Water bottling plant seen as turning point for Murupara

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Planned water bottling plants for Murupara will be a turning point for the town, according to Whakatane mayor Tony Bonne.

Ngati Manawa has agreed to lease land for potentially two water bottling plants to be built, a deal it says could see up to 1500 jobs created in an area depressed since forestry moved away.

The joint operation is between New Zealand Aquifer, Ngati Manawa, and an as-yet unknown foreign investor.

It would take 18 million litres of water per day to bottle from an aquifer that indications show, is capable of supplying 70 million litres a day.

Bonne said work on the proposal had been ongoing for months prior to the public announcement, with Ngati Manawa only agreeing to go ahead once satisfied there would be no adverse effects to the water.

"Ngati Manawa undertook a lot of research on the aquifer and were quite adamant they would not support the idea if there was a chance of damage."

He said people within the community were often quick to get upset if bottled water was mentioned but needed to be aware of all the background work that went on to ensure the natural resource would not be damaged.

"As a council and I hope, as a country, we are behind this plan. Once people realise what is being done is not harmful, they need to get behind it."

He added Whakatane District Council, alongside other Murupara businesses, had been working to make the village better.

"Council has bought a number of burned buildings that we will be demolishing and creating a green space.

"We are looking forward to the community becoming vibrant and prosperous once again."

Ngati Manawa spokesman Kani Edwards said the protection and sustainability of the environment was of utmost importance to iwi.

"With these conditions satisfied, we were happy to look at how we could use our water to better our iwi and the community.

"Like many similar towns and villages around New Zealand, our community has faced decades of decline and neglect. Murupara has an unemployment rate of 27 per cent and most of those who do work, earn less than $21,000.

"We have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to secure a decent future for our people and for our generations."

Murupara Four Square owner Bruce Jenkins said the bottling plant could only be seen as a good thing.

"Murupara was once a thriving town but with the privatisation of forestry came deprivation. The bottling plant will create jobs where there is close to none and hopefully see other retailers open stores.

"In the mid '80s we had a hairdresser and a cafe, it would be great to see the town revitalised."

Waiariki MP Tamati Coffey, who was behind a petition calling for New Zealand water bottling companies to pay their fair share for water, said he would not comment on the Murupara plan until he had spoken with iwi.

"Until I've had the chance to get their understanding I won't say anything."

Early next week Ngati Manawa and partner company Murupara No1 will lodge a resource consent application to the Bay of Plenty Regional Council seeking approval to install a bore to access groundwater 100m underground.