Mt Sinivit Project Shuts
Published by MAC on 2006-09-15Mt Sinivit Project Shuts
Post Courier
15th September 2006 LANDOWNERS of the Mt Sinivit gold mine project in East New Britain have shut down the project site following damages done to their water systems and disrespect from workers to the village women. Uramot clan landowners in the Rieit village in the Pomio District were frustrated over the agreement signed on the gold mine but did not do anything until recently.
They alleged a few of the project site workers abused their women and they locked the gate to the main access road to the project site area on Saturday. Two truckloads of landowners went into the project site and told the 40 workers to immediately leave the place. Uramot landowners director Thomas Ronsongo demanded Macmin (PNG) Limited, a major shareholder in the Sinivit project, pay K100,000 in compensation to the landowners for environmental damage done to the four clean creeks which they use for drinking water and washing.
Mr Rongsongo said the agreement signed in 1996 to explore and dig was outdated and needed to be reviewed, adding he would like to Macmin to come clear on how much they would make out from the mine, how much would go to the landowners, how to prevent the environmental damage.
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