Transcript
JOHN MOMIS: Investors or people interested can now apply, send in their applications to apply for an exploration licence in these three areas - Jaba River [adjacent to Panguna in central Bougainville], Mt Tore [in the north of the main island] and Isina [south of Panguna].
DON WISEMAN: What is know about those particular sites at this stage?
JM: I really don't know. I guess it would be copper and gold and silver.
DW: This moratorium has been in place since the 1970s hasn't it? So it is a very big move on the part of Bougainville to do this now.
JM: Yes even after the ABG, the government, was set up it took us a while to make the decision because of a lack of capacity. But I think we now have the capacity in our Mining Department to handle the applications and the things that go with checking people's capacity to do mining. Without capacity of course we would be inundated with a lot of applications and we would be drowned. So I think there is some confidence now in the Mining Department to handle the applications, so we have decided to lift the moratorium, partially, in these three restricted areas.
DW: Has there been interest already?
JM: There are people who are interested. And our policy is - basically it is first come, first served. But that doesn't preclude others. They will all be subject to due diligence and people who meet the requirements will be given the licence.
DW: So while this is going on I think your office has been presented with a petition from one of the land owning groups in Panguna, the Osikiang group, [Osikiang Landowners Special Mining Lease] saying the are adamantly opposed to any return by BCL [Bougainville Copper Ltd] to Panguna, and they are the critical landowning group they say, because they are right at the site. So what is your feeling about that petition?
JM: Lifting the moratorium doesn't affect the SML [Special Mining Lease] area. That area has been given to Bougainville Copper, in fact, even under our own mining law BCL has the first right of refusal. So eight out of nine of the landowning groups want BCL to come back. [Osikiang] SML - because of an Australian company that has worked with Philip Miriori [chair of Osikiang] has influenced these people - well they keep changing their position. One time they want the mine to go ahead, and another they - but we will accept their petition and then see it in the totality of things, because, you know, we can't be held back by just one group of people, although they are the owners of the mine site, currently.
DW: Yes but that remains the critical issue though doesn't it? Since the landowners control the minerals, if they are the owners of the site and they are saying they don't want BCL under any circumstances ever, in their area that has to be the end for BCL there, doesn't it?
JM: That particular area yes. The nine landowner groups also own land in other parts of the lease area which BCL owns under the old agreement.
DW: So you would anticipate that there wouldn't be any mining in the old Panguna mine anymore, by BCL?
JM: Well that is yet to be determined because from what we know there are people in the SML area who are for BCL to go back and now we get this other group that says they don't want BCL to come back at all. But we will process these things and see how we can resolve them.
