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.

Mining billionaire and would-be Prime Minister Clive Palmer says Australians will get 'a revolution' if they vote for him - and a 15% tax cut.

An Auckland electrician killed in a mining accident in Western Australia had just met the "woman of his dreams" and planned to make as much money as he could.

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.

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.

Forest and Bird says efforts to rehabilitate the Stockton Plateau after open-cast coalmining has missed the point, with bright green grass sown rather than restoring the natural tussock landscape.

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.

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.

The state wants Pike River Coal Ltd to pay massive fines and reparation of up to $125,000 for each of the 29 men who died in a horrific workplace explosion.

Pike River family members shed tears for their loved ones today and expressed anger at Pike River Coal Ltd for not taking full responsibility for the tragedy.

Plunging gold prices have forced miners to change their plans, with Oceana Gold moving to mothball an open pit on the West Coast while the world's biggest miner.