THIS week’s Land and Environment Court decision approving an amended application from Norlex Holdings to extract springwater from the outskirts of Bundanoon for commercial bottling is disappointing, not only for the community which has spent three years fighting the proposal but also for the Wingecarribee Council, which will carry the legal costs.

The decision will allow Norlex to proceed with a more limited scheme than that proposed in 2006.

The Bundanoon Community Association (BCA) has welcomed measures to restrict environmental damage, disruption to the village from heavy trucks passing through and risks to pedestrians and school children.

The battle for Bundanoon is far from over, however.

Yet to be seen is the effect of Bundanoon’s “Bundy On Tap” campaign, a voluntary boycott of bottled still water by village businesses and residents.

BCA has predicted that any bottled water bearing a “Bundanoon” label will be “commercial poison”, following the global publicity achieved by the village’s campaign, a first for Australia.

As the village prepares to launch “Bundy on Tap”, with almost whole-hearted support from the community, extracting springwater from Bundanoon - with the possibility of a bottling plant in the heart of the village - looks as sensible as running a feedlot in a community of vegetarians.

Bundanoon has shown admirable community spirit, professional expertise and ingenuity in its campaign against Norlex.

It’s unlikely that the village is ready to lay down its guns.