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.

Two years ago, I gave evidence on behalf of SOS in the Environment Court. My evidence had to convince the judge and two commissioners that many New Zealanders believed Te Waikoropupū Springs was an ‘outstanding’ natural treasure. Only ‘outstanding’ water bodies can be protected by a Water Conservation Order. To convince the court I had to tell the story of Save Our Springs in an honest way. I also had to convince the court that I knew what I was talking about. So inevitably I had to talk about myself as well as SOS.

During my five years as coordinator, I’ve communicated with thousands of people who want Te Waikoropupū Springs to be protected. I’ve spoken with them. I’ve read their emails. I’ve connected with them on SOS’s Facebook page. I’ve seen their 35,000 signatures, on the three petitions SOS has collected. I’ve also travelled the North Island on a Water Protectors hikoi and spoken about Te Waikoropupū Springs on Marae’s, radio, at music events and to the many people I met on the road. I would be one of the most experienced people in New Zealand when it comes to gauging the local and national support for the protection of Te Waikoropupū Springs.

I first became aware of the need to protect the springs at a public meeting in Takaka called by the Tasman District Council. The meeting took place on March the 9th 2017. Save Our Springs, founded by Steve Penny a few months earlier, was very active during the meeting. Sarah Yates from Greenpeace and Catherine Delahunty from the Green Party as well as local MP Damian O’Connor were present. The meeting was lively, and at times close to an uproar. It was clear there was strong opposition within the Golden Bay community to the Tasman District Councils' plan to allocate more water to farmers for irrigation. That strong opposition remains, and SOS is one of the groups that continue to voice it.

After the meeting, I went to Te Waikoropupū Springs. It was dark and still. I could hear the bubbling of the Main Spring. I asked myself: Are Te Waikoropupū Springs in danger and should I become involved? The springs seemed alive and aware in the same way a person is alive and aware. I remembered a recent visit to the Selwyn Huts. The Huts were the place I caught my first trout as a teenager. The Selwyn River was once one of the premier fly-fishing rivers in the Southern Hemisphere. During the visit I could see the river was badly contaminated. The pollution was obvious. I later learnt that the Selwyn had been wrecked by the excessive extraction of water and nitrate leaching. I asked myself; could a similar degenerative process be underway at Waikoropupū Springs? My answer was yes, it could. I decided to become involved.

Two months later I became Coordinator of SOS. I knew nothing about organising an environmental campaign. However, the good people of Golden Bay rallied about and provided support and guidance. I will always be grateful for this early support.

Many locals across Golden Bay offered support. Shopkeepers offered support. Green-leaning and alternative people offered support. Artists, poets and musicians offered support. Visitors to Golden Bay offered support. One of my early learning’s involved a team of SOS volunteers delivering pamphlets across Golden Bay, Motueka, Mapua and parts of the Tasman District. I remember delivering pamphlets in Takaka and receiving a warm welcome from the shopkeepers on Main Street. Many shopkeepers spoke words of support and displayed SOS’s pamphlets.

Te Waikoropupū Springs are an integral part of the social, cultural and economic fabric of Golden Bay. Before the pandemic, visitor numbers were estimated to be 90,000 per annum. Over the five years, I’ve coordinated the campaign; I’ve spoken with many people while they’ve been visiting the springs. Typically, visitors feel a sense of awe and wonder. Some speak of a spiritual presence. Visitors return again and again. Family groups from Nelson, Tasman and Marlborough return generation after generation.

In early 2018, SOS organised a rally on the Village Green in Takaka. We provided food and speakers. Local musicians came and played for free. We asked people to sign our online petition calling for the banning of additional water takes from the recharge area. We ended up with a petition of 13,017 signatures. We were excited to see this high level of support. The population of Golden Bay is about 5000. It was heartening to receive so many signatures from beyond Golden Bay.

