More than $1 million in political donations linked to fast-tracked projects have been made since 2022.
An RNZ analysis of the latest donation data reveals $400,000 was donated to National and New Zealand First in 2025 from people or entities linked to fast-track projects. Labour received $8620.
The introduction of the fast-track approvals process was part of NZ First's coalition deal with National. Since 2022 almost 90% of donations from people or entities also linked to projects have gone to the two parties.
Since the act came into effect in 2024, a total of 23 fast-track projects have been approved. Of these, seven are linked to people or organisations that have made a political donation.
Of the remaining projects where RNZ identified links to donations, one project has been declined and another withdrawn. A number of others are under consideration for fast track approval, or are still developing detailed applications to be considered by expert panels.
The largest linked donation from a fast-track applicant made last year was $100,000 from Sir Rod Drury to the National Party.
Drury, a tech entrepreneur who has recently denied allegations of misconduct and inappropriate behaviour is linked to the Coronet Village project, which is yet to make a substantive application.
The Carter Group donated just over $80,000, also to National. One of its three projects has been approved. It is yet to lodge full applications for two other projects.
Eighteen other donations made in 2025 from people or companies associated with fast track applications ranged from $38,000 to just over $5000.
'Troubling' link between donors and commercial interests
Victoria University of Wellington academic Max Rashbrooke believes the donations are "corrosive" to trust in politics as fast-track legislation can provide a "unique opportunity" to benefit private entities.
"I think it's very troubling in terms of the public's confidence in politics to see donations coming from individuals that go to political parties - that are then making decisions that directly affect the donors' commercial interests."
Donations to political parties are not treated as a conflict of interest for individual ministers, but Rashbrooke questions if this is the best approach.
He feels the idea that ministers are unaware of donations to their party is unconvincing.
"These are things that are going to be in ministers' minds as they're making the decisions."
He would like a mandatory stand-down period between donations and the ability to directly benefit from a government decision of five years, or two electoral cycles.
Bishop transferred responsibility for the Beachgrove Kaiapoi expansion project, the Queenstown Cable Car project and the Wellington International Airport Southern Seawall Renewal project. Conflicts of a personal nature were given as the reason. No donations were involved.
He previously stood aside for decisions around the Winton's Sunfield development, as he had advocated for it in the past.
Shane Jones (NZ First) previously declared conflicts of interest for eight projects. His office told RNZ that since May 2025 he had not transferred responsibility for any projects as Bishop was now in charge of project referrals.
The Auditor-General's investigation into the identification and management of conflicts of interest for the initial 149 projects included in the legislation found conflicts were largely well-managed.
The report made special mention of political donations, noting the cabinet manual only classed donations to ministers as a conflict, not donations to parties. This was for "pragmatic" reasons according to the Cabinet Office, because treating donations to a party as a conflict would exclude all ministers in that party from decision making.
The report said regardless of whether the perception of donations influencing decisions was correct, the perception "erodes trust and confidence" in the integrity of decisions.
It said proposing reforms to how politics was funded was beyond its mandate but consideration should be given to perception risks when decisions "tangibly benefit a donor".
The projects with 2025 donations
Coronet Village
A village proposed below Queenstown's Coronet Peak including a gondola, ski area, schools and 780 residential units was put forward for fast track consideration by Coronet Village Limited, on behalf of Sir Rod Drury, 0to60 Properties, NZSki Limited, and Coronet Peak Partnership.
Drury donated $100,000 to Act in 2022 and in 2023 gave $13,500 to National and $5000 to Green candidate Julie Anne Genter. In 2025, he donated $100,000 to National.
Drury did not respond to RNZ's questions, but has previously said donating is an "expectation" of successful people.
Donations were made "not looking to buy influence, but looking to be heard", he said at the time.
Sunfield and Ayrburn Screen Hub
Christopher Meehan gave $7500 to NZ First in 2025. He is linked to Winton Land's Sunfield housing development in Auckland and the Ayrburn Screen Hub, a television production facility in Queenstown. He has previously made large donations to ACT and National. In total, $213,654.23 has been donated.
