One of Australia's leading economic forecasters says it is shocked and disappointed at how poorly Australia's non-mining sector is performing at a time it should be offsetting a slowdown in the resources sector.

Coal miners are cutting 900 jobs in Australia, in the latest sign that falling commodities prices and rising costs are taking their toll on the mining sector.

A parliamentary commissioner wants Environment Southland to voice concern to the Government about the potential large-scale processing of "dirty lignite" near Mataura. Parliamentary commissioner for the environment Jan Wright was in Southland for the