On the 5th of April 2018, a group of SOS supporters travelled from Golden Bay to the Tasman District Council building in Richmond to present the petition. We were met by supporters from the Tasman and Nelson Districts. We had banners and a giant blue water puppet. This was the first time supporters from Golden Bay had rallied with supporters ‘over the (Takaka) hill.’ It was a very positive experience with samba drums and chanting. Inside the Council chambers, we sang the Waikoropupū waiata and presented the petition to the Mayor and Council. The rally was well covered by media, including nationwide television. (See Attachment 1)

SOS’s next step involved taking part in the Te Waikoropupū Springs Water Conservation Order Tribunal hearing. As part of this focus, we launched a second online petition. The purpose of the petition was to inform the Tribunal of the widespread public support across Aotearoa for SOS’s submission. The online petition was a simplified version of the submission SOS made to the Tribunal. The second petition gathered 7,766 signatures before it was presented to the Tribunal. A copy of the petition is attached as Attachment 2 of my evidence.

Three months after the Tribunal hearing I published my book, ‘Water Protectors: The Campaign to protect Te Waikoropupū Springs, in poetry and images.’ After the Takaka book launch, I travelled to the North Island on a Water Protectors hikoi to speak about the plight of the springs. I took many copies of ‘Water Protectors’ with me. The hikoi left from Te Waikoropupū Springs, crossed the Strait, travelling in a big loop up the West Coast of the North Island to Auckland then across to the East Coast, down to Wellington, back across the Strait and home to Te Waikoropupū. The hikoi took two months. I shared about the springs wherever I went; including Marae’s, radio stations, in a concert, and to a large group of interested New Zealanders. While travelling I remained connected to the SOS team in Takaka. We shared videos of the hikoi on SOS’s Facebook page. With this growing public exposure, support for the protection of Te Waikoropupū Springs grew across parts of the North Island.

On the 23rd of September 2019, I received an unexpected call from Andrew Yuill. The Friends of Golden Bay testing program had detected a big increase in nitrate pollution at the springs. I was shocked. When I first joined SOS nitrate levels were stable in the 0.4 mg/l range. Weekly tests were now measuring nitrate levels in the 0.52 mg/l range, a 30% increase since 2017. Andrew also told me about the algae mats that had appeared as nitrate levels increased.

The increase in nitrate readings, plus the discovery of the Rhizoclonium led SOS to focus on alerting the public to this additional threat to the springs. SOS, with the support of Whakatū Extinction Rebellion, held a rally outside the TDC building. Later I spoke inside about the potential connection between the elevated nitrate levels and the Rhizoclonium. We were also concerned that the increasingly nitrate-rich waters could potentially provide a home for other invasive forms of algae.

In response to the discovery of the Rhizoclonium SOS launched a third petition asking the government to ban the use of synthetic nitrate in the recharge area of the aquifer. So far this petition has gained 15,385 signatures.  The submission is hosted on Greenpeace’s website. A printout of the front page of the submission showing the text of the petition and the number of signatures is attached as Attachment 4. The petition will be presented to the Honourable Nanaia Mahuta after the Environment Court proceedings conclude.

I wish to conclude by speaking of the protective love I feel for Te Waikoropupū Springs. This love comes from my growing connection with the natural world. I feel I am part of Te Waikoropupū and Te Waikoropupū is part of me. We are one life. What makes Te Waikoropupū sick makes me sick. What heals and strengthens Te Waikoropupū, heals and strengthens me. Recently a Maori friend and supporter of SOS spoke to me about protective love. He said in Te Reo Maori the words ‘aroha tiaki’ mean to ‘lovingly; guard, hold in trust, protect and conserve.’ His beautiful explanation expanded my understanding of protective love. Drawing on my experience of 5 years coordinating SOS, I would say ‘protective love’ is a strong motivating power for the tens of thousands of New Zealanders who support the defence of the WCO.

If the Court were to uphold the WCO, with strong provisions protecting its quality and quantity, this would align with the voices of the over thirty-five thousand people who have signed SOS’s petitions.