Who we are and our role

We're part of the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE). We administer the Crown Minerals Act.

Who we are

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 (CMA) 1991 (and its predecessors) on behalf of the New Zealand Government.

What we regulate

We regulate the right to prospect, explore, and mine Crown-owned minerals on behalf of the Minister of Energy and Resources.

Under the Crown Minerals Act we issue permits to operators to explore and develop New Zealand’s mineral and petroleum resources based on their technical and financial competence.

In return for a permit, operators must pay fees and royalties, and provide us with geoscience and geospatial digital information and related drilling samples. We monitor operators’ compliance with their permits and make sure New Zealand is getting a fair financial return for the nation’s resources.

MBIE also provides policy advice to the government to make sure this system is working. This includes making sure that that we have a framework to issue permits, and the compliance tools we need.

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