Crown Minerals Amendment Bill
This bill changes the rules around mining permits in New Zealand. It creates a new, simpler permit type for small-scale gold panning in rivers and on beaches. It also lets the Government publish official statements about its mining goals. For oil and gas, it strengthens rules about cleaning up old wells and equipment, and makes sure companies set aside money to cover those clean-up costs if they sell their interests or change ownership.
What this affects
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The bill creates a simpler, cheaper permit for everyday New Zealanders who want to do small-scale gold panning in rivers or on beaches.
Tier 3 permit means a permit that— (a) authorises mining for gold in the bed of a river, on a beach, or both; and (b) does not authorise mining for any other mineral; and (c) applies to an area not exceeding 50 continuous hectares
the permit holder may only use the following equipment: (i) unpowered hand tools: (ii) riffle boxes and associated equipment: (iii) powered equipment not exceeding a combined total of 10 horsepower
Progress through Parliament
Have your say
This bill is open for public submissions to the Economic Development, Science and Innovation Committee. Anyone can tell the committee what they think, and you don’t need to be an expert. Submissions close 30 September 2024.
Bill text sourced from legislation.govt.nz (Parliamentary Counsel Office). Arapono’s summary and breakdown are drafted with AI grounded in that official text and reviewed by an Arapono editor for accuracy and neutrality before publishing. Arapono is non-partisan and takes no position on this bill.