The Government says it will ignore a 15-thousand-strong petition calling for a ban on exports of bottled water.
Photo: RNZ / Alexander Robertson
The Bung the Bore campaigners want an export moratorium.
The Green party co-leader James Shaw told Morning Report New Zealand's fresh water is a finite resource and their should be a charge on commercial water use.
He says no more resource consents should be allowed until Parliament sets rules on commercial fresh water use.
Responding to Mr Shaw, The Environment Minister Nick Smith says good science and fairness need to take precedence over simplistic slogans when making decisions about charging companies for water use.
Photo: RNZ / Cole Eastham-Farrelly
He says the issue of bottled water is "a red herring" but he welcomes a discussion on how New Zealand manages its water.
Dr Smith told Morning Report that under new resource consent legislation, local authorities will be able to charge firms a fee to cover the cost of water management.
