Whakatane group plans to fight water bottling plant

The expansion of a controversial water bottling plant near Whakatane is splitting the local community. Earlier this month the government granted consent for Creswell NZ , which is owned by Chinese water bottling company Nongu, to buy land to expand its operations at the Otakiri Springs water bottling plant. And the Bay of Plenty Regional Council and the Whakatāne District Council granted resource consent for the project. Now one local group is getting ready to appeal to the Environment Court - while another's looking at how it can work alongside Creswell to give more jobs to locals. Te Manu Korihi reporter John Boynton reports.