Half of mining royalties returned to the regions
What it actually does
NZ First would return 50% of mining royalties to the region where mining occurs, for local infrastructure such as water, flood protection, energy and housing. The package also includes new mining zones, permits covering the full life of a mine, a modern geological survey, reopening the School of Mines and pushing agencies including DOC to reduce duplication and delay.
Source: nzfirst.nz · 2026-03
The Trump take
“Mining! Beautiful clean mining. Dig it up, keep the money local. Coal miners love me, and they'll love Winston.”parody
Why it scored this way
Energy
Actively promotes more mining
+2
Loves it
Red tape
Longer permits and less consenting delay
+1
Likes it
On the same topics
Fast-track Approvals Act
Passed in December 2024 along party lines, the Act created a one-stop consenting process for listed infrastructure, housing, mining and energy projects. Final approval decisions sit with expert panels rather than standard resource consent processes.
Fast-track Approvals Act 2024
Creates a one-stop consenting regime for listed infrastructure, housing, energy and mining projects, with expert panels deciding applications and ministers holding a role in referrals. Passed its third reading on 17 December 2024 on coalition votes and received royal assent in December 2024.
Remove the ETS charge from fuel
NZ First would abolish the Emissions Trading Scheme charge on fuel over the next term, which it says added about 12 cents a litre to petrol and 14 cents to diesel over the past year. The party says the ETS took $850 million from consumers and businesses for carbon credits in that period.