Bundanoon’s ban on bottled water

Bundanoon seems similar to Bright - in more ways than one.

Town’s decision based on revenge and small-town mentality accidentally puts it on the map!

The national & international media is abuzz with the news  that the  tiny NSW Southern Highlands tourist town of Bundanoon has voted to ban the sale of bottled water, attracting attention from around the world.

While ostensibly the decision was made on ‘environmental’ and altruistic grounds, what the rest of the world does not yet realise is that the ‘ban’ seems to have come about as an act of malice and revenge against a company wishing to set up a new business and several shops in the town of just 2,500 people.

The ‘Bundy on Tap’ campaign came about for two reasons: (1) Sydney company Norlex Holdings’ proposal to extract ground water for bottling, which locals have opposed on the grounds that it is “their water”. (2) The same company’s proposal to build a large warehouse and adjoining shops in the town, which the local shopkeepers have opposed on selfish economic grounds.

So what you have is the shopowners’ ridiculous reaction against Norlex (who are proposing to bring benefits to the town) by banning the type of product they sell – i.e. bottled water. The obscenity of the move is highlighted by the fact that the shopkeepers who are banning the water will still be selling crap products like fizzy soft drinks in similar plastic containers, whereas the Norlex product is at least a healthy one.

The idea to ban the sale of bottled water was the brainchild of Bundanoon bike shop owner Huw Kingston and was put to a community meeting of more than 350 people last night with only two people voting against the proposed ban. 

One local resident was brave enough to voice his opposition and I agree with him: “There’s a far bigger health issue, which is the diabetes issue and if we’re taking away water at the point of sale that is full of sugar drinks I think we’re on the wrong track,” he said, in a clear reference to the hypocrisyof the decision.

Whether or not the accidental publicity generated by this incident benefits Bundanoon’s tourism popularity in the long run remains to be seen. I think there might be a short term boost but gimmicks like this are unlikely to sustain interest in the longer term. 

The bigger issue to me is what makes people like Mr Kingston and his fellow shopkeepers think they can tell others how they should live and what products they should consume?

While I also think the pre-packaged bottled water ‘craze’ is over-the-top, a waste of resources and a rip-off, so are many other products so why pick on water, which is actually good for you and essential to your well being?

What the good folk of Bundanoon have done is to ‘ban’ the sale of a healthy product but not other beverages that also come in plastic bottles like fizzy, sugar-laden soft drinks that are a leading cause of obesity among children.

This is turn-back-the-clock stuff and it’s the type of thinking that is pervading the minds of many people who live in small towns like Bunadoon and, yes, even here in Bright where we’ve had similar proposals put forward by both the ‘Save Bright’ & ‘Cittaslow’ nutters.

Such a ban of course could not be legally enforced and, if formally adopted, may even contravene the Trade Practices Act. The local water authorities also sell the water that comes through the taps so the manufacturers of bottled water may have a case to say they’re being unfairly discriminated against.

But underlying all this ‘consumer action’ in Bundanoon is the desire to keep a new business out of their precious little town. The Norlex company that has applied to pump water out of a local aquifer (i.e. ground water, not from the local supply) is ALSO applying to build new shops in the town, a move that other shop owners have – surprise, surprise - vehemently opposed.

Remind you anything? Well, if you’ve read this website it sounds much like the actions of our own ‘wonderful’ and ‘community-minded’ organisation Save Bright, who vehemently opposed the Coles (now Woolies) supermarket development. Save Bright too was driven by existing shopkeepers.

It just shows you that small towns are much the same. The only difference here is that Bundanoon have gone about their crazy ban more effectively and professionally than what Save Bright did in their campaign and have generated what seems to be some positive publicity.

My guess though, is that this new found fame will be short-lived and they may yet regret their head-in-the-sand reaction to a new business trying to set up in their precious little ‘paradise’.