Newcrest’s Lihir operations is progressing a project that will see families from one of the mine affected villages resettled on a new site with proper land allotments and under a secure State lease.
The project will also help further develop the Londolovit Township.
Minister for Lands and Physical Planning, John Rosso, visited Lihir last week with a technical team from the department, led by Secretary Benjamin Samson, where he met with company officials and local leaders to support and help facilitate this project.
The resettlement process has been made easier since Newcrest has a State Lease over the proposed resettlement site. The project also coincides with the ongoing reforms being planned and carried out by the Department of Lands and Physical Planning.
During the stakeholder meeting, it was highlighted that the township of Londolovit had grown since the mine’s construction began in 1995. Today, the island is home to an estimated 20,000 people with mine workers making up the majority. When construction for the mine started, residents of two villages, Putput and Kapit had to be relocated and resettled.
The Putput residents were successfully resettled as a community on their own customary land which was near the original Putput Village. Kapit residents, on the other hand, did not have alternative customary land to be resettled on, and were resettled in a number of locations around Niolam Island.
In consultation with Kapit leaders and the community, Newcrest embarked on a project to resettle the Kapit community as a whole, on land that the company leases from the State and has enlisted the help of the Department of Lands and Physical Planning to make this happen.
The process involves the conversion of two Agricultural Leases held by Newcrest to a consolidated Special Purpose Lease (SPL) that will enable the permanent resettlement of the Kapit community, on subdivided land within the consolidated SPL and also help to further develop the Londolovit Township.
Acting Site General Manager for Newcrest Lihir, Roy Powell remarked that, “SPL to be subdivided 1st portion is for resettlement 2nd portion is to further develop the town for post mine activity and thereby investing in the township’s regrowth”
The Department of Lands and Physical Planning confirmed that PNG’s laws do not directly address the issue of resettlement. Lihir’s situation is an example and could be used as a template for other project sites, as the Department pushes forth with proposed legislative amendments and other reforms.
Chairman for the Londolovit Town Development Committee, Raymond Winaulin said it gives them the opportunity to move forward.
The first subdivision will see the development and grant of approximately 100 State leases to the Kapit families. This is a long-term project which the company and the Department of Lands have agreed to work in partnership going forward.
On the weekend, Minister Rosso, and Secretary Samson led a team of technical officers from the Department to Lihir. The Department is supporting the company facilitate the resettlement of the Kapit people and start the process of strategically developing the Londolovit Township by facilitating the consolidation, town planning, surveying, and the creation of the State Lease process.
It is a template that could be used in other project sites around the country.
Minister Rosso commended the company for taking this initiative.
Nimamar Local Level Government Manager, Gabriel Tuka said, “It is something that Lihir has started and others can follow.”
Land that is currently within a lease for mining purpose, but also has two State leases in the form of Agricultural leases owned by Newcrest Mining Limited are being converted to a special purpose lease to facilitate the development of the Kapit Resettlement and the township. In terms of the township, one of the main focus is to ensure the operations of the town and the economy continues to flourish even after mine closure.