Love Our Wai - Let's stop the plastic!

By Niki Gladding

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NZ $31,680 pledged


644 people pledged


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This campaign was successful and closed on 08/05/2019 at 12:00 PM.

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About

Love Our Wai - Let's Stop The Plastic!

Project 2019-03-17 17:27:11 +1300

 

New Zealand: The plastic creation nation. Is this our future?

Sustainable Otakiri needs to raise $43,125 by May 8th or it may have to withdraw its Environment Court appeal against Cresswell NZ.  Please give us a chance to stop the bottling and STOP THE PLASTIC!

PLEDGE or DONATE (Otakiri Save Our Water and Environment 06 0489 0754608 30 ) THANK YOU!

This will be disastrous for NZ and our region:

The factory will:

·         take 1.1 million m3 of deep-aquifer water/year 

·         discharge up to 450m3 per day of high-phosphorus process water to a local stream flowing into the Tarawera River. 

·         produce 6m3 of compressed plastic waste daily, from reject bottles and packaging  AND produce 2,451, 960 bottles (of various sizes) each day. 

·         create 202 truck and trailer journeys from Tauranga to Otakiri (and associated emissions) each day - that's one truck every three minutes.

 

We can win this!

Minister Eugenie Sage said she was powerless to stop this, but the community isn't!  

Sustainable Otakiri has appealed the land use consent. If it is successful, the Court’s ruling will prevent Cresswell building the plant and buying the land. The Society has a strongly arguable case that the application should be declined.  AWA has seen the legal advice and agrees that the case needs to be heard by the Environment Court.  The Hearing will be held on 20th May this year - in a matter of weeks. If the Society can't raise $43,125 by 8th May then it will have to withdraw its appeal. Sustainable Otakiri has twice applied for Government funding via the Environmental Legal Assistance fund and has now been turned down for the second time. 

 

 

 

Who are we? 

Aotearoa Water Action is a group of volunteers working hard to protect New Zealand’s water sovereignty - we want to ensure there will always be enough clean water to meet the various needs of New Zealand’s communities and to support healthy ecosystems.  Part of our role is to facilitate legal action to achieve that, so we’re fundraising on behalf of Sustainable Otakiri so they can continue their court battle against Cresswell NZ. 

Our website is www.aotearoawateraction.org & our facebook page is @aotearoawateraction 

Aotearoa Water Action has received permission from Sustainable Otakiri to run the Pledge Me campaign. If the campaign is successful, all money raised will go towards the group's (capped) legal and expert witness costs -$25 000 +GST for legal costs and $12,500 + GST for expert evidence.  If the group decides they have to settle and withdraw the appeal then the full amount will be refunded to AWA to be put to one or more of the following purposes (in priority order): helping tangata whenua oppose two bottling plants proposed for Murupara; funding opposition to any other proposed plants in the Bay of Plenty;  funding opposition to any other bottling plant(s). 

AWA and Sustainable Otakiri are run 100% by volunteers so all money raised goes towards legal costs.

Sustainable Otakiri's facebook page is save Our Wai @sustainableotakiri

 

It’s time to care a whole lot more about our precious water and how we use it!

 

Media & Resources:

Consent granted for Chinese water bottling giant to purchase Otakiri Spring

Green MP and minister Eugenie Sage under fire from party members over Otakiri water-bottling decision

Whakatāne iwi appeal water bottling consents

Decision Report

 

 Rewards:

Cedar Nook B&B, Otakiri.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Comments

Updates 7

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NZ Government secretly funded water botting companies

04/04/2019 at 2:46 PM

Hi team

We're getting there - thanks for the support!

Here's a link to the story that aired on April 2nd: TVNZ Story - 2 April 2079

And here's the text of our Press Release that no outlet seemed to want to publish:

Media release 4 April 2019
NEW ZEALAND GOVERNMENT SECRETLY FUNDED WATER BOTTLING COMPANIES
New Zealand Trade and Enterprise (NZTE) has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars of tax payer money to fund two water bottling companies but has refused to release the names or locations of the companies involved or what exactly the money was given to them for. It has confirmed one company is foreign owned.
Documents obtained by Aotearoa Water Action (AWA) under the Official Information Act also reveal that NZTE invited water bottling company Nongfu to visit New Zealand in April 2015. The company is seeking to significantly expand the existing Otakiri Spring bottling plant in the Bay of Plenty with strong public opposition. Documents out of Minister Parker’s Office state that Nongfu Spring’s project with Otakiri Spring is in the NZTE investment pipeline as a ‘significant project’.
Sustainable Otakiri, a neighbourhood group challenging the resource consent, is seeking to block the 16,800m2 plant which will take up to 1,100,000m3 of local water per year, discharge up to 450m3 of phosphorus-rich process water per day into a nearby stream and put another 202 truck and trailer units daily on the already dangerous road to Tauranga.
“It’s a shock to learn that Nongfu may have potentially been funded by the taxpayer to take our water,” says Maureen Fraser of Sustainable Otakiri. “It’s clear that the government and our local council have been pushing this deal and the industry for years and it’s all been done in the shadows. The lack of transparency around this is a big concern. We feel let down – by the government, Minister Sage and our local council.”
She says it is unbelievable that the government is willing to fund multi-million dollar water bottling companies yet has left community group Sustainable Otakiri to crowdfund its Environment Court appeal against a subsidiary of Nongfu after the Government’s Environmental Legal Assistance Fund (ELA) declined its application making it virtually impossible for the community to challenge the consents.
Peter Richardson of Aotearoa Water Action (AWA) says the Resource Management Act was designed to have public participation as a check and balance but the financial obstacles for people wanting to oppose decisions is prohibitive leaving communities vulnerable. AWA has set up a PledgeMe campaign to help assist Sustainable Otakiri’s appeal.
“If the Ministry won’t create good law to manage water allocation, won’t adequately oversee the implementation of the Act by local councils and won’t fund public participation then the necessary safeguards, checks and balances aren’t there and our environment is at risk.”

