RR Phantom
Location : Wasted Space
Job/hobbies : Cayman Islands Actuary
 |  Subject: OZschwitz: NSW bans commercially bottled water in all government departments  Thu Jul 09, 2009 3:08 am | |
| THE State Government has followed the lead of the Southern Highlands village of Bundanoon, and moved to ban commercially bottled water in all government departments and agencies.
The Premier, Nathan Rees, said he was seeking "urgent advice" on ways to reduce bottled water consumption across the state, including a public campaign highlighting the economic and environmental costs of the bottled water market.
At a Bundanoon town meeting last night, residents debated the merits of a local ban, which apparently has widespread support and may come into effect later this year.
The bottled water industry, which sent representatives to Bundanoon last night to monitor the outcome, was fighting a rearguard action yesterday to protect the $500 million-a-year trade.
Mr Rees said he had asked the Department of Premier and Cabinet and the Department of Environment and Climate Change to come up with ways to "significantly reduce" bottled water use.
"We're asking government departments to phase it out unless there is obvious and practical commonsense reasons not to, in the event someone doesn't have cool water in a hot environment," he said.
Mr Rees said there was no reason to drink bottled water because tap water had a better taste.
"As water minister, I conducted a survey of 300 people with Ian Kiernan from Clean Up Australia, which dispelled the myth that bottled water tastes better," Mr Rees said.
"The reality is that the majority of people preferred tap water over spring or purified water in a blind taste test."
Huw Kingston, the Bundanoon cafe and bike shop owner who developed the idea of a ban, said his community was strongly supporting such a ban.
"We're not trying to save the world by doing this - it's a small step - but it's time somebody stood up to this wonderful marketing con job that says we will sell you water at 300 times the price of water from the tap," Mr Kingston said.
The bottled water ban would have no legislative force, instead relying on the town's shopkeepers maintaining a united position. People would be able to fill their own bottles for free from filtered water fountains to be installed on the main street and in the local public school.
Mr Kingston said he had been bombarded by people wanting to know about the proposal, and had fielded calls yesterday from London and Japan.
The bottled water lobby said having bottled water on shop shelves gave people a healthier and equally convenient alternative to soft drinks.
"The suggestion that the general public is being conned by marketing is quite insulting, and as a member of the general public I take umbrage with that," said Geoff Parker, the chief executive of the Australasian Bottled Water Institute, the industry group that represents most commercial water-bottling firms.
"The public is aware of the costs and should be allowed to make their own choice - people need to satisfy their hydration needs from a whole range of sources."
State Government research has shown that more than half the plastic water bottles sold are never used again, and end up in landfill sites or as litter.
* Last night the Federal Government released a discussion paper on the design of a national waste policy, which it hopes to bring into force next year.
The Environment Minister, Peter Garrett, said the policy would focus on treating waste as a resource rather than rubbish, and the policy document suggested that it would feature greater emphasis on businesses taking responsibility for the products they produce.
The Government is inviting public comments before July 31.
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