Review of the Crown Minerals Act regime

Transitional arrangements consultation process – closes 8 June 2012

Following feedback received on the March 2012 discussion paper, submissions are now sought on a supplementary paper discussing transitional arrangements for existing permits holders to the proposed new Crown Minerals Act regime.

Review of the Crown Minerals Act regime

Between 7 March and 30 April 2012 we sought feedback on the 'Reviewing the Crown Minerals Act 1991 Regime' discussion paper. Submissions received are being taken into account in the development of a bill to amend the Crown Minerals Act, plus new minerals programmes and regulations. An amendment bill is expected to be introduced into Parliament in 2012.

This review follows initial consultation on the Crown Minerals Act in 2010. Feedback from submitters was that they wanted the opportunity to comment on all aspects of the minerals management regime at the same time. The 2012 discussion paper takes this feedback into account.

The review has three main objectives:

to encourage the development of Crown-owned minerals so that they contribute more to New Zealand’s economic development
to streamline and simplify the regime where appropriate, ensuring it is in line with the regulatory reform agenda, and make it better able to deal with future developments
to ensure that better coordination of regulatory agencies can contribute to stringent health, safety and environmental standards in exploration and production activities.