A stone penguin sculpture at Mount Maunganui, residents of Motiti Island and Tourism Bay of Plenty are among recipients of a $1million Rena Recovery Fund.

The $1million fund is a donation from Mediterranean Shipping Company – the charterers of the cargo ship Rena when it hit Astrolabe Reef on October 5, 2011.

Debris and milk powder washed ashore from containers off the Rena.

Although MSC was not responsible for the operations of the ship when it grounded, its managing director of MSC (Aust) Pty Ltd, Kevin Clarke, says the company was concerned about the costs imposed on the community following the environmental disaster and has donated $1million towards local organisations.

'We want to recognise and thank those community organisations which put so much effective volunteer effort into putting things right again,” says Kevin.

The project has approved a number of applications including funding the stone sculpture of the penguin release at Leisure Island, unveiled on Saturday. Carved from Oamaru stone by Bay of Plenty artist Peter Cramond, the sculpture depicts the release of penguins that had been covered in oil during the disaster.

It was placed at Mount Maunganui Main Beach to commemorate the second anniversary of the Rena disaster on October 5.

A total of $366,000 will go to the Motiti Island community, as the community most directly and most significantly affected by the grounding and subsequent oil spill. The money is allocated to the various island groups that submitted applications.

The next largest grant goes to Tourism Bay of Plenty to assist in implementing initiatives to promote tourism businesses that suffered losses as a result of the grounding.

Other organisations receiving funds include volunteer coastguard, lifeguard services, fire brigades, and community trusts whose individual efforts played a major role in mitigating the environmental impacts of the disaster.

SunLive is still awaiting details of what clubs and organisations received grants and what the funds will go towards.

The fund is chaired by former Chief District Court Judge Sir Peter Trapski, with committee members including Tauranga Mayor Stuart Crosby, Western Bay of Plenty Mayor Ross Paterson, BOP Regional Council Chair John Cronin, Iwi representative Te Awanui Black, and the shipping company of MSC (Aust) Pty Ltd was represented by Kevin Clarke.