Dedicating shipping lanes is what we need to avoid another Rena, and so what if this slows the speed of shipping traffic - small compromise. We need to learn lessons and put in place strategies to protect our beautiful coastline. Our coastline provides pleasure, is a haven of biodiversity, and generates significant revenue. The constituency of the BOPRC extends up to 50km offshore. Your councillors should be lobbying for dedicated shipping lanes. The Rena, Mikhail Lermontov and Costa Concordia all have one thing in common - careless captains taking shortcuts. Dedicated shipping lanes would remove the route discretion that captains currently have when traversing the Bay of Plenty coastline. Our very successful Port of Tauranga is only going to have continued growth in ship numbers. If we don't learn from Rena, then more fool all of us.

Tim Short, Ohauiti.