The Save Our Springs campaign (SOS) is urgently stepping up its defence of Te Waikoropupū Springs.

The Save Our Springs Campaign has been a collective journey by many people over the seven years of our existence. Many generous and hard-working people joined us in the waka that is SOS. We want to acknowledge the contribution of these generous people. Without them, SOS would not exist.

The Save Our Springs campaign (SOS) is urgently stepping up its defence of Te Waikoropupū Springs. These sacred springs are situated in Mohua (Golden Bay) at the top of the South Island of New Zealand. ‘The springs’ contain some of the clearest water in the world. They are considered tapu (sacred) by the Māori people and by many Pakeha (non-Māori New Zealanders). Te Waikoropupū is also an international treasure with many tens of thousands of overseas travellers visiting every year.    

The reason we have been forced to step up our defence of the springs is the Government’s Fast Track Amendment Bill. The Bill enables the Government to bypass the Te Waikoropupū Water Conservation Order which protects the springs. This bypassing will allow what is essentially an arsenic mine at Sam’s Creek in Golden Bay. The arsenic-filled rock will be processed in the Upper Takaka Valley. The rock will be crushed to fine powder and then passed through a chemical mix which includes cyanide to extract the gold.