Industry Overview
The mining industry in New Zealand is dominated by foreign investors with the exception of the state owned enterprise, Solid Energy.
New Zealand has a long history in the mining of coal, gold and silver, although global demand and resource issues have seen the importance of mining to the economy diminish over time. Two thirds of New Zealand’s coal is produced by Solid Energy for both domestic and Asia Pacific markets.
Gold mining in New Zealand is largely contained in two main mines – Macraes and Martha Hill, as well as several small alluvial operations in Otago. It is believed that New Zealand has further undiscovered large prospects, however high grade underground prospects are largely in environmentally sensitive areas.
Major issues facing the mining industry in New Zealand are:
- sensitivity of export markets – diminished economic activity in Japan and East Asia
- transportation costs – critical to the viability of exports, particularly coal given the location difficulties with the West Coast of the South Island
- greenhouse gas emissions
- resource consent and environmental issues.
Why PricewaterhouseCoopers?
PricewaterhouseCoopers is one of the world's leading advisors to the mining industry, working with mineral exploration, production and service companies.
Our strength in serving the international mining industry comes from our skills, experience, and network of specialists who focus on understanding the mining business and tailoring solutions to industry issues. With many years of mineral sector involvement, our mining professionals represent a unique team of linked industry specialists located in the major mining centres of the United States, Canada, Europe, Australia, Latin America, South Africa and Eastern Europe.
