Pike River families say a commitment to leave the coal mine unsealed and inspect it with drone technology falls short of their requests, but is still "very positive".

Pike River families are meeting with Prime Minister Bill English for the first time this afternoon.

Forest & Bird has mounted a court challenge over a decision by the Buller District Council to allow an open-cast coalmine on 100ha of public reserve land behind Westport township.

Solid Energy has announced the closure of the Spring Creek Mine after failing to find a buyer.

About 250 people were bused up the hillside to the Strongman Mine site on Saturday for a poignant ceremony to commemorate the tragedy there 50 years ago.

Labour leader Andrew Little is proposing a new solution to recover bodies in the Pike River coal mine.

Coalminer Bathurst Resources is being sued for US$40 million by L&M Coal Holdings.

The price for hard coking coal has plummeted US$45/tonne since peaking at US$310/tonne last month.

The very health and safety changes which the Pike River disaster prompted make re-entering the mine difficult, Prime Minister Bill English says.

Phoenix Coal has agreed to pay $46 million cash for Solid Energy's Stockton, Rotowaro and Maramarua mines.

Solid Energy says it remains in discussions over the future of the Spring Creek underground coalmine at Dunollie, and the small Reddale open-cast mine near Reefton.

Solid Energy yesterday said the firm was "still in multiple discussions/negotiations and it would be inappropriate to make any further comment".

Our biggest electricity retailer says lower power, gas and oil prices, along with competition, has hit its annual earnings.

Genesis Energy has negotiated a high price from other generators who want to keep them as back-up.

The extent of Solid Energy's cutbacks is revealed in the company's evidence to Parliament's commerce select committee.

Solid Energy says a decision on whether the Stockton coal mine should be closed is "pending", and it expects to make a decision in the next few months.

However, it had a much better 12 months to June 30 than a year earlier, improving EBITA 17 per cent to $91 million.

Solid Energy creditors yesterday voted to retain the company's existing administrators and not to set up a creditors' committee.

Two major factors - falling international coal prices and a $320 million mountain of debt - proved the undoing of state-owned coal company Solid Energy.

Solid Energy acting chairman Andy Coupe admitted it was "unlikely" that any sale, or sales, would cover its outstanding debt.

I say good riddance to this filthy and dangerous industry, writes Sam Judd. Although I do feel for the workers who will lose out on this situation.

Genesis Energy announced its last two coal-burning electricity generators at Huntly Power Station will be shut down.

Mr Key said Solid Energy had $300 million of outstanding debt and was in a "precarious position".

A decade-long project to save endangered giant snails from a West Coast coal mine will finish next year.

Coal prices have dropped 33pc to levels that have made most mining companies across the Appalachia region unprofitable.

For nearly a year, it turns out, the Pike River mine could have been made safe to enter.

Indian PM Narendra Modi is pledging $25 billion to unclog India's transportation links, spur power output and build cities.