The strategy at a glance
We are aiming to develop an enduring minerals sector that enhances prosperity for New Zealanders, demonstrates its value, and delivers minerals for a clean energy transition.
On this page
Minerals includes all non-petroleum minerals, both privately and Crown-owned.
Enhancing prosperity for New Zealanders relates to jobs and the wages created, driving export sales, and gaining royalties and taxes for New Zealand. It also relates to flow on benefits such as indirect employment, infrastructure upgrades, and meeting local supply needs (such as aggregate production) that support other sectors to thrive. It also means protecting the environmental values which is important to New Zealanders.
Demonstrating the sector’s value will highlight it’s importance to our economy and our lives, and enable conversations about the pros and cons of minerals production that we rely on for modern life.
Delivering minerals for a clean energy transition is already a main driver of interest and investment in minerals. New Zealand has potential to contribute minerals critical to clean energy technologies, and supply these minerals to the world.
How we’ll know when we’ve achieved our aim
There is ongoing resilience in our minerals supply chains
Our economy has access to the minerals it needs at the right time and in the right quantities to grow and thrive, including both raw minerals (such as aggregates) and minerals within products.
Sector growth supports New Zealand and regional prosperity
The sector has doubled its mineral exports to $2 billion by 2035 through an export-led growth pathway. This growth has brought additional jobs, wealth, and other benefits to New Zealand and to regional communities. Extra value will be added through domestic processing and refining.
New Zealanders understand our mineral needs
The public have a clear picture of what minerals are used for in modern society, as raw materials and as part of end products.
There is public confidence in responsible minerals production
Responsible regulatory settings and the behaviours of sector participants will have built public trust that the sector is operating in line with how New Zealanders believe mining should be done. Production growth will not come at the expense of environmental outcomes or workers’ health and safety.
New Zealand’s minerals support resilient global supply chains and contribute to a clean energy transition
New Zealand mineral exports contribute to resilient global supply chains and help minimise geopolitical risks globally for minerals that are integral in clean energy technologies, and domestic production supports New Zealand’s decarbonisation targets.
The integrity and credibility of our regulatory system contributes to sector investment and demand in diverse global markets
Transparent and efficient decision-making under our regulatory framework (the Crown Minerals Act 1991, Resource Management Act 1991, and other legislation) attracts investment in our minerals sector and facilitates international trade and market entry.
The mineral's sector export-led growth pathway
We are aiming to see accelerated growth, for example through establishment of 10 significant mining operations, each having the potential to generate $100 million per annum.
Current state existing in industry
- $1 billion in exports
- 5,000+ regional jobs
Growth pathway
- Scaling up current minerals exports: Gold, coking (Steel making) and coal.
- Realising new minerals opportunities: Minerals such as antinomy, vanadium, titanium, lithium, heavy minerals sands, and rare earth elements.
- We will add values to our minerals through domestic processing and refining.
Future state 2040
- $2 billion in exports by 2035
- 7,000 regional jobs
The key actions from this strategy that are already underway
- Implementing the Fast-track Approvals Bill.
- Producing a critical minerals list for New Zealand.
- Improving the efficiency of the permitting process under the Crown Minerals Act 1991 and clearing the minerals
applications queue. - Making amendments to the Resource Management Act 1991 and its national direction to improve consenting
processes and ensure it provides an enabling and enduring framework for responsible minerals development. - Completing a detailed stock take of New Zealand’s known mineral potential.
- Promoting investment opportunities to increase the scale and pace of development.