Seabed Mining not in Best Interest of New Ireland

By RENATA LAVEIL

“Seabed Mining is a risk not worth taking”, said Governor for New Ireland Province, Sir Julius Chan in September, 2012. Almost a year later, he is involved in a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signing with the Nautilus Minerals Ltd, New Ireland Provincial government (NIPG) and the National Government.
The MOU was signed minus the presence of the Resource Owners of West Coast Central New Ireland (within the corridors of the Solwara 1 Project), this action has given the impression of the Governor selling out for the Experimental Seabed Mining despite his declaration in 2011 that under the Malagan Declaration, the provincial government’s stance was to protect the people of New Ireland.

Under the MOU signed a working group was formed to oversee the project into fruition; members comprising of representatives from the Provincial Government, National Government and the Nautilus Minerals Ltd. Quite noticeably the local landowners were left out of the MOU signing and to what effect is questionable.

Blatantly being told they are not resource owners of any resources on the seabed in the corridor where the Solwara project will be carried out is another thing. Basically what happened in Bougainville in 1989 which led to a bloody civil war lasting for ten years just might be around the corner if the West Coast comprising of 26 villages were to stand against the government and Nautilus Minerals Ltd? Not forgetting the communities from Djaul and New Hanover.   

Although in a different circumstance and time, the very person who instigated the Panguna civil war is the very same heading this MOU signing. Should we be wary?
 Dr Bruce Harris, an anthropologist and consultant to the New Ireland Provincial Administration, met with the Landowner group West Coast Seabed Mining Land Owners Association and a Technical Working Team assisting the Landowner group revealing to them that people living within the corridor from Nayama to Kokola and even from Djaul Island to New Hanover Island do not own any resources at all on the seabed.
He also blatantly told them that Solwara 1 Project belonged to the National Government, the New Ireland Provincial government and Nautilus Mining PNG Ltd and not the resource owners. What a slap in the face after not being consulted for the signing, not being included in the signing and now landed outside of a deal that will affect their very livelihood.

Recently a report has been released showing the villagers in a West Coast village, Danu airing their frustrations and complaining that their village elders were forced to sign ‘papers’ which would result in their relocating to another location. The part that aggravates the villagers is that it was done at night, at one instance while the people were inside the church.

It was reported that a delegation of 15 men led by Benson Tomarum, spokesperson for Nautilus Minerals entered the village at night and forced them to sign papers claiming the papers will make way for benefits once the project comes into full swing. Is this the same Benson Tomarum, vocal spokesperson and chairman for the West Coast landowner association? Why the sudden change in tone, why is he going against his own selling land and heritage of his brothers and sisters?

Can the Honourable Governor and MP’s of Parliament clearly define what development benefits the people of New Ireland will receive especially those living along the fringes of this project?
These people voted you in because they believed and trusted in you to bring development and wealth to the province. They believed in the policies your party ran for. For many the policy that struck a chord was the school fee subsidy and free education.

These party’s policies may be perceived now as the mascot used to ferry them into power but it is just speculation as it cannot be foretold if this project was in the ‘pipeline’ of being sanctioned by the current Chan-Micah Regime in New Ireland and the National Government.
Running along this course, have the effects of this project on the environment been considered?  Unlike the land, it will be very difficult to control and contain toxic wastes disposal and its movement in the water.
Have the people there been prepped for this venture, as reported in June 2011 a Technical Assessment Team from Mineral Resources Authority was said to have been in contact with the communities in the region educating them on all facets of the project. What will be the outcome of any environmental issues and land owner royalties?

In addition to environmental issues, according to this Technical Assessment Team, government policies enables the state to acquire 30% equity interest in mining projects in PNG, while 5% is offloaded to the landowners as royalty but that was through nominated state entity Petromin. But it’s highly imperative the landowners in the region must still benefit why are they being pushed out of the deal?
Taken from Wikipedia, because deep sea mining is a relatively new field, the complete consequences of full scale mining operations are unknown. Furthermore to that researchers have voiced their concern and belief that removal of parts of the sea floor will result in disturbances to the Benthic Layer (seabed- ecology or life forms also live), increased toxicity of the water column (leaks or spillage of corrosive matter in the sea that could alter the mining areas) and sediment plumes from tailings (plumes or great clouds of particles floating in the water).

Out of the three, sediment plumes and tailings could have the greatest impact on the environment affecting both life form in the sea and on the land. Due to turbidity or dark cloudy impression caused by the tailings, life forms in the sea that need sunlight to breed will be deprived of their life source thus affecting the food web of the area. Along the coastal areas, people rely on fishing for their livelihood; staple food and revenue.
Why the big turn around? The region was expecting increased revenue due to Europe opening its doors to the PNG market for Tuna Trade. That would have raised good business ventures for the people of New Ireland, fishing is already a well established trading tool to generate income. But that door to an international market seems to be like a light at the end of a long dark tunnel.

What is happening to our country, who we can trust to bring our interest to the floor of Parliament for proper and democratic debate. Who can we look up to as our leaders to voice our petitions for a life that will benefit us all as an individual, community, province, district and nation? May the lord help and save Papua New Guinea.

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