The Government's bid to bring hope back to New Zealand's gas sector has been met with approval from industry experts.

In the Budget, the Government said it would set aside $200 million over four years for co‑investment in new gas fields.

Former CEO and president of Methanex, Bruce Aitken, says this is a good idea.

"Anything that encourages exploration for natural gas is great - it's a real pity that the Government has to do it, but I think there's an inevitability that you need to take some risk out of exploration."

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