Milford Sound gets all-clear after diesel spill

9.00am

Milford Sound reopened to tourist boat operators today after a two-day clean-up of a large diesel spill in the port, believed to be the result of sabotage.

Up to 14,000 litres of diesel spilled from a tank aboard the 39m Real Journeys launch Milford Monarch into Freshwater Basin on Saturday night.

Police are investigating the incident, in which a water hose was placed into a pipe connected to the fuel tank.

The head of the clean-up operation, Warren Tuckey from Environment Southland, said heavy rain overnight had helped break up the remnants of the slick.

"The diesel that's escaping into Milford Sound is reacting as we expected: it's dispersing naturally, it's moving around the sound with the tide and the wind," he told National Radio.

While there was still a sheen clinging to the hulls of the tourist boats docked in the port, the clean-up team would move in to "tidy up" once the vessels left at 9am, he said.

Specialist oil spill response staff, assisted by tourism company workers and Milford residents, worked night and day to clean up the port.

Oily water was suctioned out of Freshwater Basin and was being stored in tanks on land.

Environment Southland spokeswoman Nikki Waghorn said there was still "an oily sheen" out in the sounds and the clean-up specialists would be reassessing the situation at lunchtime.

"Then we'll be focusing our attention on how to deal with the waste," she told NZPA this morning.

The final cost of the clean-up and the loss to tourist operators had yet to be calculated.

While it appeared the impact on wildlife had been minimal, Conservation Minister Chris Carter yesterday called for an inquiry into the incident.

"While the tourism companies have been doing their best with security, something for DOC to work through is whether staff on the ground there might be able to be deployed in a different way."

Protecting Milford's reputation as an environmental jewel was of the utmost importance, Mr Carter said.

"We're really keen to give a powerful message that New Zealand is not a place where these things happen and that anywhere could have a one-off accident."

An oil boom remained in place across the harbour overnight.

Real Journeys cancelled its scheduled overnight cruises and staff were deployed into the clean up operation. Chief executive Dave Hawkey said the loss in revenue to Milford would have been "hundreds of thousands of dollars".

"But you can't put a price on returning Milford Sound to its pristine state.

"We're just glad to be back in business today -- it's a stunning day in Milford Sound."

Department of Conservation wildlife response staff have assessed wildlife impacts and have stood down from the oil spill response.

However, all operators and staff remaining in the area are to keep an eye out for any signs of affected or distressed wildlife.

- NZPA