A taxpayer-funded TV programme about Kiwis living on the Gold Coast is a load of rubbish, NZ First leader Winston Peters has told Australian radio listeners.

Controversial series The GC cost $420,000 to make and Mr Peters says it should never have received state funding through NZ On Air.

"Why would the government pay for a TV programme that shows Kiwis earning high Aussie wages while living a degenerate party lifestyle?

"We are all sick of the chardonnay-sipping liberals creating this sort of rubbish - we need to put people on the NZ On Air board who show a bit more intelligence than those who chose to fund this brain-dead show."

NZ On Air funds programmes with cultural value, and Mr Peters says that's rubbish as well.

"The much-hyped Maori cultural content is virtually non-existent. Just showing a few scribbles on their faces hardly satisfies the requirement."

Mr Peters made his comments in a statement issued here.