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Crown Minerals Act 1991

Permits, access to land, and other matters - Permits, access to land, and title notations - Access to land other than for minimum impact activity

53: Access to land for petroleum

You could also call this:

"Rules for accessing land to search for or extract oil and gas"

Illustration for Crown Minerals Act 1991

If you have a permit to look for or extract petroleum, you must follow certain rules when accessing the land. You cannot prospect, explore, or mine for petroleum on someone else's land unless you have an access arrangement in place. This arrangement must be agreed to in writing by you and the landowner, or it must be determined by an arbitrator according to the Crown Minerals Act 1991.

You will need to make sure you have this access arrangement before you start any work on the land. However, if your permit is for land in the continental shelf or the common marine and coastal area, these rules do not apply to you.

When you are looking to access land for petroleum, you should be aware that there are specific laws that apply, as outlined in the Crown Minerals Act 1991 and amendments such as the Crown Minerals Amendment Act 2013 and the Crown Minerals Amendment Act 2019.

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This page was last updated on

View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM246703.

Topics:
Environment and resources > ConservationHousing and property > Land use
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54: Access to land for minerals other than petroleum, or

"Looking for minerals on someone else's land: what you need to know"

Part 1BPermits, access to land, and other matters
Permits, access to land, and title notations: Access to land other than for minimum impact activity

53Access to land for petroleum

  1. This section shall not apply to minimum impact activities.

  2. The holder of a permit in respect of petroleum shall not prospect, explore, or mine on or in land to which his or her permit relates otherwise than in accordance with an access arrangement—

  3. agreed in writing between the permit holder and each owner and occupier of the land; or
    1. determined by an arbitrator in accordance with this Act.

      1. Subsection (2) does not apply if the permit relates to—

      2. land in the continental shelf; or
        1. land in the common marine and coastal area.

          Notes
          • Section 53(3): replaced, on , by section 38 of the Crown Minerals Amendment Act 2013 (2013 No 14).
          • Section 53(3)(b): replaced, on , by section 12 of the Crown Minerals Amendment Act 2019 (2019 No 2).