A group of 53 business owners who lost more than $5 million in the 2011 summer are hoping mediation with the Rena's insurers next month will finally see them receive compensation.

No business owner has yet been compensated for losses suffered after the Rena cargo ship, owned by Daina Shipping and insured by The Swedish Club, struck the Astrolabe Reef in October 2011.

Spokesperson for the Business Action Group Nevan Lancaster says the Rena's insurer has never compensated local businesses for an entire lost summer of business.

In March 2012, SunLive reported Tauranga business operators suffering losses from the disaster could make claims against the container ship's insurers – The Swedish Club.

Spokesperson for the Business Action Group, Nevan Lancaster, says the company has never even said ‘sorry' – let alone compensated business owners for an lost summer of business.

'Not only are we out of pocket for lost business during the weeks of closure but we are still waiting for resolution. We have a mediation in June, but the Rena's insurer is fighting all the way,” says Nevan.

The Business Action Group is pursuing a claim against The Swedish, which has limited the total amount that can be claimed against them for ‘property damage and losses' to about $11 million.

There's currently a live legal claim for a total of $11.5-12 million, which is being mediated on June 16-17.

The total of $11.5-12 million is made up of the Business Action Group's claim of $5.5 million (for their 53 claimants) and the claims from an additional 15 claimants.

Of the total $5.5 million being claimed by the Business Action Group's 53 members, the smallest claim is for $18,000 and the largest is for $520,000.

The 53 small business claimants include commercial fishers, accommodation providers, fishing charter companies, adventure sports, boat tours and sports clubs.

The Rena cargo ship when it struck the Astrolabe Reef in October 2011.

'Since the Rena grounded and sank, small business-owners like us have been held up by court proceedings and delays while the ship's owners and insurers argue they have little or no liability,” says Nevan.

'In fact, the insurers want all land-based claims struck out of the court proceedings.”

Nevan says a number of the business owners are getting tired and worn out after trying to receive compensation for two-and-a-half years – and some wonder if this slow ‘wearing down' has simply been a stand-over tactic of a multinational insurance company.

The Swedish Club' is a $600 million company based in Sweden and is itself only a small cog in a much bigger multi-national insurance business, says Nevan.

'The Swedish Club are doing all they can to ensure that no land-based Bay of Plenty business is recognised in the claim for compensation because this might set a precedent for the next time an oil spill occurs.”

'Some money has been granted by MSC [Mediterranean Shipping Company], the company that chartered the Rena, for local organisations such as Tourism BOP – and others – and we are grateful for the work they have done to highlight the Bay is back in business.

'However, none of this money has come to the small business operators who lost actual income over many weeks as people stayed away in droves,” says Nevan.

Nevan says all of the businesses represented in the Business Action Group have evidence of losses due to the oil spill in their annual accounts.

'These were real dollar losses with visible negative impacts.

'All we want is a fair go.”

So far $1m has been granted by MSC, the company that chartered the Rena, but it has no legal liability for the grounding.