Developer to pay compensation, relocation benefits yearly

FIFTY-four million kina in compensation and relocation benefits will be paid by Lihir Gold Mining Ltd (LGL) directly to parties to the compensation and relocation agreement (CRA) of the Lihir Mining Project.
According to Mineral Resources Authority (MRA), this will be paid every year beginning next year.
This was revealed during the final week of CRA meeting last week on Lihir Island.
The parties to the agreements are the eight tenements landowner groups, five relocated villages, Nimamar local level government and Lihir Catholic and United churches.
The eight tenement landowner groups and the five relocated villages are Putput plant site, Kapit pit and stockpile, Landolam pit, Kunaye airpot, Londolovit weir, Londolovit quarry, Lakunbut dam, Lakunbut relocation family group, Kapit relocation family group, Mining easement, Putput relocation family group, Landolam relocation family group and Londolovit weir relocation family group.
All 13 groups and the two churches have agreed in principle with LGL to the negotiated benefits packages under the CRA process except for the Nimamar LLG, who still needs to sort out outstanding issues with the company.
As a start for 2020, each of the groups would receive base amounts of money ranging from K300,000 to K6 million.
The funds would be paid in three different components for each group which were development 60 per cent, investment 30 per cent and cash 10 per cent.
Several landowner leaders when asked about how they plan to use these funds, said they had to discuss and plan properly with their people on specific projects. However, they said in terms of investment, they would invest in high impact investments that would yield good returns for their people.
Martin Simol, who is the leader for Putput plant site and Landolam pit landowner group, said it was up to individual landowner groups to plan on how to use their money.
He said investment for their children’s future was important.