ENDS

 

You need to pledge to see this update.

    Pledgers 644

    David Barnett
    29/03/2019 at 2:11pm
    kyle
    29/03/2019 at 1:28pm
    marnie reid
    28/03/2019 at 6:38pm

    "Our water, is our life"

    Kelly Mccartie
    28/03/2019 at 2:16pm

    "Keep up the good work. Please help."

    Matias Iacono
    26/03/2019 at 10:37am
    Carol Machaj
    26/03/2019 at 7:01am
    Helen
    25/03/2019 at 8:14pm

    "Kia kaha"

    Anonymous pledger
    25/03/2019 at 3:06pm
    Simon Mottram
    25/03/2019 at 1:40pm
    Josh Biddick
    25/03/2019 at 8:52am

    "Great cause! This would be disastrous for our waterways in New Zealand. Keep fighting the good fight!"

    Laura Wood
    23/03/2019 at 12:55pm
    Malcolm Helyar
    23/03/2019 at 10:52am

    "Action is needed to stop free water being exported and harming the local environment to do so."

    Ian Gray
    23/03/2019 at 7:59am

    "Save our Wai - we have to stop this crazy water bottling nonsense"

    Anonymous pledger
    22/03/2019 at 1:59pm

    Followers

    Followers of Love Our Wai - Let's stop the plastic!

    Love Our Wai - Let's Stop The Plastic!

    Project 2019-03-17 17:27:11 +1300

     

    New Zealand: The plastic creation nation. Is this our future?

    Sustainable Otakiri needs to raise $43,125 by May 8th or it may have to withdraw its Environment Court appeal against Cresswell NZ.  Please give us a chance to stop the bottling and STOP THE PLASTIC!

    PLEDGE or DONATE (Otakiri Save Our Water and Environment 06 0489 0754608 30 ) THANK YOU!

    This will be disastrous for NZ and our region:

    The factory will:

    ·         take 1.1 million m3 of deep-aquifer water/year 

    ·         discharge up to 450m3 per day of high-phosphorus process water to a local stream flowing into the Tarawera River. 

    ·         produce 6m3 of compressed plastic waste daily, from reject bottles and packaging  AND produce 2,451, 960 bottles (of various sizes) each day. 

    ·         create 202 truck and trailer journeys from Tauranga to Otakiri (and associated emissions) each day - that's one truck every three minutes.

     

    We can win this!

    Minister Eugenie Sage said she was powerless to stop this, but the community isn't!  

    Sustainable Otakiri has appealed the land use consent. If it is successful, the Court’s ruling will prevent Cresswell building the plant and buying the land. The Society has a strongly arguable case that the application should be declined.  AWA has seen the legal advice and agrees that the case needs to be heard by the Environment Court.  The Hearing will be held on 20th May this year - in a matter of weeks. If the Society can't raise $43,125 by 8th May then it will have to withdraw its appeal. Sustainable Otakiri has twice applied for Government funding via the Environmental Legal Assistance fund and has now been turned down for the second time. 

     

     

     

    Who are we? 

    Aotearoa Water Action is a group of volunteers working hard to protect New Zealand’s water sovereignty - we want to ensure there will always be enough clean water to meet the various needs of New Zealand’s communities and to support healthy ecosystems.  Part of our role is to facilitate legal action to achieve that, so we’re fundraising on behalf of Sustainable Otakiri so they can continue their court battle against Cresswell NZ. 

    Our website is www.aotearoawateraction.org & our facebook page is @aotearoawateraction 

    Aotearoa Water Action has received permission from Sustainable Otakiri to run the Pledge Me campaign. If the campaign is successful, all money raised will go towards the group's (capped) legal and expert witness costs -$25 000 +GST for legal costs and $12,500 + GST for expert evidence.  If the group decides they have to settle and withdraw the appeal then the full amount will be refunded to AWA to be put to one or more of the following purposes (in priority order): helping tangata whenua oppose two bottling plants proposed for Murupara; funding opposition to any other proposed plants in the Bay of Plenty;  funding opposition to any other bottling plant(s). 

