National Party pledges new restrictions on data centres, Queenstown gondola funding, clearer river gravel rules in South Island plan

National has rolled out its plan for the South Island, including funding for Queenstown's gondola, a new policy statement on mining, and more restrictive power rules for data centres.

Released on Friday in Christchurch, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said there was "a lot going well in the south, but there's more we can do to unlock its full potential."

Infrastructure

The plan included $50 million investment in the shared road and rail connections for the Rolleston intermodal freight hub, ensuring the Gondola in Queenstown could access funding in the national land transport fund and $25m to make a roading area near the Five Mile roundabout in Queenstown four lanes.

"Queenstown is also one of the fastest-growing parts of the country and SH6 and 6A is its single most important piece of road," its policy statement said.

"It needs to work, but instead, its chronically congested. A re-elected National government will support innovative public transport solutions like Gondolas, as well as practical road-widening to improve connectivity and efficiency along this stretch of road."

Data centres

National would also require new data centres to have a 'additionality test', so they would be accompanied by new, firmed power generation.

"Requiring new firmed [back up power] generation alongside new data centres means the development of digital infrastructure doesn’t put upward pressure on power prices for households and businesses, while giving energy developers the committed customers they need to finance new generation," National's policy statement said.

Tourism

They promised access charges for international visitors at Aoraki/Mt Cook and Milford Sounds and to bring in new conservation concession timeframes.

Mining and gravel

Luxon promised his party would "make clear that mining and extractive activities have regional and national benefits qualifying them to access the Fast-track regime" through a government policy statement.

They would also create a national standard for gravel extraction from rivers.

"A consistent national rule for river gravel extraction will support both aggregate supply and flood management – gravel build-up raises riverbeds and flood risk, and extraction is often the most cost-effective flood protection available."

Colin Hurst, Federated Farmers president, said having clearer rules around gravel extraction would make a real difference.

"Farmers shouldn’t have to navigate an expensive and time-consuming resource consent process simply to access gravel they need for a farm track, or to remove gravel from a river where it has built up and increased flood risk," he said.

'Treating the South Island as an afterthought'

Labour election campaign chairman Kieran McAnulty accused the Government of treating the South Island "as an afterthought."

"It's like they suddenly remembered it exists and dipped behind the back of the sofa to see what promises they could dust off," he said.

“National's record speaks for itself: critical transport projects stalled, botched ferries, Nelson and Dunedin hospitals bungled, and infrastructure plans repeatedly pushed further into the future while costs climb," said McAnulty.