More complaints have been made about activities at a Christchurch water bottling plant where migrant workers are alleged to be routinely involved in unsafe work practices.
A range of agencies are now involved, looking at issues ranging from trespassing, waste disposal, immigration, and the building’s safety.
The plant was supposed to begin operating on Monday, but it had yet to receive its consent to bottle water.
Local contractors have reported wide-ranging issues at the site, revealed in photos that Stuff obtained.
* Neighbouring suburban Christchurch water bottling plants can tap billions of litres * Foreign firm allowed to bottle millions of litres of water a day from Christchurch aquifers * For sale: 40 billion litres of Canterbury’s purest water * From national park to overseas: Plan to export billions of litres of West Coast water * The bottled water giants who are taking our water Worksafe has issued notices to the company, and Christchurch City Council had investigated whether workers were sleeping on site.
Images seen by Stuff, however, appear to show a worker sleeping while ensconced in boxes, with a mattress visible nearby.
He said few of the people on the site, including supervisors, spoke English, a detail corroborated by another contractor.
The water take was of particular concern given the current dry spell and the larger water bottling plant planned for next door, he said.
Residents had also been concerned about health and safety practices.
The plant is one of at least 70 water bottling operations known to be consented in New Zealand.