Pure Advantage, a group fostering a green growth strategy for New Zealand, was launched in Auckland yesterday.

Chaired by Rob Morrison, its trustees are among some the best-known names in business: Sir George Fistonich, Rob Fyfe, Chris Liddell, Philip Mills, Jeremy Moon, Lloyd Morrison, Geoff Ross, Justine Smyth, Sir Stephen Tindall and Joan Withers.

It’s looking to sign up members – thousands, preferably – on the grounds that the more it has, the more likely politicians are to listen to it.

Potential supporters can find it on its website and on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube – indications that it’s looking to attract a wider, and younger membership than a traditional business organisation.

New Zealand’s clean, green brand is valuable but vulnerable, given the gap between rhetoric and reality, Rob Morrison says. “We can’t afford to let our reputation, and consequently our exporters, suffer for lack of environmental leadership. (Read on …)

The Queensland government has laid charges against a mining company for allegedly contaminating groundwater with cancer-causing chemicals.

The state’s Department of Environment and Resource Management has laid charges against Cougar Energy after a gas well ruptured at a site south of Kingaroy where the company was trialling underground coal gasification.

DERM’s acting director-general Terry Wall said in a statement Cougar Energy has been charged with three counts of breaching conditions of its environmental authority under the Environmental Protection Act 1994. (Read on …)