Frieda River heading north to join the Sepik River. Photo: Facebook - SEPIK Capital, PNG - Wewak Urban Local Level Government
For the past ten years Frieda River Ltd, a subsidiary of Brisbane based but Chinese owned miner, PanAust Ltd, has been developing plans for a copper and gold mine on the river.
It is presently seeking an extension of its exploration licence but communities at Frieda River want changes.
Bob Onengim is a community leader for Ogisai Village which is in line to disappear if the Frieda River Ltd proposal for a tailings dam, which will double as a hydroelectric dam to supply power for the mine site and the local communities, goes ahead.
Onengim, who represents the village in quarterly meetings with PanAust, said they are fearful about this happening.
He said they are not against the mine, but want a different approach.
"We landowners there at Frieda River we support the project. The project definitely has to go ahead because it's very important for us, we need development in Frieda River," he said.
"Of course the whole country, Papua New Guinea, they need the mine, we all need the mine here. Having said that there are certain things - the company must listen to us too."
Presley Dumusok is the head teacher of Wabia Community School - one of two schools that will go if the dam goes ahead.
He said another concern is if families are relocated it would be to areas already occupied by traditional owners.
"Wabia Primary School and Frieda River Primary School would be most affected. We really like the mine," Dumusok said.
"The company [can] go ahead with what they are doing but the dam and the resettlement programme - the who community didn't want the dam and the resettlement."
"They have to come up with other alternatives as to how they will go along with the development of the mine rather than the settlement and the huge damming plan."
The communities last month presented a petition to the PNG Mineral Resources Authority requesting that PanAust drop plans for its tailings dam
Onengim said this is non-negotiable, "we will never want a dam to be built. For the interests of our people, the two villages, for the future generations.
"They have to find options for power source and waste management, the company can look at, rather than building a very huge dam."
The planned dam is certainly huge. It will be the biggest in PNG, standing 191 metres high, nearly twice the height of one of New Zealand's biggest, the Clyde Dam.
It will be 740 metres across and flood myriad valleys up the Frieda River.
Mines of course need to dispose of their tailings and PanAust says this is the best option..
It said the combined hydro-electric and tailings dam will be far more robust than previous efforts to contain mine waste and that it will continue to generate electriciity for the local communities for many years after the mining operation has closed down.
The company said on its website that it understands that some mining projects in Papua New Guinea have caused widespread environmental damage and it is determined not repeat the mistakes of the past.
The environmental group Project Sepik has led the push, along with Jubilee Australia, for PanAust to ensure that it obtains the free, prior and informed consent of the hundreds of thousands of people who live along the Frieda and Sepik Rivers.
Major concern
Project Sepik executive director Mary Boni said if the company responded positively on this opposition to the dam, it could win their support for the overall project.
"Ideally you know we would because then we would know the company would be more responsible in the way it's handling its waste," she said.
"Our major concern is for the people of East Sepik Province is that the Frieda River is a feeder into the Sepik River and it is likely that if there is a dam up it is going to affect the whole of the Sepik River."
Project Sepik has raised concerns about the threat posed to the dam, and so the people down the river valleys, by earthquakes - which are frequent events in PNG.
Stronger communities
When contacted by RNZ Pacific, PanAust did not put someone up to speak to these issues, but it did make a statement.
It said the Frieda River Project will help build stronger and more viable communities by establishing critical public infrastructure, generating skilled employment, and creating business opportunities for local people.
It said mining activities can have both positive and negative impacts on the social and natural environments.
The company said it is working closely with landowners and the PNG Government to deliver the project safely and responsibly.
It acknowledges that this process requires comprehensive and ongoing stakeholder engagement, adding the project would not start until all required permits, agreements and authorisations are obtained.
