The death of Sir Sam Neill has prompted a rush of donations to the Central Otago campaign opposing a proposed gold mine, with supporters honouring the actor by backing the environmental fight he publicly championed.
Neill, 78, died on Monday night at a private hospital in Sydney,. Australia, "surrounded by family", Neill's loved ones confirmed on Social media. A Givealittle page for the Stop Central Otago Gold Mine campaign has received a wave of new contributions since Neill's death was announced, with many donors specifically referencing the actor and his opposition to the project.
Posted by Lovely__Trenty
8 Comments
That seems like a legacy that anyone would be proud to have.
This is so bittersweet. It’s sad it took a death to get people to notice, but I’m also sure he’d be happy about the donations.
Having been to the Otago region (and even Sam’s vinyard once) quite a few times in my life, it’s hard to express how otherworldly and beautiful it is. There’s a good reason Aotearoa is cast so often as a fantasy realm of some kind. It’s really just *like* that.
I understand the issue is complex because tourist towns always make living expensive for the real locals (i live in one myself so i get it) and NZ is so bad for cost of living. I work with so many Maori people who can’t even afford to live in their homeland. But destroying the landscape for a mine can’t be the only option to create jobs out there. Destroying one asset for another isn’t a straightforward gain.
That’s my Uncle Hec!!!
He really was a treasure
Unfortunately the mountains of his motherland are also under threat from an American mining company that is hellbent on destroying and poisoning the area. I implore people to check out ‘Save our Sperrins’ – near his hometown of Omagh, in county Tyrone.
#A legacy that keeps making a difference even after someone’s gone That’s a meaningful tribute
#Turns out the most lasting role he played was inspiring people off-screen
Thank you for posting this. <3 I still can’t believe he’s gone. The outpouring of love from all corners for this guy has been beautiful to see, and now to see it boost a cause he deeply cared about is wonderful.
If people want to donate, the link is here: [https://givealittle.co.nz/cause/bendigo-gold-mine](https://givealittle.co.nz/cause/bendigo-gold-mine)