New Zealand Crown Minerals Amendment Bill - September 2023
Country
Year
2023
Summary
The Crown Minerals Act no longer requires the Government to actively "promote" prospecting, exploration, and mining of minerals like climate polluting fossil fuels.
This bill would amend the Crown Minerals Act 1991. The bill aims to enable greater flexibility for allocating and managing Crown-owned mineral rights, improve permit and licence holder engagement with iwi and hapū, and clarify decommissioning-rela- ted obligations.
The Act was amended in 2013 to promote investment in Crown-owned minerals, with the introduction of a promotional purpose clause. The Act's current focus on promo- tion allows limited flexibility in the allocation and management choices available to the Crown, particularly in the context of a transition away from fossil fuels.
This bill would alter the purpose clause of the Act to remove the promotional intent.
The change would mean that allocation would be promoted where there is a need, and minimised where there is not.