Tauranga: Item that sparked Totara St closure no threat to safety - police

Police blocked the entrance to Totara St.

An item that sparked road closures and reports of a possible explosive in Mount Maunganui has been found to be no threat to safety, police say.

Experts had examined the item found on Waimarie St and "no longer deem it suspicious" police said in a statement.

The Bay of Plenty Times understands the item was an electrical component of a container.

Part of Totara St was cordoned off for just over an hour today while police assessed the item.

Tauranga City Council's transport operations centre said at 1.18pm there was a possibility an "improvised explosive device" had been located at the container port on the street and warned cordons were being put up. Police said Totara St and Hewletts Rd were being cordoned off.

A Port of Tauranga spokeswoman said the incident was not inside the port gates.
A Fire and Emergency spokesperson confirmed firefighters were attending a situation on Totara St, but directed inquiries to the police.

The cordons were lifted about 3pm, with police saying they would continue to have a prescence in the port area.

During the incident, businesses in the area were left with little information and few shoppers.

Fin Linton, a senior salesman at Burnsco on nearby Kereiti St, said about 2.15pm that the store had not heard from the police about what was going on. "We know cops have shut off the road that leads into here — we've had an empty carpark. But we haven't been told anything further, they haven't come and seen us or anything."

An employee of another business, who did not want to be named, said he learned of the situation through social media while on his break. He said he thought it was for the best that the police were "trying to keep everyone as calm as possible".

"They probably just want to put everything into not letting anyone get near the area."

Container Co NZL on Waimarie St was contacted for comment.