Increasing transparency on permit application timeframes
New Zealand Petroleum and Minerals (NZP&M) has introduced processing timeframes for minerals and petroleum applications received on and from 1 July 2024, and will publish results quarterly on its performance against those timeframes.
A range of factors have influenced increasing minerals permit application wait times since July 2020, including a sustained surge in applications due to high gold prices, enhanced regulatory processes, and the reduced quality of some applications being submitted.
While there are no set timeframes for assessing or deciding a permit application – as each application brings its own complexities and sensitivities – NZP&M is implementing an ongoing improvements programme for its permitting system and processes to ensure it is an effective, consistent, and timely regulator.
An improved permitting system means a better experience and more certainty for potential and current permit holders in planning and delivering their work programmes.
Introducing permitting timeframes will not impact the regulatory rigour applied to applications. The same processes, checks and balances will be applied to every application, but the ongoing improvements being introduced will result in accelerated timelines.
The first quarterly publication of NZP&M’s performance against the timeframes, for the period 1 July 2024 to 30 September 2024, will occur in early October 2024.
Mineral permits application timeframes
Average processing timeframe for complete applications that have all relevant information provided will be able to be processed with shorter timeframes. Applications that are complete and or have incomplete information will take longer to process.
| Application type | Average processing timeframe | |
|---|---|---|
| Complete applications | Complex or incomplete application | |
| Hobby mining permit applications | ||
| All new and change applications | 80 business days | 140 |
| New applications (excluding hobby) | ||
| New or subsequent Tier 1 or 2 prospecting permit (PP) and exploration permit (EP) | 120 | 180 |
| New or subsequent Tier 1 mining permit (MP) | 240 | 300 |
| New or subsequent Tier 2 MP | 180 | 240 |
| For changes to existing permits | ||
| Any Change of Conditions | 120 | 180 |
| Any Transfer, Change of Operator | 60 | 120 |
| Any Notification of Change of Control | 80 | 140 |
| Any Consent to a Dealing | 120 | 180 |
| Prospecting & Exploration permits (Tier 1 or 2) | ||
| Extension of Duration Appraisal | 120 | 180 |
| Extension of Duration | 120 | 180 |
| Change of Minerals | 120 | 180 |
| Extension of Land | 120 | 180 |
| Mining Permits (Tier 1 or 2) | ||
| Extension of Duration | 120 | 180 |
| Change of Minerals | 120 | 180 |
| Extension of Land | 240 | 300 |
| Surrender applications | ||
| Partial Surrender | 30 | 90 |
| Partial Surrender associated with Subsequent Applications | Same as the corresponding subsequent application timeframe | |
| Full Surrender | 30 | 90 |
Petroleum permit applications timeframes
| Application type | Average processing timeframe for applications (business days) |
|---|---|
| New permit applications | |
| Exploration | Processing timeframes for Petroleum Exploration Permit Rounds are outlined in the Petroleum Programme 2013. |
| Mining | 480 |
| For changes to existing permits | |
| Amalgamation | 240 |
| Change of conditions | 240 |
| Change of control | 240 |
| Change of operator | 240 |
| Extension of duration | 360 |
| Extension of land | 240 |
| Transfer of interest | 240 |
How the processing timeframes are calculated
Non-working days in December/January, as specified in the Crown Minerals Act 1991, are not included in the calculation of processing timeframes for affected applications (e.g. an application submitted in December and decided the following May). Where NZP&M is waiting on information from an application in order to progress the assessment of their application, the timeframe is paused. The ‘clock’ restarts when the information is received.