Public sidelined over Christchurch deep-bore bottling plan

Wednesday, 12 December 2018

Christchurch City councillor Vicki Buck is appalled by decision to grant water rights to Cloud Ocean Water without public discussion. (Video first published December 12, 2018)

Muzzling the Christchurch public over now-approved water-bottling using deep aquifer water is a 'massive kick in the face' for the city.

That's the view of Christchurch City councillor Vicki Buck, who says it is 'abhorrent' residents have been sidelined over the future of their drinking water.

Christchurch Mayor Lianne Dalziel is also 'dismayed' Cloud Ocean Water's plans to extract water from a 186-metre deep bore at its Belfast bottling operation to sell overseas have been approved by Environment Canterbury-appointed independent commissioner Richard Fowler, QC.

Canterbury water is being bottled for sale overseas.

Dalziel said it was very disappointing not to allow the public a say and was unhappy the council had been pushed to one side over such an important resource consent application.

A look at Christchurch's Cloud Ocean Estate water bottling production plant. (Video first published in November 2018)

* Fears over threat to city drinking supplies from water bottling plant**

'It is crystal clear from all of the advice we have received internally that this potentially places at risk our drinking water supply in the future as the area around Belfast expands,' she said.

City councillor Vicki Buck is 'shocked and appalled' at the decision: 'I can't think of a worse outcome.'

Fowler decided the application did not meet the thresholds to be notified either publicly or in limited fashion.

Expert evidence had found the effects on the environment 'would be no more than minor', Fowler said.

Cloud Ocean Water can use deep-bore water for its operation, an Environment Canterbury-appointed independent commissioner has decided.

He has granted the company consent to change the conditions of an existing consent to take water from a deeper bore within its current allocation.

That bore would be 186 metres deep – about the same as putting two Pacific Towers, Christchurch's tallest building containing the Rendezvous Hotel, end-to-end.

Aotearoa Water Action (AWA) campaign spokesman Peter Richardson said a judicial review of Fowler's decision was possible.

'We can't really see how he could explain how he made that decision. Public concern is one of the things you need to take into account. I don't know that he has.'

ECan general counsel Catherine Schache said the council knew this would be 'a frustrating decision for members of the public who wanted to have their say'.

'The Resource Management Act allows for consents to be publicly notified so people can present their views but only in certain circumstances, and this wasn't the case with this.'

A Cloud Ocean Water spokeswoman said the company was 'pleased a decision has been made'.

She said Cloud Ocean had never used the old industrial Kaputone Wool Scour (1994) Ltd consent transferred to it. The only consent used was the new one granted in December 2017 specifically for water bottling.

The city council has been strongly opposed to the plan over ts possible impacts on public drinking-water supplies.

It has also been angered by ECan's approach, demanding the regional council undertake a thorough environmental assessment.

ECan would not comment when asked if there was concern about how the decision might reflect on its reputation.

Buck was 'shocked and appalled' at the decision: 'I can't think of a worse outcome.'

The council had asked for the application to be publicly notified or at least notified on a limited basis so its views could be considered, she said.

'We've been completely ignored. It's just so abhorrent and a massive kick in the face that the people of Christchurch have no say in the future of their drinking water.'

The Cloud Ocean bore was in an area where the council expected a 50 per cent increase in demand during the next 30 years.

Taking water from the deeper bore meant Cloud Ocean would be taking water from the same aquifer that supplied drinking water.

If the council wanted to apply for a consent to take more water from the area, it would now have to prove that it would not interfere with Cloud Ocean's take.

In his decision, Fowler said there would be no significant effects from saltwater intrusion or on aquifer stability, surrounding groundwater users, surface water resources, water quality and tangata whenua values.

Conditions would be added to the consent to ensure recording and monitoring of the water level, temperature and water conductivity in the new bore, along with a 'backflow prevention device'.