All key stakeholders in the Simberi gold
mine in New Ireland province have agreed to move forward in a spirit of
co-operation and open communication, following a landmark meeting held in
Kavieng.
The meeting, attended by representatives
from the national government, provincial government, local level government,
landowners and the mine operator Allied Gold Plc, has been heralded as the
start of a new era for the project.
The quarterly review meeting heard reports
from the company on the progress of the mine, its management of environmental impacts,
plans for future development and sharing of benefits from the operation.
The meeting chairman, acting secretary of
the Department of Mineral Policy and Geohazards Management, Shadrach Himata,
said he was very encouraged by the positive spirit of the participants and he
congratulated Allied Gold on the progress it had made.
“This is an important project for PNG and
New Ireland in particular, and I am most encouraged to see the open
communication and process of dialogue that has been established over the last
two days of discussions,” he said.
“I believe that all of the participants
were impressed with the work that Allied Gold has done, particularly in
environmental management, and in the development of medical and health
services. “And we welcome the company’s commitment to expand its
plans for development of sustainable community businesses flowing from the
operation of the mine.”
Landowner representative Henry Salin
said he was very pleased with the company’s operation of the Simberi mine.
“The company has done all that is required
of it, and stakeholders were reassured, and in some cases surprised, to see the
excellent progress that has been made and the high standards of management.
"That is why we are standing firmly behind the company.
"This meeting provided an
important opportunity for all landowners to have an input into the development
of the mine, and to have their voices heard."
He was joined by the vice chairman of the
Simberi Mine Area Association, Vincent Maris, who said the meeting created a
strong platform for the future and represented an excellent start for further
dialogue.
“We look forward to working with all the stakeholders to maximise the
value of this operation for the people of Simberi,” he said.
Aisoli Topu, second secretary to the
Mining Minister Byron Chan, congratulated the attendees for their constructive
contributions.
“We have built a solid
foundation now for the stakeholders in Simberi to move forward in a spirit of
partnership,” he said.
Acting New Ireland provincial government administrator Monovi Amani said the meeting had opened a new page of
understanding for the Simberi project.
“This meeting has been long overdue, and I
am very pleased that we have broken down the walls together, and we are
starting to speak to each other face to face,” he said.
Allied Gold General Manager of the Simberi
mine, Peter Du Plessis, said the company was grateful for the participation of
all levels of government.
“We look forward to continuing to communicate in an
open, honest way with all the stakeholders so we can create a common
understanding of the issues.
“The Simberi mine is progressing well with
its planned expansion, which will deliver higher production leading to
increased royalties and benefits for all stakeholders.
"We are grateful for the
support of all levels of government and landowners in the ongoing development
of Simberi, and we look forward to continued discussion and open communication
with all stakeholders,” he said.
