The Auckland company, Zodiac Holdings, is appealing against a decision denying it the right to take more water from Whangarei's Poroti Springs.
Zodiac applied to the Northland Regional Council to double its allowable take from the springs, to launch an export water-bottling business that's been 10 years in the planning.
But the council refused, saying Zodiac had no reliable way of monitoring the flow of water, or the impact of its take, on Maori cultural interests.
Zodiac says since the decision, the Whangarei District Council has given the company legal access to council land to instal the equipment needed to monitor the flow.
And it is challenging the council's concerns about Maori cultural interests, saying there was no evidence presented to show they would be adversely affected.
Zodiac says it is in talks with the Whatitiri hapu about that, and how the company could avoid or mitigate those effects.
It says the water-bottling business would not affect local irrigators who also take water from Poroti, and it would create jobs in the community.
The appeal has been lodged in the Environment Court.
