About New Zealand Petroleum & Minerals
New Zealand Petroleum & Minerals (NZP&M) is a brand name used by the Resource Markets branch of the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE). MBIE administers the Crown Minerals Act 1991 (CMA) on behalf of the New Zealand Government. NZP&M regulates the right to prospect, explore, and mine Crown-owned minerals on behalf of the Minister of Resources.
Under the CMA, NZP&M issues permits to operators to explore and develop New Zealand’s mineral and petroleum resources, based on their technical and financial competence. Operators must also seek environmental consents under the Resource Management Act 1991 and the Exclusive Economic Zone and Continental Shelf (Environmental Effects) Act 2012.
In return for a permit, operators must pay fees and royalties and provide NZP&M with technical information, including geoscience and geospatial information. NZP&M monitors operators’ compliance with their permits and makes sure New Zealand is getting a fair financial return for the nation’s petroleum and mineral resources.
New Zealand Petroleum & Minerals has a role in the Fast-track process
NZP&M manages pre-lodgement consultation for mining permits under the Fast-track process.
NZP&M provides comments and advice about mining permits to the Minister for Infrastructure at the referral application stage, and to expert panels at the substantive application stage.
More information about mining permits can be found in the Fast-track Approvals Act 2024 on the New Zealand Legislation website.
The Fast-track process guides applicants
Before you make a mining permit application through the Fast-track referral and substantive process, you need to contact NZP&M to arrange a pre-lodgement consultation meeting. You will be expected to tell us about your project and your mining permit application. We will provide information to help you with the application.
Once you have made a Fast-track application, the Fast-track team and the application process will guide your future work with NZP&M.
Information on mining permits
The NZP&M website includes guidance for operators on how to apply for a minerals or petroleum mining permit. This guidance is for operators applying directly under the CMA, but it has useful information for those applying under the Fast-track process.
Information on applying for a minerals mining permit:
Apply for a minerals Tier 1 or Tier 2 mining permit – New Zealand Petroleum & Minerals
Information on applying for a petroleum mining permit:
APP-01 – Petroleum – New permit – New Zealand Petroleum & Minerals
Minerals guidelines: