ORC acts after week long fuel leak from boat wreck

by Peter Newport - Feb 04, 2019

It has taken a team of Crux readers to get action on a wrecked boat that has been leaking fuel and oil onto a popular swimming beach for over a week.

Crux published photos, supplied by a Crux reader, of the wrecked boat this morning clearly showing fuel and oil leaking into Lake Wakatipu at the old Frankton wharf, on Frankton beach.

Fuel and oil has been leaking from the boat wreck for over a week onto a popular swimming beach at Frankton.

Harbourmaster Marty Black did not respond to Crux enquiries, and QLDC Chief Engineer Ulrich Glasner replied saying this was an ORC issue and they are responding.

Another Crux reader, Glenorchy based environmentalist Niki Gladding, made direct contact with the ORC after reading our story. The ORC is reported to be sending a crew from Alexandra to attempt to clean up the ongoing pollution.

The ORC's Senior Investigations and Enforcement Officer, Dwayne Calvert, when contacted by Crux a short time ago said he "could not confirm or deny" that a team was on its way from Alexandra to the boat wreck at Frankton but did confirm he had spoken with Niki Gladding this morning about the boat wreck. He said that the ORC's media policy did not allow him to comment further and he was "not allowed to talk with media."

An email to ORC's comms team has so far produced no reply.

Niki Gladding says that ORC told her this morning that a white containment boom around the wreck had been put in the water some days ago. The photos published by Crux clearly show the boom is having little if any effect on containing the leaking oil and fuel. Gladding also says that ORC could have issued an abatement notice that would allow them to lift the boat from the water and recover costs from the owners, but the ORC said that had no plans to take this course of action.