Selling water ‘slippery slope’
A Christchurch City Council-led commercial bottling operation selling the city’s pure aquifer water overseas would face no legal barriers, an environmental legal expert believes.
The idea has been mooted by councillor Aaron Keown, who wants to investigate the possibility of the authority running a bottling company and using the income to offset rates.
His vision would see water from Christchurch’s aquifers sold as a premium product in recycled glass bottles in the likes of the bars of New York and Las Vegas.
Water conservation campaigners have dismissed the idea as ‘‘pie in the sky’’ and of ‘‘greed trumping environmental and community concerns’’.
Environment Canterbury (ECan) councillor Peter Skelton said there was nothing in the law to prevent the city council setting up a commercial business similar to others that already exist in Christchurch.
The appointed ECan councillor and former Environment Court judge said aside from the usual consenting process, the proposal would face no legal barriers under the Resource Management Act (RMA).
‘‘I don’t think there is anything in the law to stop Christchurch City Council and Nga¯i Tahu from forming a joint venture to apply to take water for bottling export purposes.
‘‘Under the RMA anybody can apply for a resource consent, you don’t have to be a New Zealander.’’
The Act states the sole right to use fresh water was vested in the Crown, which delegates the ability to control use to regional councils such as ECan.
Provided the necessary resources consents are granted and regulations are met, any individual can set up a bottling operation.
Campaign group Aotearoa Water Action (AWA), which is embroiled in a court case against Belfast bottling operation Cloud Ocean Water and ECan over the granting of consents, opposes the idea, branding the commodification of water the start of a ‘‘slippery slope’’.
Water bottling was a ‘‘wasteful and destructive industry that has no social benefits and very few economic benefits’’, spokesman Peter Richardson said.
‘‘As soon as any resource such as water is commercialised then inevitably the result will be that environmental and community interests take second place to commercial interests.
‘‘We don’t necessarily believe that there is the water available in Christchurch to be used for export and we don’t trust Environment Canterbury to adequately manage any process to assess whether that’s the case, given their track record.’’
A spokeswoman for Nga¯ i Tahu said the iwi had no comment on the proposal.