Our home

Tarras is an iconic Central Otago village in the Upper Clutha Valley. It’s the first place you see as you enter Central Otago over the Lindis Pass.

There’s a core of traditional farming families here, but also artists and crafters, vineyards, people operating small businesses remotely, and many others who have chosen this peaceful place as their home.

The issues we’re facing, started with a proposed international airport (see further below), but then …

Today, we’re facing a destructive, controversial fast-track gold mine project

Sustainable Tarras is currently focused on the major project of investigating the potential effects, both adverse and beneficial, of the proposed Santana Gold Mine at Bendigo Ophir, and communicating these to all affected parties including local residents, residents and businesses in surrounding areas, prospective employees and others.

This became more urgent during 2024, as the fast track process set up by the coalition government kicked in. As at November 2025, the application is now live.

You can find out more, in great detail, via the links below. And we have included our three recently published videos below also. Most importantly, find out what you can do here.

It started with the fight against a proposed international airport …

In April 2020, we were shocked to learn that Christchurch International Airport had purchased 750 hectares of land in the heart of Tarras to construct a greenfield international airport.

750 hectares is the same area of land as occupied by the existing Christchurch Airport, including all its hotels, car rentals, fast food places and other ancillary businesses.

A group of concerned and passionate Upper Clutha locals came together in response to this proposal, with the intent to fight establishment of this new airport and to preserve the peace and serenity of the Upper Clutha Valley – for all New Zealanders. We call ourselves Sustainable Tarras.