The river running through the festival site flows from a watershed that’s now under real threat. Just 5km up the Cobb Valley lies Sam’s Creek, a treasured awa and the proposed site of a gold mine currently under exploration. If it proceeds, the impacts will be devastating. Habitat loss, heavy machinery, acid mine drainage, and—most serious—the high arsenic levels in the mined rock. Arsenic doesn’t break down. It could poison the Takaka River and the sacredTe Waikoropupū Springs downstream forever.

Join Water Protectors Tim Firkin and Verena Maeder for a grounded kōrero about what’s happening at Sam’s Creek, how this community is mobilising, and why your voice matters. This is a chance to connect, learn what’s at stake, and co-create a collective message from the festival: Cobb Valley & Sam’s Awa — Ours Not Mine. Help the cause, you can sign the petition here: https://www.saveoursprings.nz/ Find out more on the facebook: www.facebook.com/saveourspringsnz