Landowners want issues addressed

LANDOWNERS of the Hidden Valley mine in Bulolo, Morobe, say they do not want an extension of a mining lease in their area until issues surrounding an agreement between them and the state are resolved.
Nakuwi Landowners Association chairman Rex Mauri said they would oppose the extension of ML 151 and related tenements.
The association which represents the people of Nauti, Kwembu and Winima made their intensions known last Tuesday after this paper ran a story on Morobe Consolidated Goldfields Ltd (MCG) lodging an application with the Mineral Resources Authority to extend the term of the mining lease for a further five years beyond its expiry date in March 2025. Mauri said landowners were frustrated because the government had yet to review and sign a 2014 memorandum of agreement.
“The MOA has not been reviewed with discussions taking place in 2014 in Lae and it was put forward ready for signing then but did not eventuate.
“And for six years the government has been holding onto the document.
“How long will we wait?”
Mauri said the MOA was to be reviewed in 2012 and reviewed every two years after that but this has not happened.
He said as the company now applied for an extension of their mining lease, the association could not support this as the MOA had not been signed.
Mauri said the MOA would ensure landowners received the agreed benefits.
He stressed that the association had no issue with the developer.
Mauri said the issue was with the government which had not reviewed the MOA.
He warned that the association would take the matter to court to stop the granting of the extension to MCG.
Mauri said other major projects in the area such as Wafi would be affected if their matter was not resolved.
Meanwhile, attempts to get comments from MRA were unsuccessful.