Association urges MRA to conduct awareness

AN ASSOCIATION in Madang, Mas Kagin Tapani, has asked the Mineral Resources Authority (MRA) to conduct comprehensive awareness and warden hearings in the communities for a proposed sand mine in Sumgilbar.
Legal adviser Sir Arnold Amet said yesterday that it was understood that the exploration licence application by Niugini Sands Ltd to mine sand in the Sumgilbar local level government (LLG) in Sumkar was still with the authority’s technical team and was yet to go before the Mining Advisory Council for its consideration, advice, and a recommendation before being given to the Mining Minister.
Sir Arnold said they would present an objection letter to the authority asking them not to issue the exploration licence to the firm until awareness and another warden hearing was conducted.
MRA managing director Jerry Garry told The National earlier that an investor applying for an exploration licence did not necessarily mean they would get it.
Garry confirmed that the firm lodged an application with the authority in April but an exploration licence had not yet been granted.
Sir Arnold said that the warden had already conducted two hearings in the district in September at Talidig and Tokain.
He said there was no adequate time for awareness.
The two warden’s hearing locations were far apart and few attended.
“A very large number of landowners potentially to be affected have not been given a free, fair, prior, informed opportunity to give their views as to whether they support or oppose this applicant’s proposal,” Sir Arnold said.
“The application was actually lodged on April 23.
“The registrar noted on Sept 1 and fixed the date for the filing of objection to Sept 9 and the date, times and location for the warden’s hearings.
“The first (hearing) at Talidig, about a hundred people turned up and at Tokain less than 200 so total is less than three hundred from more than 10,000 people.”