Border locals sign MoU to use mine track

By PISAI GUMAR
SIX communities at Tekadu, along the Bulldog trail, on the border of Morobe and Gulf, have signed a road access agreement with the Morobe Mining Joint Venture and the Bulolo district administration to use the mining track.
The people from Payapi, Koroma, Pepero, Haiyero, Anadiya and Yenina villages have been using the bush track to get to Wau town to access basic services.
But based on the Mining Act, they were denied access to the track when mining activities at Hidden Valley began operation in 2007.
It takes the people two days to travel back and forth through the snakelike Taure River using rafts and dinghies to get to Malalaua, then to Port Moresby.
Realising the hardship encountered, Bulolo MP Sam Basil and MMJV sustainability manager David Wissink travelled to the area and signed the memorandum of agreement with local community development leaders Noel Marari, Brendan Peter, Nelson Rot and Giob Pare.
The signing of the MoU is to allow the communities to access the mining track based on certain requirements. 
Basil and Wissink also delivered roofing iron, a chain saw, building tools, nails, saws and hammers for the people to mill raw timber and build teachers house, classrooms and churches for the Lutheran and Baptist congregations.
Basil told the people they did not need to remain as bush people but to work together to build a school, church and health centre.
He said the Bulolo district and MMJV had recognised the severity of the ban on locals using the track.
Wissink said realising the hardships, “MMJV is interested to attend to the people’s affairs and will ensure lasting working relationships be maintained for the betterment of the communities”.
Lae Farmset Ltd technical staff Robert Numa arrived to put together the chainsaw frame as well as teach locals how to operate the machines.
The tools were provided for the people so they could mill and build their own facilities using available resources to improve their living standards.