Nakuwis call for Hidden Valley mine closure

NAKUWI landowners from Hidden Valley are demanding the gold mine be shut down alleging that the Morobe Mining Joint Venture (MMJV)Company had not complied with the memorandum of agreement signed in 2009, reports The National.

In a two-page petition, executives of Nakuwi Association Inc, on behalf of Hidden Valley and Hamata landowners, gave a two-week u...ltimatum for the company to address demands it had failed to comply with over the past two years.

The demands include:

Awarding of contracts;
Benefits-sharing ag­reement trust (BSA);
Relocation of offices;
Relocation of staff housing;
Employment conditions;
Abolishing of community affairs department;
Removing the general manager sustainability and external relations.
The petition said company offices including human resource, community

Newcrest Mining cuts Production in Lihir.

AAP

Gold miner Newcrest Mining has downgraded its full year gold production guidance due to a power malfunction at its Lihir operation in Papua New Guinea.

The company said it now expects production of around 2.7 million ounces (oz) of gold in calendar 2011, down from the previously advised 2.82 million oz.

Newcrest said there had been a high voltage switchgear failure in the power station at Lihir that had interrupted production.

The processing plant is currently operating at reduced capacity as a result.

Repair work on the power station had begun, and a phased return to full operating capacity was planned over the next three weeks, Newcrest said.

There also had been minor production delays at other sites, it said.

Copper production and cost forecasts remain unchanged.

Thursday’s production downgrade follows a downgrade in April due to abnormal weather in Australia and PNG and political unrest in West Africa’s Ivory Coast.

[Newcrest also owns a 50% stake in the Hidden Valley gold mine in Papua New Guinea]

Mining Minister to invites Watut Union for talks.

By Watut Reporter

Members of the campaign group the Union of Watut River Communities (UoWRC) have been invited by the Mining Minister Hon John Pundari to a dialogue meeting with other Governments Departmental heads including the Department of Environment and Conservation, Mineral Resources Authorities and Mining Department in Port Moresby on the 11th May, 2011. The Minister make this known yesterday at the recent launching of the new bulldozer for Mumeng LLG yesterday. President of the UoWRC Mr Reuben Mete in confirming this today says the issues that will be discussed will only includes those many outstanding issues made by the Papua New Guinea National Government Departments and nothing on the current litigation court case as UoWRC is looking forward to sue the developer of the Hidden Valley Mining the Australia based Newcrest Mining and South Africa's Harmony Gold on its nuisance sedimentation and chemical with toxic pollution on the Watut River causing serious environmental damages that affects thousands of communities downstream with their ecosystem.

The outstanding Government commitments including the appointment of a state team and an environmental audit into Watut River.

Union of Watut River Communities Executives to meet.

By: Watut Reporter

The Union of Watut River Communities is expected to meet early next week to strategies on its plan to hold the Papua New Guinea Nation Government responsible for ignoring the concerns raised by the Hidden Valley mine affected communities. Secretary for the organization Mr Chris Wena confirm the meeting saying every executive members are looking forward to attend. Mr Wena also confirm that resolutions for the recent forum held in Lae was already prepared and would be presented to the Department of Environment and Conservation, the Department of Mining and the Mineral Resources Authorities soon.

The General Secretary Mr George Paul says their next cause of action would not be discussed at this stage as they have been preparing to take the Government of Papua New Guinea and the foreign mining companies by surprise. Attempt to reach PNG Government Officials and Morobe Provincial Governor Luther Wenge for comments were unsuccessful. The Watut Reporter believe this was because of the festive session.

 The Bulolo National Highway Road Block in October 02, 2009 

DEC failing to regulate the mining industry, says Basil.

By Watut Reporter.

MP Sam Basil has criticized the Department of Conservation (DEC) for failing to

regulate the mining industry in Papua New Guinea and ensure its operations are

environmentally safe.

"DEC has a responsibility on behalf of the Nation to ensure that mining operations

are safe and will not damage the environment. Yet time after time the mines end up

causing massive problems while DEC sits by and watches", says the MP.

"We have already had massive pollution from Bougainville, Ok Tedi, Tolukuma and

Porgera mines and sadly now it is the same with the Hidden Valley project. The PNG

Government through DEC is telling the world that mining with pollution is normal in

PNG and the people must accept that fact".

Mr Basil has recently filed legal proceedings against the Hidden Valley mine in his

constituency over its pollution of the Watut river.

"It is not good enough for Minister Benny Allen to say DEC received an

environmental audit report on the Hidden Valley mine in May this year and will be

working on an environmental improvement plan."

If the Minister's sponsored report audit says the river is safe then I will invite the

minister to Watut River to consume a litre of Watut River to prove to me that the

rivers is safe.

"Where is the report? Why have I not been given a copy? Why don't the landowners

who are suffering the impacts of the pollution have a copy? Is DEC trying to cover

up things for the mining company? The report should be released immediately".

Mr Basil says DEC should also explain why it gave the Hidden Valley mine an

environmental permit in the first place and how it is the company was able to pollute

the Watut river without DEC noticing anything was wrong.

"DEC, like MRA, is supposed to be protecting landowners and our environment,

not facilitating mining on the cheap".

Mr Basil says he has instructed his lawyers to look into whether DEC and the

Minister could be legally held liable for the damage the mine has caused.

Watut Union Refuted Comments.

