Rotorua businessman and television personality Tamati Coffey has waded into the fight over bottled New Zealand water being sold overseas.

Over the weekend Tamati launched an online petition calling on the Government to pass urgent legislation to enable councils to fairly charge bottling plants for the water they extract.

Tamati Coffey has launched an online petition calling on the Government to charge companies that export bottled New Zealand water overseas. Photo: File

The response thus far has been overwhelming for Tamati, who says in 24 hours more than 1000 people had signed the petition and the number is continuing to grow steadily.

'It is a huge issue that Kiwis really care about and the resoundingly message from people leaving comments is New Zealanders feel it's only fair these companies pay their fair share,” he says.

'Our country's falling deeper into debt but we're not taxing these companies who are profiting from bottling our native taonga and selling it overseas where water is the new gold.”

The petition also calls for the potential revenue generated by the legislation to be invested into cleaning up New Zealand's waterways.

'We should be able to swim in our lakes and rivers. If companies are taking our water out they should be charged appropriately, with some of the revenue directed back into cleaning up our waterways.”

Tamati was left dumbfounded to learn the Oravida water bottling plant near Kawerau extracted 146 million litres of water a year, but has only paid $526 in one-off compliance costs and $1503 in consents since 1992.

He says it's crazy that companies are only charged a 'measly $500” to extract freshwater, especially considering how much a bottle of water costs from the dairy.

'The profit these companies are making it's money for jam, it is a big cash cow that sees the rich get richer while New Zealanders are all the poorer for it.”

Along with the online petition, Tamati also created the hashtag #waterfightnz, which he describes as a brand people can rally behind no matter who they are or what their political affiliation is.

He's hoping the petition will garner 2500 signatures 'at the minimum” and if it gains enough traction he will deliver it to parliament.

'Together we can get these corporations to pay their fair share and use that capital to protect our natural resources for future generations. Who doesn't want that?”

SunLive has contacted Oravida for a response but the company declined to comment.

For more information or to sign the petition visit change.org