Be Bold and Expand Kahurangi National Park

To protect Sams Creek and Te Waikoropupū Springs 

 

On the 8th of March 2024, a community gathering at Sams Creek made the following declaration: ‘We declare that Sams Creek and its whenua are an integral part of Kahurangi National Park , and one day this will be recognised by the Parliament of Aotearoa, New Zealand.’ The petition is a step towards fulfilling this declaration. 

 
Te Waikoropupū Springs are the largest cold-water springs in the Southern Hemisphere and have some of the clearest water ever measured on Earth. In 2023, the Springs received a Water Conservation Order (WCO) from the Environment Court. The WCO gives a special cloak of protection which councils must abide by when considering resource consents.  However, the framework for managing environmental effects has changed significantly with the introduction of the Fast Track Approvals Act, which significantly weakens environmental protections when it comes to mining proposals.

 

Sams Creek and the listed areas are upstream from Te Waikoropupū Springs. The gold ore at Sams Creek contains a rich brew of toxic metals, including 75,000 tonnes of arsenic. It has been safe underground in solid rock for untold millions of years. But if it were mined, it would all be brought to the surface, ground to a fine powder, treated with cyanide to extract the gold, and then dumped as toxic waste. One proposal was to pile the waste behind a dam on the steep, unstable slopes of Sams Creek. Mining companies promise they can keep it isolated forever, but history shows otherwise. 

 

If the slime heap dam were to break, as is inevitable in a flood and earthquake-prone area like Sams Creek, the arsenic-laden waste would flow down the Tākaka River and enter the Arthur Marble Aquifer, which feeds Te Waikoropupū Springs. This would be a total disaster! The tiny creatures that clean the aquifer would die. The crystal-clear waters would be lost forever. Not only that, local drinking water, farms and businesses would be seriously threatened. 

 

If Sams Creek and the other listed areas are included within Kahurangi National Park, hard rock gold mining could not take place. Mining is not allowed in National Parks. Waikoropupū would be safe!   

There are other good reasons to place the listed area in Kahurangi National Park. Geographically, the listed area is adjacent to Kahurangi National Park. This area is just as rare and beautiful as the National Park. Simply put, Sams Creek and the other listed areas belong naturally in Kahurangi National Park.  

 

The only reason Sams Creek is not already part of Kahurangi is that a previous government left it out to allow gold exploration. That exploration has now taken place, and it has become abundantly clear that Sams Creek is entirely unsuited for hard-rock gold mining. You can discover scientific information on this at Sams Creek Collective – Safeguard Mohua waterways and aquifers, or Save Our Springs 

 

Let’s draw the line now. Let’s take a bold and positive step forward by creating a strong petition to the Governor General and the Minister. 

 

As we take this step, we respect and honour the environmentalists and politicians from the political parties of the time who worked hard to create the treasure that is Kahurangi National Park. We further respect and honour Manawhenua ki Mohua and other Iwi whose Kaitaki status is integral to the protection of Sams Creek, Te Puna Waiora o Waikoropupū, and the waters of Mohua (Golden Bay).