Intending candidates for Watut and Wampar LLG President warned to back off from Watut River issues.

By Watut Reporter

President of the Union of Watut River Communities(UoWRC) Association 

Incorporated Mr Reuben Mete has brushed aside criticism made against his 

organization (UoWRC) and warned recycle politicians intending to contest the 

Watut and Wampar LLG President seat not to used Watut River Issues as a campaign 

platform to lure peoples support for the next years Local Level Government 

Council Election.      

Mr Mete made this known today when addressing the members of the UoWRC in Middle 

Watut Region, The President of UoWRC was responding Mr Gewisa Tukwund of Leklu 

village and Markham Bridge Councilor Douglas Gedisa statement published on the 

National Newspaper earlier this week. Mr Mete has claimed that both Tukwund and 

Gedisa have recently formed and are heading two new organization duplicating the 

work of the Union of Watut River Communities Association Inc and 

warned communities of Watut and Wampar to be careful of other political 

leaders establishing organizations after organization and should study well the 

person they are following. Mr Tukwund is the Chairman of the recent launched 

Upper Watut Impact Association and Mr Gedisa is the Chairman of the newly formed 

Wampar Union. 

"The Middle Watut communities are very much affected by these mining operations 

in Hidden Valley and I invite Mr Tukwund and Mr Gedisa to visit the place 

themselves before making unsubstantial statement to the media.  The UoWRC has 

initially trying to work hand in hand to assist the Wampar Union faction to see 

its establishment however this shall no continue anymore" Mete said. 

In addition to that, Mr Mete has thank Hon Pundari in trying to address mining 

related issues around the country including the Watut River Pollution  and 

assures the representative to the recent meeting were Executive Members of the 

UoWRC organization and not for any family affairs. He also thank 

the Mineral Resources Authorities and the print media to publicize the meeting 

resolutions so that transparency and honesty will prevail and that self centered 

leaders cannot have rooms for misleading the people.

Poor call by Wenge

By Studor, Lae

Why is Morobe Governor Luther Wenge wasting time and people's money by suing a fellow politician? He should start serving the people of Morobe as a true songan. The people of Morobe are tired of his empty promises. I salute Bulolo MP Sam Basil for showing good leadership.

Monday May 09, 2011 - The National

Bad Taste, Governor Wenge.

By The Drum.

Have to assume the good Morobe Governor gave his PR staff the weekend off? His agitated performance bouncing around in front of the camera on last night news didn't look good. Sit down next time, Governor. That performance just raised all the poor stereotypes we have come to expect of pollies. And the subject of the story, the Watut River Pollution, would only harden the affected people attitude when they saw the belligerence with which he addressed them rather than the conciliation they Probably expected from their leader.

Post Courier April 27, 2011

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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