Boaties are being reminded to remain outside the temporary exclusion zone around the Rena wreck as work to remove the sunken accommodation section gets underway today.

Salvors will today begin the long awaited underwater cutting operation, says project spokesman for the Rena owners and insurers Hugo Shanahan.

He is hoping Resolve salvors will begin the lift of the first 350tonnes section later tomorrow.

The container ship Rena struck Astrolabe Reef on October 5 2011, and subsequently broke up with the larger stern section sliding down the northern face of the reef into water 50metres deep.

In addition to the long standing 3.7km exclusion zone around the wreck site on the Astrolabe Reef there is also exclusion zones of 500m around the RMG1000 deck barge that will be carrying sections of the sunken container ship's accommodation section from the reef to the shelter of Motiti Island, and the RMG500 crane barge.

Bay of Plenty Regional Council's harbourmaster Jennifer Roberts says Resolve Fire and Salvage is working on removing large pieces of wreck from the reef and transferring them from the crane barge RMG500 onto a deck barge, the RMG1000, which will be anchored near Motiti Island.

'The RMG1000 will be secured in place by four or more anchors, each marked with a large orange/yellow buoy and lit at night with a yellow flashing light,” says Jennifer.

'To ensure the safety of the divers and other workers involved in this operation, no unauthorised vessel may enter the temporary Moving Exclusion Zone, the first of which extends out 500 metres from the barge RMG500 during the transit from Astrolabe Reef towards Motiti Island while transporting pieces of the Rena accommodation block.”

Anyone breaching the direction is liable to a fine or prosecution, says Jennifer. The direction applies to all vessels, except those authorised by the harbourmaster or the duty salvage master.

In the salvage operations the ship's ‘house' will be cut and lifted in two 350 tonne sections by the crane barge RMG500 and transferred to the deck barge RMG1000.

In recent months the specialist salvage dive team have been burning rigging holes and clearing internal pathways to enable approximately 2000 metres of large industrial three inch wire chains to effectively saw the house into two sections.

Once cut, the two sections will be lifted onto the deck barge to be dismantled for scrap and, where possible, recycling. A team of small craft will be stationed at the reef to collect any debris released during the operation.

The temporary moving exclusion zone has been set around the barge transporting sections of the dismantled Rena accommodation block to the Port of Tauranga.

The first temporary exclusion zone will be located around the barge RMG500 while it moves between Astrolabe Reef (37⁰32.4'S 176⁰25.7'E) and Motiti Island (37⁰37.5'S 176⁰25.0'E).

A second temporary exclusion zone around the barge transfer site near Motiti Island will be at one of the following locations, depending on the weather:

1. 37⁰36.745'S 176⁰24.166'E
2. 37⁰36.700'S 176⁰24.502'E
3. 37⁰38.117'S 176⁰26.169'E

A third temporary moving exclusion zone will also be located around the barge RMG1000 while it transits between the anchorage at Motiti Island (37⁰37.5'S 176⁰25.0'E) and the Port of Tauranga.

The direction remains in force until Rena accommodation block transfer and removal operations are completed, says Jennifer.