Consultation on a draft Geothermal Strategy for New Zealand

About the consultation

MBIE consulted on a draft geothermal strategy for New Zealand. It proposed a long-term framework for the sustainable development and use of geothermal resources across a broad range of applications.

Geothermal resources play an important role in New Zealand’s:

• energy system
• tourism sector
• regional development
• transition to a more resilient and sustainable economy.

New Zealand has a world-class geothermal resource. However, geothermal development faces barriers, such as:

• high upfront drilling costs
• fragmented access to data
• complex and dated regulatory settings
• the scale of the sector.

The draft strategy was developed to establish a strategic framework to address these barriers and promote the responsible and productive use of geothermal resources. The draft strategy focused on achieving 3 strategic outcomes:

1. Extending New Zealand’s position as a world leader in geothermal innovation.
2. Accelerating energy resilience, including proposing a tangible goal to double geothermal energy use by 2040.
3. Strengthening regional economies and te Ōhanga Māori by advancing geothermal development.

The draft also included a proposed action plan outlining the role of government in unlocking geothermal opportunities.

Summary of submissions

MBIE received a total of 59 submissions from a diverse range of submitters, including:

• commercial entities (20)
• iwi/Māori organisations (12)
• individuals (12)
• industry bodies (7)
• local government and regional economic development agencies (4)
• academia and research institutes (4).

Overall, submitters showed broad support for the vision and direction of the strategy. Many acknowledged the draft strategy’s potential to unlock geothermal opportunities across New Zealand. Many submissions called for faster implementation and clearer funding support for proposed actions.

Five central themes emerged across the submissions:

1. Economic enablement, innovation and regional development. Many submitters highlighted the importance of geothermal resources as a driver of regional economic development, alongside calls for greater investment in innovation and workforce development.
2. Strategic governance and regulatory reform. Many submitters noted the need for clearer and updated regulatory settings and improved coordination to support sector development and investment.
3. Treaty of Waitangi partnership, Māori rights and interests, and integration of indigenous knowledge (mātauranga Māori). There was strong emphasis on the need for genuine partnership with Māori, supporting iwi and hapū aspirations, and integrating mātauranga Māori into decision-making.
4. Environmental stewardship and sustainability. Submitters emphasised protecting the wider ecological health of geothermal systems and ensuring development occurs in a sustainable and environmentally responsible manner.
5. Geothermal data issues. Improved access to and coordination of geothermal data was identified as an important enabler for better decision-making and investment.

Submissions

MBIE has now released the submissions it received during consultation:

View the submissions made in response to the draft geothermal strategy(external link)

Next steps

The finalised Geothermal Strategy has now been published:

From the Ground Up: A strategy to unlock New Zealand's geothermal potential