She joins growing nationwide opposition towards foreign companies extracting and exporting New Zealand water.
- Waitangi Tribunal claimant hopes to stop water bottlers
- Water bottling hiatus urged
- Water bottling company in 'growth mode'
Chinese-owned company Cloud Ocean Water, which has consent to extract more than 1.5 billion litres of water each year, appears to be making a comeback following months of inactivity. It ceased production in its Belfast bottling plant in September following disappointing sales into China.
The company has now stated it is in “growth mode” in job advertisements.
It is advertising for various roles including a logistics officer, a senior public relations manager and a health and safety co-ordinator.
This comes as the company and its director Feng Liang, face charges from the Ministry of Primary Industries over allegedly attempting to possess 20kg of pickled plant material and providing false information to officials about it.
She would also be contacting central government over what she saw as a nationwide issue.
“I think it is concerning all over New Zealand.
"It is a central government issue and central government needs to look at the law and consider if we are allowing too much water to be taken. The law is generally allowing facilitation.”
A Cloud Ocean Water spokeswoman said production was mothballed in September with the view to reopen this year.
“This remains the case,” the spokeswoman said.
“Cloud Ocean Water is one of 30 water bottling companies in New Zealand and does not fall within the top 50 consented water users, by way of volume, in Canterbury.
“The total amount of bottled water produced in New Zealand is currently less than two minutes flow over the Huka Falls.”
However, Ms Hughey said ECan will be keeping a close eye on Cloud Ocean Water after it discovered plastic beads on land surrounding its site and waste and wash water in the nearby Kaputahi Creek in May last year.
Waitangi Tribunal claimant Maanu Paul is currently preparing his case for the High Court, which he hopes will force the Government into granting Māori customary rights over freshwater so that bottling export operations can be shut down.
A landmark Waitangi Tribunal report in August found Māori have rights over fresh water in New Zealand, and Mr Paul said the tribunal had recommended the case be taken to the High Court.
Locals in small Bay of Plenty community, Otakiri, are also battling Chinese-owned company Creswell NZ from extracting and exporting one billion litres of water a year.
Following a recent Environment Court appeal ending in a split decision, they are now going to the High Court.