    AWA and Sustainable Otakiri are run 100% by volunteers so all money raised goes towards legal costs.

    Sustainable Otakiri's facebook page is save Our Wai @sustainableotakiri

     

    It’s time to care a whole lot more about our precious water and how we use it!

     

    Media & Resources:

    Consent granted for Chinese water bottling giant to purchase Otakiri Spring

    Green MP and minister Eugenie Sage under fire from party members over Otakiri water-bottling decision

    Whakatāne iwi appeal water bottling consents

    Decision Report

     

     Rewards:

    Cedar Nook B&B, Otakiri.

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Comments

    You need to pledge to see this update.

    You need to pledge to see this update.

    You need to pledge to see this update.

    You need to pledge to see this update.

    You need to pledge to see this update.

    NZ Government secretly funded water botting companies

    04/04/2019 at 2:46 PM

    Hi team

    We're getting there - thanks for the support!

    Here's a link to the story that aired on April 2nd: TVNZ Story - 2 April 2079

    And here's the text of our Press Release that no outlet seemed to want to publish:

    Media release 4 April 2019
    NEW ZEALAND GOVERNMENT SECRETLY FUNDED WATER BOTTLING COMPANIES
    New Zealand Trade and Enterprise (NZTE) has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars of tax payer money to fund two water bottling companies but has refused to release the names or locations of the companies involved or what exactly the money was given to them for. It has confirmed one company is foreign owned.
    Documents obtained by Aotearoa Water Action (AWA) under the Official Information Act also reveal that NZTE invited water bottling company Nongfu to visit New Zealand in April 2015. The company is seeking to significantly expand the existing Otakiri Spring bottling plant in the Bay of Plenty with strong public opposition. Documents out of Minister Parker’s Office state that Nongfu Spring’s project with Otakiri Spring is in the NZTE investment pipeline as a ‘significant project’.
    Sustainable Otakiri, a neighbourhood group challenging the resource consent, is seeking to block the 16,800m2 plant which will take up to 1,100,000m3 of local water per year, discharge up to 450m3 of phosphorus-rich process water per day into a nearby stream and put another 202 truck and trailer units daily on the already dangerous road to Tauranga.
    “It’s a shock to learn that Nongfu may have potentially been funded by the taxpayer to take our water,” says Maureen Fraser of Sustainable Otakiri. “It’s clear that the government and our local council have been pushing this deal and the industry for years and it’s all been done in the shadows. The lack of transparency around this is a big concern. We feel let down – by the government, Minister Sage and our local council.”
    She says it is unbelievable that the government is willing to fund multi-million dollar water bottling companies yet has left community group Sustainable Otakiri to crowdfund its Environment Court appeal against a subsidiary of Nongfu after the Government’s Environmental Legal Assistance Fund (ELA) declined its application making it virtually impossible for the community to challenge the consents.
    Peter Richardson of Aotearoa Water Action (AWA) says the Resource Management Act was designed to have public participation as a check and balance but the financial obstacles for people wanting to oppose decisions is prohibitive leaving communities vulnerable. AWA has set up a PledgeMe campaign to help assist Sustainable Otakiri’s appeal.
    “If the Ministry won’t create good law to manage water allocation, won’t adequately oversee the implementation of the Act by local councils and won’t fund public participation then the necessary safeguards, checks and balances aren’t there and our environment is at risk.”

    ENDS

     

    You need to pledge to see this update.

      David Barnett
      29/03/2019 at 2:11pm
      kyle
      29/03/2019 at 1:28pm
      marnie reid
      28/03/2019 at 6:38pm

      "Our water, is our life"

      Kelly Mccartie
      28/03/2019 at 2:16pm

      "Keep up the good work. Please help."

      Matias Iacono
      26/03/2019 at 10:37am
      Carol Machaj
      26/03/2019 at 7:01am
      Helen
      25/03/2019 at 8:14pm

      "Kia kaha"

      Anonymous pledger
      25/03/2019 at 3:06pm
      Simon Mottram
      25/03/2019 at 1:40pm
      Josh Biddick
      25/03/2019 at 8:52am

      "Great cause! This would be disastrous for our waterways in New Zealand. Keep fighting the good fight!"

      Laura Wood
      23/03/2019 at 12:55pm
      Malcolm Helyar
      23/03/2019 at 10:52am

      "Action is needed to stop free water being exported and harming the local environment to do so."

      Ian Gray
      23/03/2019 at 7:59am

      "Save our Wai - we have to stop this crazy water bottling nonsense"

      Anonymous pledger
      22/03/2019 at 1:59pm

      Followers of Love Our Wai - Let's stop the plastic!

      This campaign was successful and got its funding on 08/05/2019 at 12:00 PM.