A tractor found on the beach has puzzled ORC senior environment officer Richard Lord.
"We don't know who it belongs to, but we want it gone," he said.
The regional council was on Wednesday notified about the tractor, believed to have been there since the weekend.
Mr Lord inspected the semi-submerged tractor at low tide yesterday and was informed by residents it had been towing a trailer - which was fully submerged in the soft sand.
It appeared the tractor had been involved in the launch of a boat, "so someone must be missing it".
"We are hoping someone comes forward and tells us who owns it . . . before we track them down."
It was likely the owner would be billed for the cost of removing the tractor and trailer, Mr Lord said.
Doug Hall, of Hall Bros Transport, would remove the tractor and trailer at low tide this afternoon with the deployment of a 20-tonne excavator.
"We will have a dig around her and pull her out," he said.
As a result of its temporary burial, the tractor was "next to useless".
Alana Grant, who was walking her dogs along the beach when she noticed the submerged tractor, summed it up for the mystery owner.
"Bugger."