Both projects have been approved.
Bishop stood aside for the decision on the Sunfield development as he had advocated for it during his time in Opposition. He said he was not aware of donations made to the National party when he advocated for it.
Carter Group's projects
Three Carter Group projects were listed in the Fast-track Act. Of the three, the Ryans Road Industrial development has been approved. Substantive applications for two residential developments in Rolleston and Ōhoka in Canterbury have not yet been made.
The company donated $81,608.56 to National in 2025. In 2023, director Philip Carter gave $59,500 to National.
Philip Carter is former National MP David Carter's brother.
Foresta - Pine Chemicals and Wood Pellet Plant
The company proposing a processing plant on a 9.5ha site in Kawerau donated $38,487.69 to National in three donations between July and October in 2025.
The company has leased land from the Putauaki Trust for 30 years with an option to extend the lease for another 20 years. The agreement was formalised in a signing ceremony hosted in the Beehive by Regional Development Minister Shane Jones.
The company's website says the wood pellets will be an alternative to coal.
Beachlands South
Donations totalling $26,015 were made to National from AJ Russell Holdings. AJ Russell Holdings and the company responsible for the Beachlands South application share a director, Brett Russell.
The development aims to build 2700 residential dwellings in Auckland's Beachlands area.
RNZ was told the donation and the project are unrelated and that Brett Russell has no control of AJ Russell Holdings expenditure.
The donation was from Brett's mother, who is a director of AJ Russell Holdings and a long-time National supporter. She is not a director of the company that applied for Beachland's South to be included in Fast-Track legislation.
Donations totalling $64,120 were made in Brett Russell's name to National in 2022, 2023, and 2024. Another $12,187.25 donation was made in 2024 from the Russell Property Group.
The company has not yet made a substantive application to the fast-track process, "but is likely to do so".
Gibbston Village
Gibbston Village is a 900 residential unit project proposed for Gibbston Valley which includes a commercial area and provision for a school. It was put forward for fast track consideration by the Town Planning Group.
The planning company submitted the project on behalf of Gibbston Valley Station. Gibbston Valley Wines, which shares three of the same directors of Gibbston Valley Station, donated $24,769 to the National Party.
It also donated in 2023 and 2024. In total it has donated $45,281 to National.
A substantive application has not been submitted.
Rangitoopuni
An application to create 10 residential allotments and an approximately 350-unit retirement village in Auckland's Riverhead won fast track approval in November 2025.
The company responsible for the project shares director, Mathew Peters, with the Avant Group. Peters is a distant relative of NZ First leader Winston Peters.
The Avant Group donated $15,000 to NZ First spread over donations made in May and August 2025.
Integrated Development Plan for Te Ārai South Precinct and Regional Park
A project north of Auckland aims to expand land-based sand-mining operations, develop a regional park village with accommodation, build residential units and develop land-based aquaculture.
The Ngāti Manuhiri Settlement Trust, which is one of the applicants, donated $17,539 to NZ First in 2025. In 2024 it gave $13,000 to the same party.
Trust chief executive Nicola Rata-MacDonald said the donation was tickets to numerous events.
"Where we are invited to an event by any party and representatives from our senior leadership team are available, we accept to ensure that all parties are well informed of our priorities."
She said its fast-tracked project will bring more than $2 billion to the local economy.
"We believe this project stands on its merits."
Katikati Quarry
Katikati Quarries shares directors with J Swap Contracting, which donated $13,039 to NZ First in 2025. Spokesperson Stu Husband said this was for tickets to three dinners, "just to keep in the loop of political aspirations of the party".
He said he did not think the donation would have any impact on its fast-track application.
The company is yet to submit a substantive application outlining full details of its desire to expand its quarry into more Department of Conservation (Doc) land in the Kaimai Ranges. Husband said it's trying a "collaborative" approach with Doc and iwi outside of the fast-track process.
Since 2022, J Swap has made $32,039 in political donations. NZ First received $24,039, split between 2024 and 2025. In 2023, the company donated $5000 to NZ First's Shane Jones and $3000 to National's David McLeod.
