Comments on: Bundanoon’s ban on bottled water

By: Ray Dixon

Ray Dixon — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 13:03:08 +0000

Waynee, you seem to have a different definition of “getting off” to me. I meant, what gives you in Bundanoon the right to ban a perfectly good product (bottled water) just because you don’t like the actions of one manufacturer, Norlex? You are still allowing the sale of all other beverages in plastic bottles such as crappy and unhealthy soft drinks, so don’t try to claim it’s on environmental or health grounds.

I think you people have acted vindicatively and, in so doing, have turned this issue against yourselves. You need to be fair if you want to make a point, and you are being inherently unfair and downright small-minded. I certainly wouldn’t visit your town while you hold such a high-handed position on the issue. Fight it by all means, but don’t be hypocrites.

By: waynee

waynee — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 11:03:52 +0000

Ray, we’re not “getting off” on banning bottled water. Personally, I couldn’t care less if we continued to sell bottled water or not, as I’ve never bought the stuff. But the filtered bubblers installed at the primary school and around town are absolutely fantastic, and to see the kids drinking from them first thing in the morning is a refreshing sight. They wouldn’t be there but for this initiative.
But back to the ban. You’re right, eventually water may be sold again if the demand is there. We’ll see – and that’s fine too. But that’s not the point right now. The point is that most residents have felt completely helpless when it comes to the Norlex issue ie it will be a matter which is decided in court on legal principles…. not necessarily driven by what we would see as common sense.

So this is all about establishing some control both on a personal and community basis and sending a clear message about how we feel abou the issue. And yes we could have done a PR campaign on the court case, but that “issue” would have had a one week life and died with the press. In terms of appreciating the issues (as you’ve pointed them out), be assured that we do, just as you can be assured that many of us are pro-development, and not just blindly opposing this. But if you looked at this site first-hand I think you’d walk away shaking your head (like we have) with the same attitude, ie we’ve got to take control somehow (even if through a side issue) and take some action (and not just put up “don’t mine our water” signs in our front yards)
As someone who’s watched it play out from the sidelines, I think it has been a really clever strategy. As for the final result on the ban…no doubt people will end up doing what suits them….

By: Ray Dixon

Ray Dixon — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 13:08:40 +0000

Wayne, there’s nothing wrong with your first paragraph. Yes, protest the extraction of your ground water by all means and make a big deal about it. I agree with that.

But where do you get off banning the sale of all bottled water from your shops? That’s just going too far.

By: WAYNE E

WAYNE E — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 13:00:51 +0000

It’s been intersting to note just how poorly this has been reported. Yes it’s true that Norlex want to mine water, and it is equally true that the townsfolk of Bundanoon do not want it mined. But that’s because the aquifier is located half a kilometer away from the village, down one of the steepest roads you could imagine, near the entrance to the national park. Between the village and the mine site is the primary school, past which 400 large truch movements a day would occur if the site goes ahead. Near the aquifier is a glow-worm glen (which relies on moisture), while a string of semi rural properties line the incline. 400 truck movements out though a road which runs up the small main street…..
As for the water. We are all thrilled that we can walk up to a filtered bubblers scattered throughout the town and the school, drink to our hearts content, or fill our Bundy Water bottles. If that’s your idea of jumping on the bandwagon, or being delusional …or doing without…. then we’ll take it anyday.

By: PabloDee

PabloDee — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 17:29:14 +0000

How dumb is this argument !!! … If water is not available people just choose another drink …very few people will decide not to buy a drink if there is no bottled water for sale … and offering tap water won’t work because it tastes awful compared to bottled water … are people SO desperate to appear to be saving the environment that they ignore common sense … I am just amazed people will jump on the bandwagon and agre with initiatives like this when it’s blatently obvious it will have no effect …. rediculous ideas like this take the focus off ideas that could actually make a diffrence …. I’m still shaking my head at this one !!!!

By: Ray Dixon

Ray Dixon — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 00:31:53 +0000

Only Sophie.

