Graphite specialist Evion Group (ASX:EVG) continues to progress its development work in Madagascar as it looks to help locals relocate from their homes to make room for its proposed Maniry Graphite Project.
The $7 million market capitalisation company reports that several Madagascan households and properties lie within the proposed project area.
As such, the company is carefully progressing a Resettlement Action Plan (RAP) according to Malagasy legal framework and International Finance Corporation (IFC) Performance Standards on Social and Environmental Sustainability.
In this vein, Evion says its executive team recently conducted site visits with Malagasy government officials and a delegation of external advisors.
Following the visit, the company held meetings with the Malagasy Mines Ministry and the Organe Mixte De Conception (OMC) regional body, which comprises Madagascar’s main state representatives, including the Chief of District, the Prosecutor, and the Heads of the local Police, Education, and Finances Departments, as well as the Mayor of Maniry.
Evion says its team and external advisors spent several days discussing in detail their proposed operations, the country’s commitment to developing the graphite mine, and the Maniry project’s potential role in filling gaps in the electric vehicle and alternative energy markets.
In any case, Evion says cultural dimensions are ‘critical’ to the success of the planned relocation process that will allow for the development of the Maniry project. The company says this applies not only to the physical relocation of assets but also to the cultural awareness required to develop an adequate resettlement site.
As such, Evion’s RAP team comprises consultants with cultural ties to the Maniry area, including local specialist consulting group Resolve Consulting, to ensure its processes meet international standards.
Looking ahead, the company says the OMC will be included in a planned public consultation process led by Malagasy authorities regarding the Maniry project’s development and associated relocation plan.
