The estimated total cost of the Rena clean-up is about $130 million and of that government agencies have so far spent $28 million, Parliament has been told.
Environment Minister Nick Smith says the $130 million figure is "a crude estimate" and there won't be any certainty about the total cost until salvage and clean-up is completed.
The container ship MV Rena has been aground on a reef off Tauranga since early October, spilling oil and debris which has washed up on beaches and islands.
Dr Smith says most of the costs are being met directly by the Rena's owner, Greek shipping company Costamare, and involve salvaging fuel, cargo and the ship itself.
The government intends recovering from Costamare and its insurers the $28 million its agencies have spent, he says.
NZN