The Australian Beverages Council has hit back at what it has called “misleading” claims from Indigo Council and Stanley residents who do not want their groundwater used in bottled water.
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But Australian Beverages Council chief executive officer Geoff Parker has come to the company’s defence, saying the debate lacked “factual context”.
The council’s Australasian Bottled Water Institute manages groundwater sources and grants accreditation to property owners, who have to provide reports to show they are sustainable.
“Claims by some commentators that the sustainability of the Stanley groundwater supply is under threat have not been verified and ABWI has not been furnished with any evidence to suggest anything is remotely wrong with any water source in the area,” Mr Parker said.
“It is both untrue and misleading to suggest that the legitimate and responsible extraction of water from the source in the area is causing environmental harm.”
He said Stanley’s groundwater could be used for both agricultural activities and licensed water extraction.
The Australian Beverages Council also did not want the economic contributions of the bottled water industry left out of the debate, saying it contributed $520 million annually to the economy and supported 3200 full-time jobs.
“The industry is the first port of call when communities have been affected by natural disaster and access to safe, clean drinking water in the form of bottled water is a part of any local or state government’s disaster relief plan,” Mr Parker said.
“This vital support is made possible from reputable companies, both large and small.”
The Stanley campaigners have claimed the water should be extracted from other sources, outside of their small town reliant on groundwater for food production.
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