‘Gorgor’ lifted at Simberi mine

A TRADITIONAL blockade or customary Gorgor at the Simberi gold mine in New Ireland was lifted by the community peacefully during a transitional period for the primary landowner association.
According to a statement from mine operator St Barbara, Mineral Resources Authority (MRA) managing director Jerry Garry said the state agency would resume negotiations on the community benefit agreement as a matter of urgency to address landowner concerns.
MRA manager project coordinator Pelis Vatnabar is leading the stakeholder team on site.
According to St Barbara, the roadblock established at the Bekou community was allegedly led by a former Simberi Mine Area Association (SMAA) executive Timothy Karas, who has served a prison term for misusing of royalties.
Karas demanded an immediate resumption of the memorandum of agreement (MOA) talks with the project shareholders to address community concerns and issues. Karas said the current SMAA was not recognised.
Vatnabar said that under the MOA, the SMAA is the designated landowner representative and has sole authority to represent them.
Community benefit agreement negotiations have been stalled since 2021 due to a factional split within the SMAA, creating two parallel associations, as well as charges of misappropriation against SMAA leadership.
The MRA, as well as the Department of Commerce and Industry (DCI) and Investment and Promotion Authority (IPA) arrived on Simberi Island to review the recent move by SMAA directors to expel the implicated executives and appoint a new executive to ensure that the SMAA constitution and relevant laws were followed.
According to St Barbara, although the airport and parts of the mine operations were affected by the restricted road access, Simberi mine proactively worked around the disruptions and continued processing gold.
In December 2023, Simberi Gold Mine Limited (SGCL), the developer, funded landowner training in good governance and directorship conducted by PNG Human Resource Institute. SMAA directors subsequently met and overwhelmingly voted to expel the executive members accused of misappropriating K17 million in royalties.
When the Gorgor was placed, the SMAA and SGCL contacted the MRA for assistance. The MRA responded to Simberi Island accompanied by New Ireland provincial government and the police. The stakeholders held talks with the SMAA directors.
All directors were present at the MRA meeting, representing the entire 10 signatory clans on Simberi Island.
The SMAA informed the MRA and provincial team that they did not support the blockade, and requested assistance from the police to remove it.