Forest & Bird (F&B) has pulled the plug after a two-year legal battle to stop Bathurst Resources' new Buller coal mine.

Grey District mayor Tony Kokshoorn says the resource consent approval for Escarpment coal mine on the West Coast's Denniston Plateau is great news for the district.

The first marine consent application for seabed mining on the North Island's west coast is about to be lodged.

Australian mining magnate and long-time philanthropist Andrew "Twiggy"Forrest has donated A$65 million ($NZ73.9m) to universities in Western Australia.

A report into the oil and gas sector says the "rubber's finally hitting the road" with $2.2 billion about to be spent exploring around New Zealand.

New Zealand Oil & Gas says it should have been developing new oil fields by now as reserves at its producing assets dwindle.

The Government has opened up much of the volcanic plateau for gold and silver prospecting, including one of the largest tracts of native forest left in the North Island.

NZ Oil & Gas says it's satisfied it "did the right thing" following the disaster at its subsidiary Pike River Coal, as it posts an after-tax profit of $16.7m.

A petrol company says it should not have to pay clean-up costs for decades of petrochemical pollution on prime waterfront land.

Huntly East miners have lashed out at those in charge of debt-laden state-owned coal miner Solid Energy.

Rising oil and gas prices will make solar, wind and tidal energy, some types of biofuels, and even nuclear generation more attractive, writes Wayne Cartwright.

The decision by the police not to lay criminal charges against Pike management again shreds the hearts of the victims' families, writes Gerard Morris.

Western Australia, the state that led the mining boom, is now bleeding, shedding thousands of jobs, sacking public servants, and battling a sharply declining economy.

In her judgment against what was in many respects a phantom company on trial, Judge Jane Farish was clear about where the buck should stop, writes Fran O'Sullivan.

Herein lies the opportunity for NZ, writes Frank Duffield. Its resource base is largely underexplored, and world-scale natural gas discoveries are quite possible.

Motorists will face petrol price rises tomorrow, with a three cents a litre government tax increase, pushing total tax on petrol to about 42.7 per cent of the pump price.

Well-connected lobbyists Saunders Unsworth worked with Solid Energy, Treasury and Cabinet Ministers to thwart questions about the company's problems.

Solid Energy withheld financial information from Treasury when challenged on its business plans in what an independent report says was a pattern of disrespect.

An independent review of events leading to Solid Energy's near collapse has raised questions.