After decades of lobbying, there's a glimmer of hope the Government may investigate the threat posed by a shipwreck dubbed an environmental time bomb.
The RMS Niagara sunk off Northland in the 40s after hitting German mines. Experts say the wreck could hold more oil than the amount discharged during the Rena disaster.
A ticking time bomb below the surface - that's how some classify this wartime wreck.
"There could be around 1000 tonnes of oil still on that wreck, but as I say nobody really knows," said shipwreck expert Keith Gordon.
Gordon knows the Niagara inside out. It lies off the Mokohinau Islands off the coast of Mangawhai, at a depth of 121 metres.
The ship is in its 'peak leak' period - where ruptures occur due to erosion - and 1000 tonnes of oil or more would be nearly three times the 350 tonnes spilled during the Rena disaster.
"It is a very high-risk wreck. We know there is still oil in that ship and it's been coming to the surface ever since it sank and we've actually struck oil slicks coming from it 15 kilometres long," Gordon warned.
There is some fear that the pristine Hauraki Gulf is under threat. Previous Governments have failed to act, but now the pressure's on.
"Well this Government talks about the bread and butter of this century. If this oil leak gets out then the bread and butter for this generation, and for three generations ahead of us, will be mopping up oil on the beautiful coastlines of Aotearoa," Hauraki Gulf Forum co-chair Nicola MacDonald said.
When she sank, the Niagara leaked oil six inches thick along parts of the Northland coast and divers have filmed evidence it's still leaking.
"We want an investigation to be done on the Niagara and we want the Government to move on this really quickly. We are absolutely concerned that we've got an environmental disaster right on our doorstep," MacDonald said.
There may finally be help on the horizon - on Saturday the Associate Transport Minister, Kiri Allan, told Newshub she's not ruling out a marine survey and the matter is under review.
Any survey needs to be carefully managed to avoid a spill, but she also said it's hard to say with confidence how much oil is on board.
"The message is we need you to execute the investigation so we know what we're dealing with," MacDonald said.
So we're not dealing with scenes like those after the Rena.
