March 7, 2013 · 7:55 pm PNG’s Bougainville to pass world first mining law
Bougainville’s mining legislation will be a world first, allowing landowners and the government to share rights to sub-surface minerals.
Jemima Garrett | ABC Radio
Papua New Guinea’s copper-rich island of Bougainville plans to introduce legislation that will see traditional landowners share mineral rights with their government.
President of the Autonomous Bougainville Government John Momis has told Radio Australia’s Pacific Beat the re-opening of Rio Tinto’s giant Panguna copper mine will be on his terms.
“Rio Tinto will have to deal with us,” he said.
Dissatisfaction over the sharing of benefits from Rio Tinto’s Panguna mine in the 1990s led to a 10-year civil war on Bougainville, leaving thousands dead.
The mining legislation will be a world first, allowing landowners and the government to share rights to sub-surface minerals.
Approval of mining and resolution of disputes will be negotiated in an all-inclusive landowner forum process.
President Momis says landowners will have a power of veto over exploration and will also have a right to object once the development process begins.
“The underlying philosophy for our new mining act is empowering people,” he said.
“Giving people the power to make political decisions about development, not just being mere passive recipients of benefits.”
President Momis says the legislation is unlikely to adversely affect Rio Tinto, the owner of the Panguna mine, but warns small mining companies on Bougainville that their operations are in breach of a mining moratorium.
Bougainville’s new mining legislation is due to go to the autonomous region’s parliament next week.
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