Landowners

The Namaporo Landowner Association and the Foe Landowner. 

Foe Association Chairman, Johnny Yawari affirmed they are the principal signatories to the gas agreement and also licensed based LBSA in Kaibo; Moro representing 139, 96 for Upper Foe, and 45 for Lower Foe.

He said the alterations in the ILG decreasing the number from 139 to only 16 will cause confusion and chaos among the landowner beneficiaries.

Yawari is now calling on the Department of Petroleum & Energy to revert the decision, and consult with the Foe Association as the umbrella association.

The PNGFA said they have given consent prior to any such permit issuance and is a start of a process where these carbon projects will require ongoing consultations and consent at the village level and internationally recognised accreditation.

One of the developers PNGFA has been liaising with is Mayur Renewables and with its International Carbon development network are progressing a pilot program with Forestry whilst following CCDA regulation that seeks to be accredited by VERRA as a Reduce Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation (REDD+) project. 

A high-level Barrick team have been in Port Moresby for a month now negotiating with the State terms for reopening Porgera Mine.

The PLOA Negotiating Committee have been on the ground in Porgera to discuss with Special Mining Lease (SML) clan leaders and their alternates, as well as the wider SML landowner community the importance of landowners having direct control over benefits and royalties generated by the mine over the next twenty years.

Jonathan Mesulam said he has given the firm seven days’ notice to compensate and remove their logging machines.

On the 6^th of January, the landowners put up the gorgor plant at the logging site as taboo; a custom in New Ireland society which bars individuals from entering another person’s territory, and one which developers in the province are all too familiar with.

However, the company did not honour this customary protocol. Instead, they removed the gorgor and continued operating.

Fiji's Environment Department has reportedly revoked Freesoul Real Estate's Environment Impact Assessment approval, following substantial environmental damage to the island.

The headman at Solevu Village on Malolo, Orisi Vuninavanua, said more than 20 tourism operations were on Malolo.

There was not enough space for more development, Mr Vuninavanua said.

The alleged damage caused by the firm to beaches, mangroves and reefs had left landowners angry and they would seek compensation from the company, he said.

Over the next four months, regional consultations will be held between landowners, developers, financial institutions and government agencies over customary land.

The first summit will be next month in Port Moresby, and will target stakeholders and partners in customary land development, including customary landowners.

“We want to hear your suggestions and recommendations on how we can make customary land issues and the laws more better to serve our customary landowners and people,” said Lands Minister Justin Tkatchenko.

He said individuals are claiming to be genuine landowners when they are not.

Speaking this morning as a local MP from Tari in Hela Province, Finance Minister Marape called on all landowners to go home and identify their land.

He said many ‘paper landowners’ are roaming the streets of Port Moresby without any purpose in life.

“Can we have all those so-called landowner leaders living in Port Moresby go home and help with the LOBID exercise?

“Go sanap lo baret kaukau blo yu, or diwai blo yu or maunten blo yu na tokim mipla olsem yu tru tru papa graun”.

Per the advice of the Department of Petroleum and Energy, MRDC is now in the process of rolling out its program starting in segment 7 (Gulf/SHP Border) from Friday, November 2^nd .

Segment 7 has the longest length of Pipeline running through it, covering 37 clans who together hold a 44 per cent interest.

This process will see that the landowners of the pipeline start to receive their royalty and equity payment from the PNGLNG Project.

Both parties signed the power purchasing agreement in 2015 followed by the recent issuing of the generation licence.

Under this agreement, the Government agreed to bring 30 megawatts of biomass energy to the Ramu grid however, that is yet to eventuate.

Landowners claim the government’s proposal for a coal-fired power generation is the reason for the delay.

The landowners are in Port Moresby at the moment to pursue their concerns with the Minister for Energy, Sam Basil, and Minister for Treasury, Charles Abel.

The State and Ramu 2 Hydro Developer, Shenzen Company Limited, are finalizing discussions with the launching expected in November.

Under the agreement the State along with the Provinces of Eastern Highlands and Morobe, and Landowners will own 30% while Shenzen Energy has a 70% stake.

Minister for State Owned Enterprises, William Duma, says discussions with landowners and the Province have already commenced and they are awaiting the commercial agreement to be finalized.