Crown Minerals Act 1991

Permits, access to land, and other matters - Offences and miscellaneous - Miscellaneous provisions

98: Gold fossicking areas (Crown land)

You could also call this:

"Areas on Crown land where you can look for gold using hand tools"

Illustration for Crown Minerals Act 1991

The Minister and another Minister can choose an area of Crown land to be a gold fossicking area. They tell everyone about it by putting a notice in the Gazette. You can then go to this area to look for gold.

You are allowed to mine for gold in a gold fossicking area using only hand-held tools that do not use motors. The area where you can look for gold is clearly defined when it is chosen.

The Ministers can stop an area from being a gold fossicking area by putting another notice in the Gazette. Just because an area is a gold fossicking area, it does not mean that other permits cannot be given for that area.

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This page was last updated on 14 August 2025

View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM246792.

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97A: Chief executive may prescribe form of certain documents, or

"The boss can decide what some official papers should look like and how to fill them out."

98A: Gold fossicking areas (other land), or

"Areas where you can look for gold on local council land using handheld tools"

Part 1BPermits, access to land, and other matters
Offences and miscellaneous: Miscellaneous provisions

98Gold fossicking areas (Crown land)

The appropriate Minister and the Minister may, by notice in the Gazette, jointly designate any area of Crown land as a gold fossicking area, which shall then be open for public fossicking in respect of gold.
The area and location of every gold fossicking area declared under subsection (1) shall be defined in the notice under that subsection.
Every person shall have the right to mine for gold in a gold fossicking area by means only of non-motorised hand held tools.
The designation of an area of land as a gold fossicking area does not prevent or restrict the granting of any permit in respect of that area.
The Minister may, by notice in the Gazette, revoke any designation of a gold fossicking area.

Notes

Section 98 heading: amended, on 24 May 2013, by section 50 of the Crown Minerals Amendment Act 2013 (2013 No 14).