‘Community relations crucial to all devt projects’

THE stake that the communities have and the social responsibility of mining, gas and petroleum project developers are crucial to successful resource development operations.
This was the gist of a remark delivered by Prof David Brereton of the University of Queensland.
Brereton is also a social responsibility and mining community affairs specialist at UQ.
He told Papua New Guinea’s mine, petroleum and gas developers at the 8th PNG Chamber of Mines workshop that without due diligence, developers would always face oppositions from communities in project areas.
 “Mining is challenging in terms of social and environmental responsibility and it is not always easy to be miners,” Brereton said.
“Social responsibilities should be adhered to maintain harmonious and mutual relations with communities where the project is being developed.
The quality of local engagement is critical in any mining or oil and gas development and it is worth having in mind that the absence of community involvement will result in failure of any undertakings, Brereton warned.
He stressed that a strong community affairs system should be in place to oversee positive development in terms of health, education and poverty alleviation.
Meanwhile, another community affairs expert, Richard Jackson, praised PNG-based miners for an effective community affairs management system.
He said countries like Indonesia, Laos, Cambodia, the Philippines and Thailand where he worked for the last 10 years did not have a community affairs management system.
“The success of a company depends on a community relations building with trust and mutual understanding and listening to what they want instead of what you want,” Jackson said.
He has been involved in the Ok Tedi mine community affairs programme.