Damage to pylons upsets Tuke

MINING Minister Johnson Tuke has urged landowners of resource projects to stop damaging properties if their entitlements are paid late.
Three power pylons belonging to the Porgera gold mine in Enga were believed to have been damaged by the Huli landowners from Hiwa where the Hides Two gas plant is.
“There are 221 power pylons from the Hides 2 gas plant in Hela to the Pogera gold mine in Enga. Three have been damaged, without any care or consideration for the mine’s operations,” Tuke said.
“I am at a loss for words as to why our people continue to destroy expensive infrastructure development given to us on a golden plate, without any care for their own safety.”
Tuke said the pylons were damaged just before the warden’s hearing at Pogera last week over the non-payment of money for the land on which the power pylons sat.
“They suspect that a landowner missed his incentive and security payment for March and decided to destroy the pylon,” he said.
A person has been arrested with six more identified and facing arrest.
There are two kinds of payments made to the landowners. One is done annually to the owners of the land where the pylons stand. The second is called the incentive and security payment and that is paid in March and September.
The company has been paying an average of K1500 per pylon every six months since 1990.
Tuke urged Barrick PJV, under Easement 1, to make the payments immediately.
“The landowners are very important and if we have to pay them, please let’s do it on time to avoid unnecessary destruction,” he said.
“And landowners please do not resort to such actions without exhausting all the avenues available to sort out your problems.”