About 35,000 submissions have been received on the Government's mining proposals as today's deadline approaches at 5pm.

A new Government-funded mapping programme has started to lure more oil and gas explorers to New Zealand by putting results on Google Earth.

Mercury Energy blames the Emissions Trading Scheme for its planned increase in prices from July.

Meridian Energy and DOC have filed a joint memorandum in the Environment Court requesting the appeals relating to the Mokihinui hydro proposal be put on hold.