NZ Pure won’t be taking the Blue Springs water
A water bottling company has withdrawn its application to take 6.9 million litres of water a day from Putaruru’s Blue Spring to send overseas.
NZ Pure Blue Springs Limited told the Waikato Regional Council it would withdraw its resource consent application on Tuesday morning, a Waikato Regional Council spokesman said.
The company made the application in June to draw the water from Waihou River’s Blue Spring near Putaruru, South Waikato.
NZ Pure Blue Springs would have needed written approval from South Waikato iwi Raukawa by October 16 for the consent to be non-notified meaning the council would have agreed drawing the water would only have minor adverse effects on the environment.
In August, Raukawa told told the Waikato Regional Council resource use directorate that taking water directly from the spring would diminish the ‘‘mauri, wairua and mana of Te Puna (The Spring)’’.
Raukawa said the tribe would be adversely affected, and the relationship that Raukawa descendants have with the spring would be eroded.
Last year, the company tried to purchase the right to take and export 1.4 billion litres of water a year in Ashburton but withdrew after a public backlash.
NZ Pure Blue Springs has been approached for comment. The council would not comment further.
NZ Pure Blue Springs would have needed written approval from South Waikato iwi Raukawa by October 16 for the consent to be non-notified meaning the council would have agreed drawing the water would only have minor adverse effects on the environment.
In August, Raukawa told told the Waikato Regional Council resource use directorate that taking water directly from the spring would diminish the ‘‘mauri, wairua and mana of Te Puna (The Spring)’’.
Raukawa said the tribe would be adversely affected, and the relationship that Raukawa descendants have with the spring would be eroded.
Last year, the company tried to purchase the right to take and export 1.4 billion litres of water a year in Ashburton but withdrew after a public backlash.
NZ Pure Blue Springs has been approached for comment. The council would not comment further.