The small town of Bundanoon in the NSW Southern Highlands has become the first town in Australia to ban bottled water.

A town meeting last night saw around 400 residents vote to ban the sale of bottled water, with just two residents voting against the move.

Planet Ark founder and Founder and Chair of Do Something! – a national group aiming to reduce bottled water use – attended the meeting to speak in support of the town.

A partner in the Do Something! Bottled Water Alliance, Street Furniture Australia – in a one-off gesture of support for the town – will also donate three ‘Fountain Head’ filtered water bubblers to be installed in the town centre. The drinking fountains and filtered water stations have already seen a significant reduction in plastic water bottle waste in the Sydney suburb of Manly.

Following closely on the heels of Bundanoon, NSW Premier Nathan Rees also announced that all state government departments will be asked not to use bottled water.

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