The Ministry of Economic Development says only one iwi has asked for a face to face meeting about mineral exploration in Tai Tokerau.
The Petroleum and Minerals division of the ministry gave tribes most of March to make submissions on plans to issue mining permits - and Friday is the deadline to ask for extra time if they need it.
Iwi are being asked to identify sensitive areas, with feedback helping to form the final decision about which parts of Northland can be mined.
The ministry's iwi relationships manager Pieri Munro says he's heading to the region to talk about the expansion of mining.
He's meeting representatives from local government and with the chief executives of tribes, possibly in Kaikohe.
The Ministry of Economic Development says it will not be issuing mining exploration permits for several Northland areas - including Ninety Mile Beach and Cape Reinga.
