A South Island iwi is confident its bid to protect sacred springs in Golden Bay from commercial ventures, will be successful.

Submissions hearings will wrap up in the coming weeks in a Special Tribunal Hearing over the application for a rare water conservation order for the Te Waikoropupu Springs.

Ngati Tawa is one of the main applicants seeking a water conservation order for Te Waikoropupu Springs to safeguard it from commercial ventures.

Ngati Tama representative Margaret Little says submissions so far have been in favour of the order, with more than two thousand submissions were made

She says the iwi has taken efforts to protect the spring as far as it can.

"We're getting really tired of having to be active to all these applications and lining and all of that, its not just Maori that value it."

But, she says, they differ when it comes down to the detail because of the complexity of aquifer system

Ms Little says iwi want to ensure it's protected but accessible.

"It will give a direction. It will be like this umbrella that sits above the management of the water. We want to protect it for future generations."