Beachgrove Kaiapoi Expansion Project
An expansion of an existing project in Canterbury proposes to build between 650 to 900 residential units as well as a retirement village.
Two donations totalling $21,112.50 were made to National. One from Mike Greer, and one from Progressive Construction, of which Mike Greer is a director. Greer is also a director of Momentum Land which is the company listed as the project applicant.
Greer said he donated to National as shops he owned were ram-raided several times during Labour's leadership but had not been ram-raided when National's Sir John Key was Prime Minister.
The project has been referred to the fast track process but Greer said he was undecided if he would submit a substantive application as the council's subdivision process would be better.
He said he previously had 100 hectares of land rezoned under Labour's Covid fast-track process.
Infrastructure minister Chris Bishop transferred responsibility for this project due to personal conflicts.
Ridgeburn
A residential dwelling proposed near Queenstown will develop 1250 dwellings, alongside a commercial centre with shops, office and community spaces.
The project was accepted into the fast track process in October 2025 but is yet to submit a substantive application.
In June and July two $10,000 donations were made to NZ First, one from Gibbons Development and another from Gibbonsco Development. These companies share a director with the applicant company Ridgeburn Limited.
Bream Bay sand extraction
Sand miners McCallum Bros have an application requesting permission to dredge sand from off Bream Bay's coast, north of Auckland.
The McCallum Residence Limited donated $10,000 to NZ First in August 2025 - this company shares directors with McCallum Bros.
In 2024, McCallum Bros donated $12,000 to NZ First. Managing director Callum McCallum told RNZ the donation was tickets to dinner functions.
Kings Quarry Expansion - Stage 2 and 3
The Kings Quarry Expansion is listed as wanting to expand its quarry activities to occupy an additional 60ha of its 152ha total site area.
While no donations have been made by the company itself, AJR Group donated $10,000 to NZ First.
Andrew Ritchie is the sole director of AJR Group and former director and current shareholder of the applicant Kings Quarry Limited.
When asked why he donated, Ritchie said: "It's called democracy and I can do whatever I like."
He said he supported other political parties as well. "I like some of them, it's just a flavour of the month."
In total, Ritchie and companies he is a director of have given $110,500 to National and NZ First.
A donation of $5000 was made to Shane Jones in 2023 and a $4400 donation was made to Labour's Phil Twyford.
Ritchie also donates to local politics, giving $5000 to Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown's campaign in 2025 and $26,009.98 in 2022.
Ritchie said he did not believe donations had any impact on government decisions about projects.
Buller Plateaux Continuation Project
Bathurst Resources donated $10,000 to NZ First in 2025.
No substantive application has been made for its project to expand its existing coal mine in the Stockton and Denniston Plateau on the West Coast. The expansion would allow an additional 20 million tonnes of coal to be extracted over 25 years.
Lake Pukaki Hydro Storage and Dam Resilience Works
Meridian Energy's application to reduce Canterbury's Lake Pukaki lake levels below permitted levels during winters of 2025, 2026 and 2027 is currently under consideration by an expert panel.
Two donations were made from Beca Group to National totalling $8528.50 in September 2025. David Powell Carter is a Director of Meridian Energy and executive chair of the board at Beca Group.
Beca also donated $8620 to Labour, it was the only business which donated to the party in 2025.
In May 2025, Carter increased his shareholding in Meridian Energy from 18,000 to 24,000 shares.
Meridian Energy is 50% owned by the government.
Knight Investments projects
Knight Investments have three projects accepted for fast-track consideration. Two are business parks, and one is a mixed residential and commercial development.
DNA Management donated $5283.77 to National in 2025. Daniel Nakhle is a director of DNA Management and Knight Investments.
No substantive applications have been lodged for the projects.
Nakhle has also donated to local politics, giving $20,000 to Wayne Brown's campaign to remain as Auckland's mayor in 2025.
Nakhle's sister-in-law is National MP Rima Nakhle.
This story was first published on rnz.co.nz |  |
