Bottled water industry welcomes final report by the NSW Chief Scientist

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Bottled water industry welcomes final report by the NSW Chief Scientist

The Australian Beverages Council has welcomed the final report on the impacts of the industry on groundwater in the Northern Rivers.

Wednesday 18 December 2019: The Australian Beverages Council, through its water division, the Australasian Bottled Water Institute [ABWI], has welcomed the final report on the impacts of the industry on groundwater in the Northern Rivers by the NSW Chief Scientist & Engineer.

‘After a thorough and independent review into the bottled water industry in the Northern Rivers, the NSW Chief Scientist and Engineer found that less than one per cent of groundwater in the Tweed is extracted for water bottling purposes,’ said Mr Geoff Parker, Chief Executive Officer, Australian Beverages Council.

‘The review, carried out by the highly respected Professor Hugh Durrant-Whyte and his team, has been robust, detailed and fair in its appraisal of water extraction for the bottled and packaged water industry,’ added Mr Parker.

The bottled water industry responsibly manages groundwater sources across NSW and Australia through the ABWI Model Code.

‘All ABWI-certified source owners are required to ensure the ongoing sustainability of their water sources,’ added Mr Parker.

The final report considered both highly unlikely and extremely unlikely scenarios, and, in both scenarios, the bottled water industry would represent 0.034 per cent and 0.069 per cent of the estimated total annual aquifer recharge.

The Australian Beverages Council and the Australasian Bottled Water Institute look forward to working with government agencies, local government and other stakeholders in supporting the recommendations of the final report.

Mr Geoff Parker is available for interview about the bottled and packaged water industry in Australia, including its environmental sustainability.

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Australian Beverages Council
The Australian Beverages Council is the peak body representing the collective interests of the non-alcoholic beverages industry. We strive to advance the industry as a whole, as well as successfully represent the range of beverages produced by our members. These include carbonated regular and diet soft drinks, energy drinks, sports and isotonic drinks, bottled and packaged waters, fruit juice and fruit drinks, cordials, iced teas, ready-to-drink coffees, flavoured milk and flavoured plant milk.

The unified voice of the Australian Beverages Council offers our members a presence beyond individual representation in order to promote fairness in the standards, regulations, and policies concerning non-alcoholic beverages.

The Australian Beverages Council introduced a dedicated juice division, Juice Australia (formerly Fruit Juice Australia), in 2009 and a dedicated water division, the Australasian Bottled Water Institute (ABWI), in 2011. Through these, our organisation, and its relevance and impact continue to grow.

For further information or to interview Geoff Parker, CEO, Australian Beverages Council:
Shae Courtney
Australian Beverages Council
T: 02 8313 7760
M: 0420 736 136
E: Shae@ausbev.org