National is promising a minister for space, a prime minister's space prize for school students, and two new sites for aerospace and space testing, if elected.
Party leader Christopher Luxon announced the policy at Rocket Lab's Auckland office on Thursday afternoon, saying New Zealand's commercial aerospace industry employed 12,000 people and contributed $1.7 billion to the economy.
Rocket Lab had continued to "grow and grow" over the last few years, Luxon says, thanking founder Peter Beck who he said was "a good friend".
"All the leadership he's shown not just with building Rocket Lab but actually building a whole sector and industry ... this is what we want to see more of in New Zealand."
However, he said New Zealand faced a real risk of losing its hard-won competitive advantages in the sector due to bureaucracy and increasing competition from other countries including Australia.
Luxon said the space minister would mean having a single point of accountability for the sector.
"If I look at advanced aviation ... you'll see a regulator in say the CAA, that I think's been incredibly slow in actually adapting and adopting new technology."
National Party leader Christopher Luxon announcing his party's space policy. Photo: RNZ / Tim Miller
The party's policy includes:
- Appointing a minister for space to promote space and advanced aviation in New Zealand and improve the performance of regulators
- Establish an annual prime minister's space prize for the top school student in aerospace-related subjects to help boost interest in Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths education
- Welcome highly-skilled migrants to work in aerospace with fast-track visas
- Establish two dedicated testing zones for space and aerospace
- Improve satellite data procurement and sharing between government agencies
The two new testing zones would be in addition to the one at Kaitorete near Christchurch announced by the government this week.
Rocket Lab Mission Control Centre in Mt Wellington, Auckland. Photo: RNZ / Emma Stanford