Impact of proposed sand mine concerns association

The National Business

By GYNNIE KERO
THE Madang Tourism Industry Association (MTIA) has raised concern over the potential environmental impact of a sand mining company set to operate in the province.
According to the association, Niugini Sands Ltd proposed to mine sand in Sumgilbar in Sumkar.
Association chairman Sir Peter Barter said the mining would affect the environment.
“These types of projects, especially to do with our marine ecosystems, will affect the leatherback turtle sanctuary in the Sumgilbar LLG,” he said.
Mas Kagin Tapani Association (Makata) chairman Wenceslaus Magun said he was saddened by the proposed mining project.
“The leatherbacks’ conservation sites from Murunas plantations all the way to Murukanam would be affected by a sand company with foreign investor interest,” he said.
Magun said he and the Makata team were frustrated that selfish leaders were behind the proposed project.
“The challenge we faced in securing long-term grants to achieve our objectives is now seeing the ugly face of negative development at the whim of corporate greed and selfish community leaders and their cohorts driving their agenda using gaps in our efforts,” he said.
MTIA and the team from Makata urged locals in Madang and around the country to not take bribes or assist any company in sand mining.
A search on the Investment Promotion Authority (IPA) website showed that the Singapore company was incorporated by IPA on Jan 11.
Mineral Resources Authority (MRA) managing director Jerry Garry confirmed that a firm had taken interest in mining sand off the coast of Madang.
But, he said, a decision had not yet been made to grant it an exploration licence.

4 comments

  • Those opponents should spell out how this sand mining would affect their businesses and wildlife instead of just throwing hot air on a project that could bring money into the community and the province!

  • How much have Madang people and PNG benefitted from the mining activities in Madang? Have we not learnt any lessons from previous mining activities?

  • Sands are natural sea walls. I hope sand mining will not allow the sea to expand outwards into the land near the sea. As I have also indicated in one of my earlier comments that any development or investment must not contribute to the expansion of the sea. PNG is only a small island and it must look at land reclamation developments and not land reduction investments. Think about the growing population.

  • On the otherhand, sand mining is detrimental to the Marine ecosystem. It’s not always about the money, the environment is in need of conservation so that we can benefit later on.

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