Check out the new Geodata Catalogue | Have you submitted your annual summary report? | Crown Minerals Amendment Bill update | Results from our recent survey on minerals permitting | A compliance update
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Regulator’s Update – March 2023
Kia ora and welcome to this issue of the Regulator’s Update – a newsletter for permit holders and other people interested in New Zealand Petroleum & Minerals.
It’s been a hard few weeks for New Zealanders in the North Island. Our thoughts are with you, and with those supporting the response and recovery.
In this issue:
- Have you submitted your annual summary report?
- Check out the new Geodata Catalogue
- Crown Minerals Amendment Bill update
- Minerals permit processing – a summary from our recent survey
- A compliance update
Have you submitted your annual summary report?
Annual summary reports (ASRs) for the 2022 period can be submitted now. ASRs are due by 31 March 2023 for each permit held in 2022, even if no work was carried out during the year.
The easiest way to submit your report is through the online permitting system (OPS). To use the OPS you need to register online and have a RealMe® login. If you haven’t used the OPS before, don’t worry – it’s easy to register, and we have guidance below to step you through the process.
Find information to help you submit your ASRs and how to register to use the OPS in the links below:
About annual summary reports (minerals)
About annual summary reports (petroleum)
Check out the new Geodata Catalogue
The new and improved geoscience information portal, the Geodata Catalogue is now live. This replaces the Exploration Database.
It is free to use. You don’t need a login to find data but you will need a RealMe® login to download.
Browse the collection of free geoscience exploration data and reports, collected by permit holders and the government.
Crown Minerals Amendment Bill update
In late 2022, the Government introduced the Crown Minerals Amendment Bill (the Bill) to better align the Crown Minerals Act 1991 (the CMA) with wider Government policy objectives, while retaining the CMA’s current role as the allocation and management tool for Crown owned minerals.
The Bill proposes changes to:
- increase flexibility in the management of these resources (e.g. when and how often future block offers take place) by changing the word “promote” in the purpose statement to more neutral language.
- improve and create more certainty around engagement between industry and iwi and hapū.
- make decommissioning related clarifications.
The Bill is currently before the Economic Development, Science and Innovation Committee, which received 334 written submissions and heard from 17 oral submitters. These submissions came from industry, tangata whenua, environmental groups and the wider public.
In response to submissions, MBIE is preparing the Departmental report, which may propose changes to the current draft Bill. The Committee will consider this document and is then expected to report back to Parliament on 22 May with their recommendations.
Track the Bill’s progress and view submissions – Parliament website
More information about the Bill – MBIE website
Minerals permit processing – a summary from our recent survey
Thank you to those who participated in the minerals permit application survey in December.
The survey asked questions about people's understanding of the minerals application process, including what sources of information are used to complete an application and what made the process difficult. There were also questions about the online permitting system.
We received 73 responses. The majority were permit operators. The responses revealed several themes, like:
- application forms can be confusing and hard to understand
- the use of plain language in guidance would be preferable
- understanding the legal considerations when applying for a permit can be difficult
- differentiating hobby permit requirements from other Tier 2 alluvial requirements
- the online permitting system could be made more user friendly.
We will use the feedback from this survey to help inform changes we can make to improve the permit application process. If you have any feedback on this topic, you can share it with us through our online contact form or by emailing nzpam@mbie.govt.nz.
Compliance update
In late February, the Compliance Team took a trip down south across Canterbury and Central Otago to visit sites.
They visited several mining permit locations, and the public fossicking area in Arrowtown, to ensure permit conditions and other obligations were being complied with.
While most permit holders were compliant and welcomed the visits, one permit holder appeared to be breaking the rules and mining outside their permit boundary. This is now being investigated and enforcement options being considered.
The team also visited unpermitted areas where illegal mining had been reported, including in remote areas of the Nevis Valley. Despite an extensive search, no illegal mining was found.
Find out more about how we approach compliance
Our recently updated compliance approach has information about the tools we have to regulate, and how we decide what tool to use in different situations.
