This is an HTML version of an attachment to the Official Information request 'Water use'.
Rosie Jansen
From:
Stuart Grant
Sent:
Wednesday, 5 June 2019 3:06 p.m.
To:
Karma McFarlane
Subject:
Re: Water consent reply
Thanks Karma 
 
That is what I would have provided. Thanks for checking the companies register.  
Cheers 
Stu 
Stuart Grant 
 
On 5/06/2019, at 13:31, Karma McFarlane <[email address]> wrote: 
Hi Stu 
  
I realise you are out of the office and unfortunately had to send a reply to Councillors before I could 
check in with you. 
  
I have used some information from the email you were sent from the company (Heretaunga 
Water/International Springs). I received advice from Andrea that I could share this but to put a 
disclaimer that it is commercially sensitive and to not share with the public. 
  
The email I sent out to the Councillors and Andrea’s advice is below. 
  
Thanks  
  
Karma 
  
From: Liezel Jahnke  
Sent: Wednesday, 5 June 2019 12:46 p.m. 
To: Karma McFarlane 
Cc: Andrea Hilton 
Subject: Re: Water consent reply 
  
OK thanks, yes to send to Crs and to ELT as will likely come up in Policy tonight. 
Kind regards 
  
Liezel Jahnke 
Business Improvement Manager | Asset Management and Operations 
Upper Hutt City Council 
 
On 5/06/2019, at 10:58 AM, Karma McFarlane <[email address]> wrote: 
If you are happy I will send the draft approved by Andrea below. 
  
I will also send Stu an email to let him know I have shared the information sent to 
him with Councillors. 
  
1

From: Andrea Hilton  
Sent: Wednesday, 5 June 2019 10:55 a.m. 
To: Karma McFarlane; Liezel Jahnke 
Cc: Geoff Swainson; Richard Harbord 
Subject: RE: Water consent reply 
  
Great 
  
Regards 
  
Andrea Hilton 
  
  
  
  
  
From: Karma McFarlane <[email address]>  
Sent: Wednesday, 5 June 2019 10:53 AM 
To: Andrea Hilton <[email address]>; Liezel Jahnke 
<[email address]> 
Cc: Geoff Swainson <[email address]>; Richard Harbord 
<[email address]> 
Subject: RE: Water consent reply 
  
How about the below? Any issues with this or anything else to 
include? 
  
Thanks! 
  
  
Hi Angela, 
  
Unfortunately Upper Hutt City Council has no jurisdiction to grant a 
resource consent for water rights, therefore the consent has been 
granted by Greater Wellington Regional Council to take and use 
water from an existing bore. The Council is excluded from 
contributing to a decision by GWRC to grant a resource consent 
unless GWRC decides it is necessary to limited notify the Council or 
it is necessary to notify the consent application to the public. This 
application was not notified.  
  
Please note the following information may have some commercial 
sensitivity and as such should not be shared with the public.  
  
My understanding is that initially the company intend to extract 
water under the consent and ship in bulk overseas for bottling at 
the point of intended distribution and at some point they will be 
looking to have in place a bottling facility at Refreshment Place. The 
consent is due to expire 13 Feb 2023 (which they’re allowed to 
renew). The applicant has applied to take up to 576m3/day at a 
maximum pumping rate of 10 litres/second (for 16 hours/day), six 
days per week (Monday to Saturday), 52 weeks per year. This 
equates to an annual volume of 179,712m3/year. On the MBIE 
website under ‘Entity Type’ the company is listed as a ‘NZ limited 
company’. 
  
Thanks, 
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Karma 
  
  
From: Andrea Hilton  
Sent: Wednesday, 5 June 2019 10:28 a.m. 
To: Liezel Jahnke 
Cc: Karma McFarlane; Geoff Swainson; Richard Harbord 
Subject: RE: Water consent reply 
  
Hi Liezel 
This is fine to share with Crs  however Stu’s role relies heavily on a good 
relationship with businesses in UH so in his absence I think we should include a 
note that the information could have some commercial sensitivity so it should be 
kept confidential and not circulated to the public. Basically the Crs are entitled to 
know any information known by officers. There are a few exceptions e.g. perhaps 
some personnel information, whistle blowing information etc. 
  
I also wonder whether we should reinforce that UHCC’s standing in regards to 
consents issued by GWRC is the same as any member of the public and as a 
result it cannot influence the granting of a consent to draw water? I’ve added 
some words below. Geoff thinks that the consent is likely to have included limits 
to the volume and time. If this information is available it would be useful to the 
Crs to include this also. 
  
Geoff is waiting for GWRC to call him back about this consent, have you or Karma 
spoken to GWRC?  
  
