March 24, 2023
Iwi petition water bottling consent
A Whanganui iwi leader says more action is planned to protest a consent to extract and sell up to 750,000 litres a week of groundwater from a bore near the Whanganui River.
Tupoho iwi chair Ken Mair led a hikoi this week to deliver a petition to the Whanganui City Council against a consent granted to Aquifer 182 Holding Company Ltd to reopen an existing bore at a former milk bottling plant in the city.
He says it’s stealing, and no consents should be granted until the iwi’s 20 year old Waitangi Tribunal claim for groundwater is heard.
“We’re aware there is a mediation hearing, there’s likely to be a environment court hearing, all those types of things. At those hearings we will be there in numbers and make it clear to all and sundry you are not going to get away with this,” Mr Mair says.
He’s concerned the local directors of Aquifer 182 still haven’t revealed who the overseas entity is which owns 50 percent of the shares.