Sams Creek at Upper Tākaka is being eagerly sought by an Australian goldminer.
Pending its mining application approval by New Zealand Petroleum and Minerals (NZPAM), Siren Gold could begin infill drilling in the remote Cobb Valley site by year’s end.
The company recently announced it had raised around NZ$4.4 million to expedite exploration drilling at Sams Creek and geochemical sampling at its other gold projects in the Marlborough Sounds and near Reefton.
However, a Golden Bay group hauling the controversial Sams Creek project over the coals says the company’s environmental considerations don’t even earn bronze.
Julie Downward is a spokesperson for Sams Creek Collective, forged last year to inform Golden Bay of the company’s plans and the risks involved.
She held a seminar at the Elma Turner Library in Nelson on Sunday, breaking down mining science, the permit process and potential threats of Sams Creek’s proposed gold mining operation to its 30 attendees.
When asked after the meeting what her message is to Siren Gold, her reply was blunt and direct, “go away”.
“We don’t want you in the Bay. We want our water to stay safe for drinking, for irrigation, for swimming,” she says. “You can see the dollars in their eyes… We asked them about their carbon emissions, and it was clear it wasn’t even something they’d thought of, they’re not remotely interested.
“My message to NZPAM is that this mining permit application is unsafe… we want to hold NZPAM to account to make sure that they follow the [Crown Minerals Act] and decline [Siren Gold’s] permit.”
Siren Gold’s new chief executive, Zane Padman, appointed earlier this month, says the mine could deliver significant economic benefits, including jobs to the region.
However, the company still required resource consents before mining could proceed.