By: roxannatas

roxannatas — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 20:59:59 +0000

Are there many in Bright?

By: Jon

Jon — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 09:38:34 +0000

Ban Politicians ??

By: PKD

PKD — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 12:10:20 +0000

Things to ban?

Plastic bags, light bulbs (already been done?), botteld water, step dancing….

By: Jon

Jon — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 12:07:29 +0000

I did the sums, approx. 12 times more plastic bottles are sold for soft drinks than bottled water. Not to mention bottled water is a lot healthy than soft Drinks.

By: Ray Dixon

Ray Dixon — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 13:41:55 +0000

I’d ban Twitter.

By: Dave from Albury

Dave from Albury — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 12:51:53 +0000

I’d give Microsoft another chance, they do have the ability to make great products, but have frequently failed to deliver since the early 90’s.

Things I’d ban, in no particular order: Diet soft drinks, kitchen appliances advertised on morning TV, wireless speakers, modern American cars, premium audio/visual cables, decaffeinated coffee, low fat yogurt, the Channel Nine cricket commentary team, botox, anti-bacterial cleaning products, pre-mixed spirits in a can, real dolls, foul smelling “air purifiers”, rice cookers, clothing for dogs, tracksuits that come in matching men’s and women’s versions, and celebrity autobiographies.

By: Ray Dixon

Ray Dixon — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 12:04:17 +0000

You’d be the first to ban Microsoft, Dave.

By: Ray Dixon

Ray Dixon — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 11:18:58 +0000

I agree it’s a dumb product, PKD … for me and you. But obviously not for a lot of people. What do we do, ban all “lousy products”?

By: PKD

PKD — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 10:58:48 +0000

I’d have to say Ray, that just because the townspeople may not have had honourable intentions, they’ve ended up with a good policy.

Bottled water is a lousy idea – full stop. There are plenty of reasons why you shouldn’t buy the stufff. So Just because they didn’t ban it for the better reasons, well… at least they banned it!

By: Ray Dixon

Ray Dixon — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 13:35:18 +0000

Yes, that’s just one of the points, Jon. This idea may actually work against Bundanoon’s tourism interests because tourists do not like to be restricted in their choices.

By: Jon

Jon — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 10:52:16 +0000

It is unfortunate that people in Bundanoon will now be forced to ingest Flouride filled tap water, that is by no means equal to bottled water. this is a very dangerous precendant to set and I hope no other town or states decide to follow suit.

By: Dominic

Dominic — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 10:31:12 +0000

Bob, who are you to say that customers cannot buy bottled water in your town because YOU say the tap water is better quality? Don’t you understand that many people refuse to drink tap water for a variety of reasons? It’s not your place to impose such restrictions on people’s choices.

By: Ray Dixon

Ray Dixon — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 05:12:56 +0000

What’s the difference between “banning” it and “voluntarily removing it from sale”, Bob? It’s the same thing. Of course you can’t legally “ban” it, because it’s a legal product.

I don’t think I “missed the mark”. My point is that the shopkeepers are not “voluntarily removing” more harmful products like soft drinks that are also in plastic bottles.

A lot of people choose to buy bottled water because of the minerals, electrolytes etc that it contains. That is their choice to make. And while it might be “stupid” to pay for something that is available for nothing, like water, people have a right to buy stupid products and I dare say the “stupid” label could be applied to many other products in Bundanoon shops, not just bottled ones.

And there’s no doubt that this action was prompted by Norlex trying to set up shop in the town.

By: Bob Thomas

Bob Thomas — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 04:16:15 +0000

Boy, did Ray ever miss the mark this time! There is no “ban” on bottled water. The shopkeepers are voluntarily removing it from sale with the overwhelming support of the community. Water will still be available at points of sale, except it will be for free, instead of ripping off consumers, and it will be better quality, too.

The only role Norlex played in this whole issue was to get people thinking about the stupidity of paying for something that was available for almost nothing, and that harmed the environment in the process. And once you think about it, you realise that there is absolutely nothing positive about bottled water except, of course, in places where the water is not safe to drink.