Hi Angela, 
  
Unfortunately Upper Hutt City Council has no jurisdiction to grant a 
resource consent for water rights, therefore the consent has been 
granted by Greater Wellington Regional Council to take and use 
water from an existing bore. The Council is excluded from 
contributing to a decision by GWRC to grant a resource consent 
unless GWRC decides it is necessary to limited notify the Council or 
it is necessary to notify the consent application to the public. This 
application was not notified. On the MBIE website under ‘Entity 
Type’ the company is listed as a ‘NZ limited company’. 
  
My understanding is that initially the company intend to extract 
water under the consent and ship in bulk overseas for bottling at 
the point of intended distribution and at some point they will be 
looking to have in place a bottling facility at Refreshment Place. 
  
Thanks, 
  
Karma 
  
  
Regards 
  
Andrea Hilton 
  
  
  
  
  
3

From: Liezel Jahnke <[email address]>  
Sent: Wednesday, 5 June 2019 9:18 AM 
To: Karma McFarlane <[email address]> 
Cc: Andrea Hilton <[email address]> 
Subject: Re: Water consent reply 
  
Thanks, looks ok to me, Andrea can you comment if we are OK to share this 
with Crs?  
Kind regards 
  
Liezel Jahnke 
Business Improvement Manager | Asset Management and Operations 
Upper Hutt City Council 
 
On 5/06/2019, at 9:15 AM, Karma McFarlane 
<[email address]> wrote: 
Let me know what you think of this reply. It doesn’t look like Stu is 
in the office today. I looked up the company on MBIE and it actually 
appears to be NZ registered. I have taken the bottom part from the 
email the company sent to Stu. Let me know if we cannot share this 
information 
  
Thanks 
  
  
  
Hi Angela, 
  
The consent has been granted by Greater Wellington Regional 
Council to take and use water from an existing bore. On the MBIE 
website under ‘Entity Type’ the company is listed as a ‘NZ limited 
company’. 
  
My understanding is that initially the company intend to extract 
water under the consent and ship in bulk overseas for bottling at 
the point of intended distribution and at some point they will be 
looking to have in place a bottling facility at Refreshment Place. 
  
Thanks, 
  
Karma 
  
From: Karma McFarlane  
Sent: Wednesday, 5 June 2019 8:40 a.m. 
To: Liezel Jahnke 
Subject: RE: working from home today 
  
Will do. 
  
Looking through the information I do have I am not actually sure 
they definitely are an overseas company (we never have said they 
are just that they have a consent to take water). 
  
Will see what Stu knows. 
4

  
From: Liezel Jahnke  
Sent: Wednesday, 5 June 2019 8:13 a.m. 
To: Karma McFarlane 
Subject: Re: working from home today 
  
 
  
Please check with Stu, though I don’t know if we can find this 
out for sure and if that’s the case just need to tell Crs that, 
ultimately the regional council has issued the water consent. 
  
And please copy in myself, Peter and Vibhuti to your reply. 
Kind regards 
  
Liezel Jahnke 
Business Improvement Manager | Asset Management and 
Operations 
Upper Hutt City Council 
 
On 5/06/2019, at 8:02 AM, Karma McFarlane 
<[email address]> wrote: 
Hi Liezel 
  
 
 
 
  
Please see the email from Councillor McLeod 
below. I am unsure where the company is based, I 
know it is overseas but not sure it is Chinese. I will 
check this with Stu before replying. I will cc you into 
the response. Should I also cc Peter and  Vibhuti? 
  
Karma 
  
From: Angela McLeod 
[mailto:[email address]]  
Sent: Wednesday, 5 June 2019 5:52 a.m. 
To: Karma McFarlane 
Cc: Cr Blair Griffiths; Cr Chris Carson; Cr Dave 
Wheeler; Cr Glenn McArthur; Cr Hellen Swales; Cr 
John Gwilliam; Cr Paul Lambert; Cr Ros Connelly; Cr 
Taylor; Wayne Guppy; Kate Glanville 
Subject: Re: Memo to Councillors on Commercial 
Bottling of Water 
  
Many thanks Karma, 
  
The situation at Refreshment Place is most 
unfortunate regarding the consent to take water 
from the aquifer.  
  
5

Do we know for sure that the former Coca-cola 
and Unipackaging premises has been bought by 
a Chinese company and that they intend to 
bottle and export the water from the bore? 
  
Ngā mihi 
  
Angela 
Angela McLeod 
Councillor, Upper Hutt City Council  
Chair, Community Grants Committee 
Chair, Wellington Region Waste Forum 
 
Cell: 027 497 2761 
Email: [email address] 
Web: www.upperhuttcity.com 
 
Life, Leisure, Live it!  
 
Sent from a small device so beware of typos  
  
On Tue, 4 Jun 2019, 16:08 Karma McFarlane, 
<[email address]> wrote: 
Kia ora, 
  
Please find attached a memo on commercial 
bottling of water and the Water Bylaw. This 
was tabled and discussed at the mayoral 
luncheon on Friday. 
  
Please let me know if you have any questions. 
  
Thanks 
  
Karma 
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