At least the Govt seems to have figured out that a few million spent on surveys and then made available to exploration companies, would be a good investment.

12/10/2016 — Gold
Surveys to hold up prospecting permits
By Simon Hartley
Prospecting permits will not be issued for metallic minerals across much of Otago and the South Island until mid-2018, as permit agency New Zealand Petroleum & Minerals (NZP&M) completes its $8 million aeromagnetic and soil geochemical surveys.
Under the prospecting permit exclusion, just put in place by Minister of Energy and Resources Simon Bridges, permits can still be applied for mineral exploration and mining.
The aeromagnetic data helps identify mineral deposits and information on faults, aquifers, and soils, measuring the earth's magnetism and naturally occurring radiation.
Of the total $8 M being spent on new data, about $6.4 M is being spent on the aeromagnetic and soil sampling.
NZP&M manager-commercial, analysis and investment David Darby said in his latest update that the Murchison survey will create a link between the Nelson and Marlborough surveys, and the Government's 2013 survey of the West Coast.
“Once complete we will have a seamless data-set linking Nelson and Marlborough with the West Coast.
“It will mean aeromagnetic data has been gathered over more than 30% of the country,” Darby said.
He said the data gathered is available, free, to the resource's industry and provided valuable information for potential investors which could help sway investment decisions.
NZP&M similarly also undertakes seaborne hydrographic surveys of the seabed, also to entice oil and gas explorers to New Zealand.
The exclusion of applying for prospecting permits runs from last September to July 2018, with the reservations in total covering more than 17,626 square kilometres.
Simon Bridges said prospecting permits for metallic minerals would not be granted or extended in relation to three separate areas of land around the South Island, including the reserve areas in Otago and Murchison.
Under the wider aeromagnetic survey, undertaken by helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft, areas being covered included east Nelson, Murchison, North and Central Otago and South Otago and Southland.
The Otago-Southland survey started in January and was now more than 45% complete and will restart again in the summer of 2016-17.
The North Otago part of the survey restarted in mid-September and was expected to be completed by November.
“So far this part of the survey has acquired approximately 53,000 line km of geophysical data,'' NZP&M said.
The Marlborough District Council and Venture Southland; representing Environment Southland, Southland District Council, Invercargill City Council and Gore District Council had partnered with NZP&M on the project, which would provide them with information on geological hazards, including fault lines, regional water resources and information on climate, soil and geology.
*Simon Hartley is senior business reporter and assistant chief reporter for the Otago Daily Times.