‘Out of sight out of mind' doesn't cut it for a collective petitioning the Government to hold the owners and insurers of the Rena to account.

The ‘Remove the Rena – Restore the Reef' petition was launched at a subdued gathering at Mount Drury on Thursday night.

Buddy Mikaere signing the petition.

Independent MP Brendan Horan and Pat Spellman at the launch of the petition.

Petition organiser Pat Spellman says despite it being more than two years since the ship's grounding on Astrolabe Reef on October 5, 2011, the group has full determination to have the remaining wreck removed.

He says the aim is to gather 10,000 signatures in the next four weeks before presenting the petition to Parliament through the sponsorship of Tauranga Independent MP Brendan Horan.

'The goal is to make a measurable difference and this is just one small piece of a very big puzzle. This is the community's chance to put their money where their mouth is,” says Pat.

'I'm just dumbfounded how this rotten wreck is being left here to rot.”

Pat says yesterday's new information that the sunken stern section of the Rena has moved position on Astrolabe Reef strengthens their removal claims, not just for cultural and environmental reasons but due to safety.

'The fact that this is still moving makes it unsafe and I suppose they [the owners and insurers] are going to say it's unsafe to send anyone down there to do the job,” says Pat.

'Listening to all the reports [Tuesday's report to council] I'm not convinced at all. There's a lot of spin doctoring going on. If the Rena was made of gold or a billion dollars' worth of gold in it would it still be there? That is the question.”

BECA technical director of planning Keith Frentz told Tauranga City Council on Tuesday that further salvage work, after removing the remainder of the accommodation block, is too risky and will impact significantly on the environment.

He said full removal of the wreck will put the recovery of the reef and surrounding environment back between five to 10 years, if salvors were to continue cutting the wreck into pieces and potentially disturb harmful contaminants.

RENA Business Action Group chairman Nevan Lancaster, who spoke on behalf of 53 businesses who suffered losses in the grounding, says the comments from BECA are strategic.

He believes the information coming from the salvage work is in the best interest of the owners and insurers, not the Tauranga community.

'Keith has been employed by the Swedish Club to promote this; he's not going to change his mind now,” says Nevan.

'What he is saying is leaving a bunch of contaminants for 40 years is better than taking 80 or 90 per cent out of the water. We have all seen just this weekend a tropical storm is going to disturb the wreck and debris will get washed up on the shore and in Pilot Bay.”

Nevan says when the Rena ran aground its insurance cover was worth more than $1billion, but under the limits of maritime law in New Zealand it was only liable to pay $11.5million.

'To leave the wreck there is not a good one for New Zealand.”

The Government has so far settled with the owners and insurers for $27.6 million. Local businesses are also seeking compensation on the grounds of loss of income due to damage to the environment.

Tepaeru Nooroa-Paekau says she came along to the launch, with husband Tony and daughters Courtney, 11, and Jaime, 8, to show their support and show the problem is not just isolated to Mount Maunganui.

'Two and a half years ago I can just remember being devastated and emotional when our beaches at Papamoa were black with oil,” says Tepaeru.

'From then I've wanted to do what we can to help; whether that is signing the petition or whatever.”

Other people to speak at the launch were local Independent MP Brendan Horan, Labour Party Tauranga candidate Rachel Jones and Ngai Te Hapu representative Buddy Mikaere.

A local surfer signs the petition.