Consultation opens on draft Critical Minerals List

A draft list of minerals deemed essential to New Zealand’s economy and strengthening its mineral resilience has been released for consultation.

The draft Critical Minerals List identifies 35 minerals essential to economic functions, are in demand internationally, and face high risk of supply disruption domestically and internationally.

Once finalised, the Critical Minerals List will contribute to New Zealand’s work on important international supply chains and allow the Government to investigate specific actions for securing better access to the minerals deemed critical. This could include strategies for developing specific minerals.

The draft list complements the release of a specialist geological report on New Zealand’s potential onshore and offshore mineral endowment in August. The report brings together extensive mineral deposit research, geological, geochemical, and geophysical studies and mapping.