PHOTO: Permit holder Travis Mackay says the operation is far from a commercial gold hunt.
A gold prospecting permit has been granted for the hills behind Wellington – sparking excitement, concern, and a fair bit of curiosity.
The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) approved the two-year permit in August, covering a one-square kilometre section of land southwest of Zealandia and near Brooklyn’s iconic wind turbine.
🥇 A Father-Son Hobby, Not a Gold Rush
Permit holder Travis Mackay says the operation is far from a commercial gold hunt.
“It’s literally just my son and I with a couple of pans down at the creek.”
He applied for the permit so he and his teenage son could legally “muck around in the creeks” without risking fines.
So far? Just four tiny flakes of gold. Mackay admits:
💻 “You could get more gold from recycling computers than from those hills.”
Still, he hopes to upgrade to a hobby mining permit, which would allow basic gear like a sluice box and small pumps.
⛏️ Gold History in the Hills
Gold was prospected in the area in the 1880s, though it never yielded much.
When a neighbour recently accused Mackay of running a full mining operation, MBIE investigated. Their compliance team confirmed no mining was taking place — just small-scale clearing.
Wellington City Council, however, says it remains “very concerned” and is exploring enforcement options.
⚖️ How Gold Permits Work in NZ
MBIE spokesperson John Buick-Constable says there are currently eight other applications for prospecting permits in the surrounding area.
Under the Crown Minerals Act 1991 (CMA):
✅ Permits give the right to prospect, explore, or mine minerals.
❌ They do not automatically grant land access — landowner permission is still required.
⚖️ Applications are assessed on financial, technical, compliance, and health & safety capability.
Environmental and neighbour concerns are not considered under the CMA unless resource consent is required.
📊 What’s Next?
For now, Mackay’s gold hunt remains more weekend hobby than gold rush fever. But with more applications in the pipeline, the hills of Wellington may once again glitter with prospectors’ pans — even if the payoff is more family bonding than fortune.
SOURCE: RNZ