 By: Watut Reporter

The Union of Watut River Communities (UoWRC) Association Incorporated President Mr Reuben Mete has refuted the statement made by the Burum Kuat and Wampar LLG President Dick Iwong and Peter Namus respectively as baseless. Mr Mete made this known in a statement yesterday saying that the early media reports made during the public forum to air the communities grievances due to continuous ignorance of political leaders and Government Authorities has substantial facts to support it due to long overdue outstanding commitments made by the Morobe Provincial Governor Luther Wenge and that the issues concern is of a life or death situation that going to also affects the future generation of the concern communities. He further challenge Mr Namus that the Watut River pollution issue is a national issue and not just for the Watut Communities as precedence is needed to be set in Papua New Guinea when it comes to the Environmental Destruction by foreign companies operating in Papua New Guinea and what was being said at the Forum related to the Issues – Hidden Valley Mining causing Environmental Damage to Watut River; is to be accepted by the concern leaders.

Mr Mete emphases on into the commons saying which stated as ‘Absolute Power Corrupt Absolutely’ and further   elaborate that leaders of Morobe Province should not only make public commitments but they should also implement them. It is their own failure that has leads to concern community leaders calling them with names. Mr Wenge was making commitments to the Watut River Communities since 29^th November 2009 in a UoWRC Forum held in Kapin, Middle Watut and later again on the 21^st January 2010 in Markham Bridge saying that Morobe Provincial Government would fund scientist at around K100, 000.00 to study Watut River and also would be ready to pay the court bills for the Court against the Hidden Valley mining operated by the Australia’s Newcrest Mining and South Africa’s Harmony Gold which to this date was still outstanding.

Mr Mete further stress that the Impact statements and the Environment Statements by Hidden Valley Mine are  crucial in the case of the Watut River Communities, where sediment levels and no doubt high levels of acid forming material have been allowed to flood and inundate the floodplains of the lower Watut. The people in these areas fall outside the mine impact area and therefore receive no compensation for the damage done to their native environment. The developer in the first instance said this was not possible as their environment impact models don't show the phenomenon as possible. They have since fallen silent on that line because their experts have been proven to be wrong, as all the other experts have been in other resource projects in PNG, and have left the onus of proof to be the responsibility of the peoples along the Watut River and the Bulolo District JDBPPC. All except the people have followed the dollar signs offered by the developer and so it is now up to the people to take the fight to the developer.

Dr Wari Iamo, Sasa Zibe and Luther Wenge should be held to account for this mess and Hidden Valley should be shut till the matter is mutually resolved with all the peoples that will be affected/ impacted by the project. The developer should show why they got it so wrong and compensate those impacted appropriately.

END

Attachments 1

Mamose Post

Thursday 11th February, 2010

Scientist to study river systems

By PORENI UMAU

MOROBE Governor Luther Wenge announced yesterday that a scientist will be engaged to study the Markham and Watut river systems for any pollution by mining activities upstream.
Governor Wenge said the Provincial Executive Council (PEC) met last Friday and approved K100,000 for a scientist to study the composition of the Markham and Watut rivers where all waste from the mine is discharged into the two rivers by the Morobe Mining Joint Venture (MMJV) at Hidden Valley.
He said the scientist will collect samples from the two rivers to identify any substance of danger that poses threat to life for people living along there and those who come into contact with the two rivers. He said this has come about after he made a commitment to villagers at Markham bridge and also villagers at Mumeng to bring a scientist to study the amount of substance concentration in the two rivers.
Mr Wenge did not verify if the specialist will be a national or an expatriate, citing that it was up to the provincial administrator who was the Provincial Supply and Tenders Board (PSTB) chairman.
He said the applicants will have to bid through the PSTB when tenders are put out and will undergo a screening process before they could be engaged in investigating the amount of pollution in the two rivers.
Meanwhile, he also urged women at the markets throughout Lae city and the province to prepare food and water sold at the markets through safe and healthy food preparation practices.
He said with cholera still around, mothers should be mindful of their food preparation habits and make sure the food sold to their customers were prepared using clean water sources.
He also appealed to the customers to make sure they follow simple rules in washing their hands before they eat their food.
Mr Wenge said he understood the economic burdens brought on by the start of the academic year and did not want to stop women, who were trying to make ends meet to feed their families and pay their children’s school fees.
He said he did not want to take these opportunities away from the women and urged them to be responsible for the products they sold.

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Attachment 2

News	Thursday 10th February, 2011

Morobe sets to discuss mining issues through forum

By FRANK RAI

PREPARATIONS are well underway to stage a Morobe Mining Forum in Lae later this month to discuss mining issues affecting the province.
The forum is organised by the Morobe provincial government and is planned to be staged at the PNG University of Technology’s Duncanson Hall.
Morobe MPs including Governor Luther Wenge, government officials, mining officials, company executives, local community members, leaders, scientific organisations and stakeholders will participate.
The purpose of the forum is to gauge views by way of debating and discussing issues concerning mining operations in the province.
Many issues have been raised currently on the operations undertaken by Morobe Mining Joint Venture (MMJV) by affected communities with their outspoken Bulolo MP Sam Basil.
Huon Gulf MP and Minister for Health Sasa Zibe said yesterday that all Morobean MPs, local leaders and interested parties should come together and debate issues ranging from landowners, conservation and environment and benefit sharing agreement.
Mr Zibe said other issues in relation to mining practices employed by developers, regulations and legal frame work would also be discussed at the forum.
“The outcome of this forum is to bring all known and perceived problems and issues to the table and encourage mediation process between all parties through which solutions would be found that concern local landowners, national and provincial government and the developer,” Mr Zibe said.
He added that he decided to propose the forum because he believed that there were workable partnership with investors rather than going through court battles.
“Morobe people and leaders must stand together on this issue. Mining is here to stay but we as a province must lay the ground rules for companies to come and operate,” the minister said.
Mr Zibe said that his people were set to be affected once the Wafi mining which shares the electorate with Bulolo electorate operates. 
The minister said he was hopeful that amicable solutions would be found for current dispute between all parties involved in the Morobe Mining Joint Venture (MMJV) through mediation after the debate and forum.

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