Revised timeframes for permit applications received from 1 July 2025
An improved permitting system means a better experience and more certainty for potential and current permit holders in planning and delivering their work programmes.
In 2024, NZP&M introduced average processing timeframes for minerals and petroleum applications received on and from 1 July 2024 and publishes results quarterly on its performance against those timeframes.
The timeframes represent when an applicant can expect to receive an outcome on a complete application that includes all the relevant information. Applications that are incomplete, and require NZP&M to request further information, will take longer to process.
In June 2025, the timeframes were reviewed, and reduced timeframes were introduced for a number of different application types received on and from 1 July 2025. The new timeframes are set out in the tables below. Additional timeframes, such as those for applications enabled by the Crown Minerals Act Amendment Bill, may be published in the future.
Introducing permitting timeframes has not impacted the regulatory rigour applied to applications. The same processes, checks and balances are applied to every application, just on an accelerated timeline.
Minerals permit applications timeframes
| Application type | Average timeframe (working days) | |
|---|---|---|
| New | Previous | |
| Hobby mining permit applications | ||
| All new and change applications | 80 | 80 |
| New or subsequent applications (excluding hobby) | ||
| Prospecting Permit | 120 | 120 |
| Exploration Permit | 120 | 120 |
| Tier 2 Mining Permit | 180 | 180 |
| Tier 1 Mining Permit | 240 | 240 |
| Changes to all existing permits | ||
| Change of Conditions | 100 | 120 |
| Transfer of Interest, Change of Operator | 60 | 60 |
| Notification of Control (Tier 2) | 60 | 80 |
| Consent for Change of Control (Tier 1) | 60 | 80 |
| Consent to a Dealing | 120 | 120 |
| Changes to existing Prospecting and Exploration Permits | ||
| Extension of Duration Appraisal | 100 | 120 |
| Extension of Duration | 100 | 120 |
| Change of Minerals | 100 | 120 |
| Extension of Land or Amalgamation | 100 | 120 |
| Changes to existing Mining Permits (excluding hobby permits) | ||
| Extension of Duration | 100 | 120 |
| Change of Minerals | 100 | 120 |
| Extension of Land or Amalgamation | 180 | 240 |
| Surrender applications | ||
| Partial Surrender | 30 | 30 |
| Full Surrender | 30 | 30 |
| Surrender associated with other applications | Same as associated application | Same as associated application |
| Contest round applications | ||
| Newly Available Acreage (NAA) or Equal Priority in Time (EPIT) | 240 | - |
Petroleum permit applications timeframes
| Application type | Average timeframe (months) | |
|---|---|---|
| New | Previous | |
| Mining | 18 | 24 |
| Amalgamation | 12 | 12 |
| Change of conditions | 9 | 12 |
| Change of control | 9 | 12 |
| Change of operator | 9 | 12 |
| Extension of duration | 12 | 18 |
| Transfer of interest | 9 | 12 |
| Surrender or Relinquishment | 3 | 6 |
| Dealing | 4 | 12 |
| Extension of land | ||
| Mining | 12 | 12 |
| Exploration | 9 | 12 |
How the processing timeframes are calculated
Working days specified in the Crown Minerals Act 1991 are included in the calculation of processing timeframes for affected applications.
Where NZP&M is waiting on information from an applicant in order to progress the assessment of their application, the timeframe is paused. The ‘clock’ restarts when the information is received.
Complex assessments requiring additional information or documents from an applicant may add up to 60 working days to the timeframe.