Australian state governments spent A$17.6 billion on subsidies for mineral and fossil fuel industries over six years, including A$8 billion to help transport coal.

TSB Bank's annual profit took a hit after the New Zealand-owned lender booked a multimillion-dollar impairment on shares it holds.

A big block of dairy land owned by Solid Energy is being put up for sale in Eastern Southland, PGG Wrightson Real Estate said.

Solid Energy's random drug and alcohol tests nabbed 28 offenders in the year to July, more than a third less than the previous year.

Solid Energy has secured its restructuring deal with most of its banks and the Government following a series of meetings today in Christchurch.

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.

Editorial: The Green Party has called the Government's bail-out of Solid Energy "privatisation by stealth". Would that it were so.

After having its "for sale" sign removed when it almost collapsed this year, state-owned coalminer Solid Energy will be partially privatised in a restructuring deal.

The Government has loaned stricken state owned coal miner Solid Energy $100 million as part of a restructuring package announced this morning.

The 29 men who died in the Pike River mine two years and 10 months ago remain where they perished.

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

Solid Energy is planning further job cuts at its Stockton mining operations, the company announced today.

Bill English says Treasury got it wrong in Budget documents which stated Cabinet had agreed that $100 million set aside to help Solid Energy would come from a fund set up to pay for schools and hospitals out of asset sale proceeds.

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.

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.

An independent review of events leading to Solid Energy's near-collapse has raised questions over Treasury's response to early warning signs of trouble.

In terms of time spent and where expertise sits, it is rational to leave the running of that business to the board and management, writes Susan Watson.

Auditor General Lyn Provost says she will not carry out an inquiry into what led Solid Energy to the brink of collapse this year.