A technical team from the Conservation & Environment Protection Authority (CEPA) will visit the mine impacted community of Londolovit on Lihir Island and investigate their outstanding issues pertaining to water extraction by Lihir Gold Ltd (LGL).
The Minister for Environment, Conservation and Climate Change, John Pundari, issued the instruction after meeting the chairperson of the Londolovit Sagomana Association (LSA), Roselyne Arau, and her delegation at his office in Port Moresby last Friday.
“I will send a technical from my department to visit Lihir. They will investigate and report back to me with a report within two weeks. I want this issue sorted out once and for all,” Minister Pundari told the LSA team.
He indicated to hold talks with LGL management after his officers presented him the report for his perusal.
LSA has been pursuing with Government and LGL a claim for K113 million for water extraction “over and above” permitted rates. However, they have been told on several occasions that they have no legal basis to receive such payment.
Both State and LGL reiterated that under the Environment Act 2000, the Independent State of PNG is the owner of the Londolovit River under the Lease for Mining Purpose (LMP) 73 and therefore all payments are accrued to State.
This has not gone down well with LSA and the community it represents and it has resorted to seeking political intervention for a way forward.
Other outstanding issues of the Londolovit community include the refusal by LGL to sign a new water use and impact agreement, lack of benefits under ME 34 and LMP 73, breaches by CEPA’s EMMP conditions as captured in the August 2015 Moroka Ltd Environment Audit report, environmental hazards and social inconvenience issues in general that are affecting them.
(Lihir gold mine. Picture: Forbes)