Frieda mine raises concerns

DEVELOPMENT of Frieda mine by Austpan in the Telefomin district of West Sepik will definitely cause environmental damages to the eco-system along the main Sepik River, feeder rivers and coastal waters of East Sepik.
That is if our Government and the developer make mistakes on the process of how they manages and dispose of mining wastes.
It may be too early for us to voice this out because the mine impact study is yet to be carried out.
I am specifically concerned about mine waste disposal because our Government, through Mining Department, does not have any clean or clear record on how it deals and manages such situations in this country. All elite Sepiks, including all local MPs and Governor Allan Bird, must stand up and join hands with University of PNG East Sepik Students’ (Avisat) Association and be the mouthpiece to fight to ensure we get the best deal out of this project.
By law, we don’t own those resources from six feet and beneath, however, our concern is the environmental impact.
This man-made laws have restricted us in many ways.
As a result, our Government and the project developers can’t wait for our views.
They see us as strangers and foreigners on our own land.
They don’t care and will not listen to us in any way because the law already states that we are not the resource owners.
We should prevent rather than to say sorry. This is our land and our Government should consider other sustainable development alternatives, apart from mining activities.
It’s a serious issue.
Sepik river is the main source of income for every household and they heavily depended on it from generation to generation.
It is from that river that they produce many elite Papua New Guineans.
One of them is our nation’s founding father Sir Michael Somare. I am cautious because there is no environmental user-friendly or less-impact technology used here in PNG that can guarantee people’s safety.
In Frieda mine case, we have no doubt because the project area is situated in the headwaters of Sepik River.
Down the line, those people from the mine vicinity to Kopar village and the entire Murik Lakes, including me as an islander afloat just outside Cape Girgir in the Bismarck Sea, will be affected.
All coastal people from East and west coast of Wewak will also become victims.
The issue of mine wastes disposal is an unsettled thing in this country. The most-recent one is the planned piping of mine wastes from Wafi-Golpu in Morobe, in which many people from coastal dwellings in Morobe coastlines will be affected.
We need to be pro-active.
What would life be from mine production period till the last final day the developer packs up and leaves?
There is the plight of our affected people in relation to their daily struggles for school fees, basic necessities and so on. Will our government be thoroughly considerate about this?
How about life after the mine closure? There is also the issues of damage caused, leaving a reshaped environment.
Does our Government, through its Mining Department, have a clear vision and a rehabilitation policy in place?
Our very own leaders continue to fail us while putting outsiders (developers’) interests first.
They prevent and blindfold us by creating manmade laws regarding ownership of resource, restricting us from active participation and speeding up processes without giving ample time to hear our cries before signing agreements.
We need to change these manmade laws mostly influenced by outsiders.

Hanam Bill Sandu
Concerned Islander
Lae