Wellington, July 21 NZPA - The Government's decision to conduct aero-magnetic surveys in Northland and the West Coast of the South Island is welcome news for the mining sector, Pike River Coal Ltd chief executive Gordon Ward said.

By Chris Ormond of NZPA Wellington, July 20 NZPA - National's U-turn on mining is a forced and humiliating back-down rather than a case of the party listening to the people, Labour leader Phil Goff says.

Wellington, July 2 NZPA - Move aside giant carrot. Ohakune is also to be known for its cycle track. Prime Minister John Key today opened the first part of a 200km Ruapehu to Wanganui New Zealand Cycle Trail project at Old Coach Road, in Ohakune.

Wellington, June 23 NZPA - Hunting lobbyists have hailed a new report advising the Government on how to set up a Game Animal Council which they hope will change perceptions of feral deer from noxious pests to potentially valuable prey.

Wellington, June 22 NZPA - The Government is planning to remove possums and wallaby species from coverage by the Wild Animal Control Act to simplify their extermination.

Wellington, June 21 NZPA - The Government today set out four themes for its proposed changes to pest management over the next 25 years.

Wellington, June 21 NZPA - The It's Not Ok family violence campaign won the top award at the Institute of Public Administration New Zealand (IPANZ) Public Sector Excellence Awards.

Wellington, June 17 NZPA - Conservation Minister Kate Wilkinson got drilled on how mining protected land is impinging on her environmental responsibilities today.

Wellington, June 16 NZPA - Maori Party MP Rahui Katene intends to draft a member's bill to ban the use of 1080 poison. Mrs Katene said the Department of Conservation (DOC) should transfer guardianship back to tangata whenua who could invest in large scale possum trapping projects.

Wellington, June 1 NZPA - More than 2000km of the national cycleway should be completed in time for the Rugby World Cup next year. The $50 million cycleway project, which came out of the Job Summit held last year, is to be a series of cycle tracks linked throughout the country.