Matthew G. Allen has received funding from an Australian Research Council fellowship DE140101206. Bougainville Copper Limited, (BCL) a subsidiary of the British-Australian resources giant Rio Tinto, owned the mine at the time of the conflict and despite extracting around 550,000 tonnes of. Environment Minister Sussan Ley faces a critical test: will she let a mine destroy koala breeding grounds? Bougainville Copper trained some 12,000 employees, including approximately 1,000 completing full trade apprenticeships and some 400 completing graduate and post-graduate studies that resulted in considerable progress in the localisation of the company's employees and significantly added to the number of skilled workers elsewhere in the country's For 17 years in the 1970s and 1980s, the mine was one of the worlds largest for copper and gold. "The most-beneficial change has been the focus of Panguna landowners and other Bougainvilleans on the re-development agenda, and the initiatives they have taken to contribute to momentum. A new port was also reportedly proposed. We urgently need Rio Tinto to come back and deal with these problems so our communities can find healing.. Streamline your workflow with our best-in-class digital asset management system. Bougainville Copper trained some 12,000 employees, including approximately 1,000 completing full trade apprenticeships and some 400 completing graduate and post-graduate studies that resulted in considerable progress in the localisation of the companys employees and significantly added to the number of skilled workers elsewhere in the countrys workforce. Under his Prime Ministership the Papua New Guinea security forces - in an effort to reopen the mine - executed and tortured civilians, systematically destroyed villages, and imposed a blockade on Bougainville, which included the denial of humanitarian aid. Despite revelations aired on SBS last year, which evidenced BCL's complicity in the brutal security force operations on Bougainville, BCL and the ESBC continue to play down the company's instrumental role in the conflict. 2 min read MELBOURNE (Reuters) -Rio Tinto Ltd said on Wednesday it has reached an agreement with stakeholders of. In its heyday, the mine, which would take an estimated $US5 billion in infrastructure spending to restart, was a productive asset for Rio Tinto, then known as Conzinc Rio Tinto. In his latest broadside, Sturm accuses Ulster University criminologist, Kristian Lasslett, of using his "academic position as a platform for indoctrination and agitation.". 6. Optimizing productivity and improving safety. A geologist with 17yrs industry experience in grade control geology, resource definition, near-mine and regional mineral exploration, and database geology. Your naive adoption of statements and claims from rebel groups on the ground disqualify you as an honest scientistI suppose your work in Ulster [Northern Ireland], a region well known for rebellion and organised crime, troubled your visionUnfortunately you are also allowed to spread your ideas among you students. And it's based on compelling evidence which BCL shareholders - not to mention Rio Tinto itself - would do well to urgently address. The PNG national government received a 20% share of profit from the mine, of which the Bougainvilleans received 5% - 1.25% share of the total profit. Were working to restore it. It's really shameful if an expert in criminology completely ignores facts and reality. Following the discovery of vast copper ore deposits in Crown Prince Range, Bougainville Copper Limited (Bougainville Copper or the company) operated a large open pit mine and processing facility at Panguna in central Bougainville in the North Solomons Province of Papua New Guinea (PNG) between 1972 and 1989. Access the best of Getty Images with our simple subscription plan. Since the end of mining activities 30 years ago, tailings have continued to move down the rivers and the waterways have never been treated for suspected chemical contamination. BCL placed substantive pressure on the Papua New Guinea government to send the Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary Mobile Squads - a paramilitary style force, who according to their own commanders excel in the use of terror (RPNGC Assistant Commissioner, Personal Communication, 2006) - to Bougainville in 1988, following attacks on mine property by a landowner group. Taylor said he was more optimistic about the future of this company than any year out of the previous 20 years. There can be no independence without first setting the country on a pathway to fiscal self-reliance and Panguna is the only asset which can assist this. There is evidence to suggest BCL's Managing Director did raise concerns with PNGDF officers over the loss of civilian life. Rock crushers weighing 24 tons 24:20. RTG chairman Michael Carrick was also loath to talk about the issue. [2], The mine was vitally important to the economy of Papua New Guinea. The moratorium is a dramatic turnaround in policy from the Autonomous Bougainville Government, which determined landowners felt BCL didn't deserve a social licence to run the mine. Politics is played extremely robustly in PNG and the facts/truth are often amongst the first casualties, Carrick said via email from his Perth office. More recently a new player, Caballus Mining, has arrived in Bougainville. Bougainville's estimated $58 billion in remaining copper and gold reserves has caught the attention of international mining companies and world governments. Production of plant items begin in are shipped to New Guinea. A truck drives through a large quarry 1:50. It was operated by Bougainville Copper Limited, a subsidiary of what is now Rio Tinto, until 2016 when Rio handed its shares to the governments of Bougainville