Regional harbourmaster Carl Magazinovic has been placed ‘on leave' while an ongoing independent investigation into the region's moorings is undertaken.

Bay of Plenty Regional Council environmental management general manager Eddie Grogan says the harbourmaster is currently on leave and is unable to comment further as it is an employment matter.

Mooring contractor Sea Quest Marine's barge on Tauranga Harbour today.

Carl Magazinovic could not be contacted for comment today.

John Fewings is the acting regional harbourmaster. Western Bay of Plenty harbourmaster Jennifer Roberts is currently on leave.

Earlier this year the council hired a private investigator to look into allegations by mooring owners over the conduct of the current contractor. The investigation began after mooring owners aired concerns at a regional council meeting in June.

Some mooring owners claim the contractor, Sea Quest Marine Limited, substituted the stipulated PWB Load chain for cheaper chain that rusts out quicker, requiring more frequent replacement.

The bylaw requires maintenance and inspections of moorings to be carried out every two years by a mooring inspector approved by the harbourmaster.

At present moorings may only be constructed, placed, maintained and inspected by a person approved by the BOP Regional Harbourmaster.

Sea Quest Marine Limited is the only approved mooring contractor, responsible for inspecting, repairing and replacing the 499 moorings in Whakatane, Ohiwa and Tauranga harbours. Other contractors have unsuccessfully applied for recognition as approved mooring contractors.

Mooring holder Neville Harris says the reasons behind the harbourmaster taking employment related leave are the harbour beacon maintenance contract and log salvaging contract – both awarded to Sea Quest Marine without being put out for public tender, says Neville.

Bay of Plenty Regional harbourmaster Carl Magazinovic and regional council CEO Mary-Anne McLeod.

SunLive has been unable to contact any regional council staff able to state whether or not the harbourmaster is able to award those contracts to anyone, who is not an approved mooring contractor, or if they have to be put out for public tender.

In October the regional council undertook a moorings audit whereby a private investigator was hired to inspect moorings and the chain used.

In mid-October the regional council's manager of natural hazards Ken Tarboton said the results of the audit were expected to be with the council before the end of the month.

'The initial feedback is he can provide us with a pretty good report on whether they aren't or are (the correct chain) without having to send those samples off for testing and that he can provide us with that in the next week,” Ken told SunLive.

'If there are any inconsistencies then we may have to dig into that further, so it's really hard to tell when that will become public.

'The only thing that's public at the moment is we are doing that audit investigation. We are taking the allegations about incorrect chain being used pretty seriously.”

If the mooring chain used is not the stipulated brand and type of chain required to be used, the mooring contractor Seaquest Marine Ltd, will be given the opportunity to respond, says Ken.

Regional council CEO Mary-Anne McLeod told SunLive she is unable to comment on the harbourmaster situation as it is an employment related matter.

'We don't make any comments on anything to do with staff matters,” says Mary-Anne.

'I'm not making any comment either way. Like I said, anything to do with staff in terms of leave or matters of employment, we don't make any comment.

'We are not about to make any comment on whether or not somebody's been suspended. It's a matter between us and our employees.”

Mary-Anne directed inquiries to Eddie Grogan, who is unavailable, and Ken Tarboton was also unavailable when contacted by SunLive.