Landowners assure LNG project safe

 By ADAM MERA 

THERE is no threat to the PNG LNG project as claimed by some landowner groups (LOGs), the Hides 4 PDL 7 landowners’ umbrella association says.

The association said this after a LOG – from the Hides gas field – had threatened to shut down the project if its demand was not met by the state.

Chairman Chris Payabe and deputy Erick Hawai, representing all LOGs in the Hides 4 PDL 7, said landowners wanted the project to continue and meet the June deadline for production.

They said the LOG threatening to shut the project was not acting in the best interests of the association, the major landowner group.

“They (individual LOG’s) cannot threaten the project to push for their interests and the government should not entertain individual landowner groups except through the umbrella association.”

They said the project was for the benefit of the whole of PNG and that should not be compromised.

They said the association presented a petition to the government in 2013 according to their agreement. 

The demands are yet to me met by the government.

They said they had notified with all landowner groups to meet with the executives of the association to pursue their demands instead of demanding by threats.

They said the government and its respective agencies were not to entertain individual LOGs, rather gather all parties if it wanted to organise any meeting with the landowners.

They called on the government to come out publicly and tell the landowners of their outstanding claims according to the agreement as it was frustrating the landowners when the project was about to commissioned.