Minerals Strategy and Critical Minerals List launched
The Government has launched a Minerals Strategy for New Zealand, supported by a Critical Minerals List, to lay a strategic and enduring pathway forward for New Zealand’s minerals sector.
The Strategy and List are the latest initiatives led by the Coalition Government to unleash the potential of New Zealand’s natural resources as a vehicle to boost regional opportunities and jobs, increase self-sufficiency, and support an export-led recovery for the economy.
The Minerals Strategy adopts a lens out to 2040, focusing New Zealand’s approach to the development of our minerals estate, with a delivery roadmap to get us there. It outlines actions that will be taken to position the minerals sector to deliver for New Zealanders, focused on three key outcomes of productivity, value, and resilience. The Strategy is guided by overarching principles to honour Te Tiriti o Waitangi obligations and responsible practices.
There are 37 minerals included on the Critical Minerals List, which identifies minerals that are essential to New Zealand’s economy. New Zealand has the potential to produce 21 of these, which will enable us to contribute to the growing critical minerals market as a trusted and reliable partner, particularly in the support of global mineral supply chains of minerals needed for clean energy technologies.
Following public consultation, the Strategy now targets a goal of doubling our exports to $3 billion by 2035, up from the previous target of $2 billion. This change was made following revised export statistics from Statistics NZ, reporting that mineral exports for the year ending June 2023 totalled $1.46 billion, and in response to feedback from submitters that we should aim for a more ambitious target. This Government is taking an active, deliberate and coordinated approach to harnessing the potential of our natural resources.
See the Minerals Strategy and Critical Minerals list below.
Minerals and petroleum — Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment