Coca-Cola Amital has been granted permission to increase the amount of groundwater extracted at its Peats Ridge bottling plant on the New South Wales Central Coast.
The company has been fighting for the right to extract 66 megalitres annually from the local acquifer, but was rejected by Gosford Council on environmental grounds.
The matter was then referred to the Land and Environment Court, which has now given permission for the permanent increase in water extraction.
But the local council has assured residents the company will be carefully monitored and will not be able to abuse their power.
"The Office of Water can change the conditions of extraction based on the details received," Council’s Nick Pasternaski told the ABC.
The water extraction rate will be monitored every half hour in the first year and after that, annually.