A group of Golden Bay residents, alongside filmmaker Timothy Firkin, have occupied a remote gold drilling site at Sams Creek in the Cobb Valley, disrupting operations and intensifying opposition to mining on the edge of Kahurangi National Park.
After locating the drilling site and camping out the night before, the group approached the site before dawn on the eve of World Water Day, they say.
Two women proceeded to lock themselves on the main drilling rig at the Siren Gold Ltd. site ready for workers to arrive.
A second group lurked, before scaling the drilling encampment and revealing a large banner reading: 'Stop toxic mining'.
The team immediately descended and disappeared back into the bush. The banner is believed to remain in place, according to the group.
Participants say they took action in response to what they describe as a profound lack of meaningful community engagement.
"I think this is a very stupid gamble for something that is very important to a lot of people," one said.
The proposed development includes open-pit and underground mining, along with a large tailings dam to store toxic waste, at the headwaters of the Tākaka Valley.
The group also raised concerns about arsenic-laden rock and the likely use of cyanide in extraction.
Participants said the action followed extensive preparation, including multiple non-violent direct action trainings held locally in recent years.
They say this marks the beginning of continued resistance.
