Wellington, Feb 21 NZPA - Finance Minister Bill English today criticised Radio New Zealand and the Department of Conservation over how they had reacted to spending constraints saying they had put forward unacceptable ways of cutting costs in order to get support.

The Government is signalling a more pragmatic approach to mining on Department of Conservation land. PAM GRAHAM of NZPA talks to a company already doing it.

Wellington, Feb 7 NZPA - The Government is trying to stop the Department of Conservation (DOC) from protecting the South Island's Mackenzie Basin, Forest and Bird says.

By Maggie Tait of NZPA Wellington, Jan 27 NZPA - The Green Party is outraged that the Department of Conservation (DOC) is allowing commercial fishers to take eels, some which are threatened, from rivers on conservation land.

Wellington, Dec 4 NZPA - Heritage Gold has been granted a 25-year permit to mine for gold and silver in the area of the historic Talisman mine, near Paeroa.

Wellington, Dec 2 NZPA - Northland MP John Carter is denying he was personally responsible for a select committee's decision to insert clauses into a government bill which will allow a local boatbuilder to use public land as a slipway.

Wellington, Dec 1 NZPA - The Green Party is "scaremongering" over recommendations part of Mount Aspiring National Park be set aside for possible mining and exploration, Energy and Resources Minister Gerry Brownlee says.

Wellington, Dec 1 NZPA - The Government is being recommended to set aside up to a fifth of Mount Aspiring National Park's 350,000ha for possible mining and exploration, according to a leaked report.

On Tuesday this week, if the Government gets what it wants, the bill that sets up a modified emissions trading scheme (ETS) will be back in Parliament under urgency.

Wellington, Nov 18 NZPA - The Maori Party is in a strong position to gain concessions from the Government as it goes into negotiations on legislation to set up a new emissions trading scheme (ETS).