastic beads from beaches, although the cost of the clean up and recovery is covered by the owners and investors of the Rena.

Rubbish found in the gutters along Cameron road, Gate Pa.

'In my opinion we have gone a little too far in our efforts and investments and it was illustrated to me when I stepped out of my car with the proliferation of rubbish including plastic beads and the heavy metals, leaves and paper rubbish I know all ends up in our harbour.”

Murray is conscious of the cost and expense, and the emotion associated with the Rena, but says more focus should be put on cleaning up around the city streets.

'It's just that I have heard and seen all the publicity surrounding the beads that have been washed ashore.

'We're focused on the beads in the sand.”

The plastic beads have been washed ashore from the Rena wreck as a result of rough seas and wild weather.

Thousands of small plastic beads measuring about 2.5millimetres in diameter were released from a container in hold four of the wreck at Astrolabe Reef during the flooding three weekends ago.

Since then, removing the plastic beads has become a 24-hour clean-up process with labour groups and machinery operating between Papamoa Domain and Mount Maunganui in an attempt to remove the diminutive beads under the coordination of the onshore debris management team.

Rena Project spokesperson Hugo Shanahan says the labour groups are doing the best job they can in removing the beads from the beaches.

'They have made really good progress but it's just a case of patience and perseverance. It's not an overnight job and the fact that they are 2.5millimetre beads makes it difficult.”

He says all clean-up operations are continuing while work on cargo hold four has been delayed due to the rough weather at sea.