The ACT party says New Zealand cannot afford to leave valuable minerals in the ground and should start developing its Southland lignite reserves.
About 100 party members are gathered in Auckland this weekend for ACT's annual conference.
Deputy leader John Boscawen says with the Government borrowing $300 million a week, a figure likely to increase following the Christchurch earthquake, now is the time to mine lignite.
He says Solid Energy estimates that it could develop the lignite into diesel and urea for fertiliser and at today's prices this would make New Zealand better off by about $2 billion a year.
