Regulator’s Update – December 2023

Kia ora,

Welcome to this issue of the Regulator’s Update – a newsletter for permit holders and other people interested in the work of New Zealand Petroleum and Minerals.

In this issue

A quarterly snapshot of minerals permit applications
Changes to the Crown Minerals Act
Tips for submitting annual summary reports in 2024
New Zealand’s mining statistics for 2022
Minimum mining rates letter to permit holders
Online permitting system upgrade
Our hours over the holiday season

Snapshot of minerals permit applications

This snapshot provides insights into the number of minerals permit applications received and decisions made between 1 July and 30 September 2023.

Snapshot of minerals applications July to end of September

Changes to the Crown Minerals Act

Clearer expectations about how Tier 1 permit holders are required to engage with iwi and hapū, enacted through the Crown Minerals Amendment Act 2023, are now in operational effect.

Annual summary reports – make it easy in 2024

Annual summary reports are due 31 March 2024.

Did you know you can submit your 2023 annual summary report (ASR) from 1 January onwards? Read our top tips to make submitting your ASR easy in 2024.

Top tips for submitting your annual summary report

Mining industry statistics for 2022 released

New Zealand Petroleum and Minerals has released mining industry statistics for the calendar year of 2022.

The dataset is the only nation-wide compilation of statistics on minerals production, revenue from royalties, and industry expenditure on prospecting and exploration.

Minimum mining rates letter to permit holders

In November, an automated compliance letter was sent to some minerals mining permit holders to inform them that they did not meet their work programme’s minimum mining rate for the 2022 calendar year. This compliance letter is part of wider work NZP&M is doing to increase permit holders’ awareness of how well they are complying with the conditions of their permits.

If you have a minerals mining permit, you may have a minimum mining rate obligation as one of the conditions of your permit. This rate would have been agreed as part of your work programme when your permit was granted. If you’re unsure, you can check your permit certificate in the online permitting system to check.

Check your permit certificate – Online permitting system

If your permit contains a minimum mining rate and you do not meet it each calendar year, you will be considered non-compliant. This could affect your future permit applications, or result in enforcement action.

If there are legitimate reasons why you were unable to meet your work programme obligations, you may be able to change your minimum mining rate.

Apply to change the conditions of your permit

If you have any questions, or need help finding your permit certificate, please email us: nzpam@mbie.govt.nz

Update on our online permitting system upgrade

Our online permitting system (OPS) will now be upgraded to a new cloud-based solution in late 2024, not late 2023 as we previously advised. The new timeline provides an opportunity to fully prepare the solution and limit any impacts on our users. A further update will be provided ahead of this upgrade later in 2024.

Our hours over the holiday season

The application close-down period over the holiday season is between 20 December 2023 and 15 January 2024. You can still submit an application during this period, but confirmation of acceptance may not take place until after the close-down period.
Our office is open until the afternoon of Friday, 22 December and will reopen on Wednesday, 3 January.

The online permitting system, permit webmaps and the exploration database will still be available to use over this time.

Any inquiries received after 4:30pm on Thursday, 21 December will be processed from Thursday, 4 January 2024.

Our phone line will reopen at 8:30am on Wednesday 3 January 2024.

We wish you all a safe and happy holiday season, and look forward to working with you again in 2024.