The absorbing, bitter drama of the life of Australia's richest family will resume in Sydney today, after last-minute wrangling over a key change in its exclusive cast.

Ailing state-owned coal miner Solid Energy's net value to the taxpayer has plunged from more than half a billion dollars to less than $100 million in three years, its annual result yesterday revealed.

The rough seas of the southern Pacific Ocean are set to be the focus of resource consent debate as a mining company's bid to dredge the sea floor comes up against the fishing industry and environmentalists.

Seventy people descended on Parliament yesterday to protest a last-minute law change by the Government which could deny the public a say on exploratory deep sea oil drilling.

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.

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

Young New Zealander of the Year and environmental columnist Sam Judd, is proposing that New Zealand should become the mining hub of the South Pacific.

Let's get one thing straight. Chatham Rock Phosphate wouldn't be considering extracting phosphate nodules from a tiny fraction.

Westport residents showed their support for a new open-cast coal mine yesterday by decorating the town in the Buller colours of red and blue.

Australia's mining investment boom could fall away faster than anticipated, but there's still uncertainty about how non-mining sectors will rebalance the economy.

Oil drilling began yesterday in Balcombe, West Sussex, where anti-fracking campaigners have been protesting for 10 days.

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.

For Tasmania's miners and environmentalists, the devil is in the detail.

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.

There is a huge value in the fact that in New Zealand we have clean water and beautiful forests to enjoy, so why doesn't our GDP reflect this?

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.

One of the Pike River Mine directors says he may consider contributing to the $3.41million reparation ordered to families of the men who died in the mine three years ago.

Troubled state miner Solid Energy doled out more than $15 million to charities in the decade before its parlous financial state was revealed earlier this year.

Pike River does not have the cash to pay compensation to the families of the men who died in its mine because the money has already been spent on legal fees.

Pike River Coal's sentence of millions in fines and reparation has been welcomed by the miners' union, but they say a law change is needed to hold those responsible to account.