UPDATED 8:12pm: The National Party's making it clear it's not going to give up Northland to New Zealand First.

That's the clear message the Prime Minister's given to party members at a regional conference in Waitangi today.

Mr Key's acknowledged his party's recent by-election defeat was a bad one, and one lessons are to be learnt from.

"National's keen to win back Northland. We don't like losing a seat that we've held for a long period of time. Our preference would be to represent the people of Northland again if we can, and we'll be doing everything we can to win it."

The Prime Minister today announced $3 million more funding for a cycleway in Northland on his first visit to the region since National lost the Northland byelection, saying it demonstrated National's commitment to the region.

Key made the pre-Budget Twin Coast Cycleway Trail announcement at Opua before going on to speak at the National Party's northern regional conference in Waitangi. He told the party faithful that although National had lost the Northland byelection, it would fight to win it back in 2017.

The cycleways are part of the memorandum of understanding between the Green Party and National and Green Party co-leader Russel Norman was also in Opua for the cycleway announcement.