Containers wash up at Waihi Beach | Bay of Plenty News | Local News in Bay of Plenty

Containers, milk powder and polystyrene debris have washed ashore at Waihi Beach this morning.

Waihi Beach Community Board member Derek Mills said there were four containers on the beach and at least another three could be seen floating out at sea.

"There's a least four containers on the beach and one of them is broken up and there's something that looks like milk powder.

"There's a great heap of that on the beach," he said.

Mr Mills was on the beach at 6am and said it looked as though the containers at sea were travelling north.

"That's what is scaring me because if they crash into the rocks at Coromandel and start banging into those rocks ... it's a bit of a shock I guess. We thought we were a bit bulletproof because last time it missed us and headed towards Maketu."

A spokeswoman for Maritime New Zealand confirmed representatives for Braemar Howells were sent to the beach today to put in security measures as some of the debris could be hazardous.

Waihi Leader editor Fritha Tagg was at the scene this morning.

"The beach is littered with polystyrene and there are lots of people on the beach looking," she said. "It runs from about the middle of the beach north."

Further along the beach Ms Tagg said there were "hundreds and hundreds of bags" of milk powder strewn into large piles.

"You can actually smell the milk powder but it is still powder, the bags must be well sealed."

Ms Tagg said she could see another container in the ocean that appeared to have milk powder inside. "That's what I can see through the cracks."

A helicopter had already been seen flying over the site by 7am.

Maritime New Zealand said it was important no one touched any debris or containers.

A hotline has been set up to report anything washed ashore. Phone 0800 333 771 or 027 897 4259.