How do I apply for a permit: Survey requirements (Boundary definition standards)

• Principles
• Summary of requirements for the three permit types
• Prospecting permits
• Exploration permits
• Mining permits

This is intended to clarify survey and spatial standards for mineral and coal permits by describing the requirements for prospecting, exploration and mining permits. This information has been provided by LINZ.

Principles

The main principles applying to permits are:

• Mining permits are tradable rights and, as such, they should be treated as any other encumbrance on a land transfer title.  If the boundaries of the permit do not coincide exactly with existing cadastral boundaries then a full survey is required, except in exceptional circumstances.
• Exploration and prospecting permits are generally of short duration and, as such, they should be treated as non-tradable rights which will not be recorded against the land transfer title.  If, however, the holder considers that this right has a tradable value then the holder should prepare a plan to a standard which enables approval as to survey, along with a detailed listing of the affected titles to assist the registrar undertake appropriate annotation on these titles.

Summary of requirements for the three permit types

Prospecting permits

Prospecting permits are covered by the least stringent requirements in that they may be described by diagram, unless there is an overlap.

Exploration permits

Generally an illustrative plan, based on cadastral records such as DCDB or Landonline will be sufficient, so long as sufficient information is shown to enable any new lines to be defined later by survey if required.

The diagrams (see permit-survey.pdf - 24k) show several acceptable options, though only options 1, 2 and 5, or a combination of these, are likely to be practical.

Option 1: Shows a new line running between two existing boundary points. The existing boundary points should be described by mark identifiers (eg mark VA SO123). Enlarged diagrams are needed where the plan scale does not allow clear distinction between adjacent boundary points. There is no need to calculate dimensions in this option and no field survey is required.

Option 2: This is an extension of, and may be combined with, features of option 1. The same notes apply as for option 1. Define by showing sufficient dimensions only (bearings and distances) to determine any new positions. Annotate the undimensioned boundaries as "deduced". Do not show "closing dimensions". The principle to be followed is that there should be just sufficient dimensions shown to enable a surveyor to define the position on the ground if required at some future date. No field survey is required.

Option 3: Show new positions with dimensions for all new lines and ensure closure of new parcels. No field survey is required. This option is not likely to be practical.

Option 4: Define new positions by full survey and ground-marking. Survey is required. This option is not likely to be practical.

Option 5: Unsurveyed rivers intended to be used to define the boundary of the permit area may be plotted from topo maps or aerial photos. No field survey is required. The plan should clearly show which bank the permit area extends to.

Note that whenever bearings are shown on a plan, a bearing datum note is required. Some advice from a registered surveyor will be required. Generally the use of coordinates to define a permit area will be unacceptable due to the number of different coordinate systems in use in New Zealand over many years.

Mining permits

For mining permits the survey requirements are generally clear in that mining permits require spatial definition in terms of the Survey Regulations. If the boundaries of the permit do not coincide exactly with existing cadastral boundaries then a full survey is required. In certain circumstances, however, a full survey of mining permits may not be possible (see permit-survey.pdf - 24k) and the Chief Surveyor will need to be consulted:

For beach permits (these lie below high water mark) it is generally not feasible to physically survey and mark the seaward boundary. In this case the important boundaries are the permit ends and the coast boundary. The coast boundary may be defined by right-lining (but not pegging) the latest survey definition of MHWM or MHWS and connections should be shown to the adjoining cadastral parcels.

In areas of indigenous forest where access to carry out a survey may be restricted, a survey defined single corner post and a survey accurate description may be acceptable. Full survey may be required later.