and PNG. Sale ends. Local residents informed me it was tens of metres deep in places. You know we gave them everything, because as a far as we saw it we were hoping that they were going to solve the situation, so we could start operating again. Papua New Guinea Mine Watch. Women in a market at Bougainville earlier this year. But beyond the question of financing, those affected by the mine want the company to acknowledge the problems that the mine continues to cause. The copper slurry is then pumped to the seacoast 4:38. If you want to post a public comment, you can do that at the bottom of the page. This highlights the enormous challenges in seeking redress from mining companies for their operations in foreign jurisdictions, and, in this case, for historical impacts. The ore processing consists of four stages as the rocks are crushed into less than half inch units 3:40. In this respect, BCL can make an important contribution to democracy and reconciliation in Bougainville by, a) fully disclosing their role in the conflict; and b) making amends with those affected by their actions. The company is blamed by many locals for contamination attributed to the mine. Man in the laboratory testing the soil for copper content 8:54. Autonomous Bougainville Government president John Momis. Now Aussie companies are fighting over it again. A supplied image shows locals taking shelter from rain under a local administrative building at the former Bougainville Copper Limited's (BCL) Panguna mining operation located on the Pacific Ocean island of Bougainville, Papua New Guinea, March 29, 2017. Had he, Mr Sturm would have discovered that my findings are based upon interviews with General Managers and three Managing Directors who steered BCL during the 1987-1991 period. Environment Minister Sussan Ley faces a critical test: will she let a mine destroy koala breeding grounds? Due to a planned power outage on Friday, 1/14, between 8am-1pm PST, some services may be impacted. The Panguna mine was developed in the 1960s, when PNG was still an Australian colony, and operated between 1972 and 1989. Paul Toohey 7 min read June 4, 2013 - 5:36PM News Corp Australia Network mining Johnstons biggest claims to fame at home are a controversy over his lavish spending on entertainment as minister and comments that South Australians couldnt build a canoe, much less a submarine. Rio handed its shares in Bougainville Copper Ltd to the Autonomous Bougainville Government and Papua New Guinea in 2016, judging that the Panguna mine was too risky to develop. It is one of the largest known copper reserves in PNG and in the world having estimated reserves of 1,000 Mt of ore grading 0.34% Cu and containing perhaps as much as 12 Moz of gold. But that race has also already sparked intense political disagreement between rival groups on the island. All friends up till the closure of the mine. Large dumb truck rolls through the mine 20:55. Bougainville Copper has a strong local board and management team that knows Bougainville extremely well. The disputes between miners have been reflected in intense politicking among local landowner groups and political players on Bougainville. You only have to look on Google Earth and see the environmental devastation caused by the mind is huge and ongoing and extensive, Adams told Mongabay. This claim was confirmed by a senior civil servant who was working in Papua New Guinea's Prime Minister's department: "We relied heavily on some of the civilian facilities provided by the company. Dec. 5, 2022. Though in light of the above, I would suggest - to borrow the words of Mr Sturm - it was in fact those scholars and journalists that rejected the allegations made against BCL by landowners and activists who might be accused of being "naive", after all accessible documentary evidence on BCL's involvement has been available since 1990 (following a Supreme Court of Victoria court case involving BCL and their insurers - BCL records are also stored in an archive at the University of Melbourne and may be viewed upon request). Land clearing begins 15:40. The Panguna mines footprint was gigantic, stretching across the full breadth of the central part of the island. When Prime Minister Namaliu opted to send a peace delegation to Bougainville to resolve the impasse with landowners in December 1988, BCL's Chairman - who was also an executive at Conzinc Rio Tinto Australia (CRA) - threatened to withdraw all CRA investments from Papua New Guinea. On satellite images, the Panguna mine yawns amid the otherwise green mountain forests of central Bougainville Island in the South Pacific, a silty river valley tracing a jagged path from the mine south and west to Empress Augusta Bay. Tap into Getty Images' global scale, data-driven insights, and network of more than 340,000 creators to create content exclusively for your brand. Power station generators are built as lead line items in other countries 12:50. View of Melbourne, Australia 12:09. Recent Growth, Poverty, Inequality, and Environmental Dynamics 1. It was a critical but hopefully constructive piece, on how BCL might mend certain bridges with communities on Bougainville, using fairly orthodox transitional justice techniques. Engitech is a values-driven technology agency dedicated. "The vision to return to active exploration and profitable mining remains and, I am pleased to say, with the active support from local stakeholders to which I have earlier referred.". We are ready to enter into discussions with the communities that have filed the complaint, along with other relevant parties such as BCL and the governments of ABG and PNG. Local workers work the mine and ships in the bay in the new economy 27:44. Therefore, they should do something about it.. Regardless, all views are to be respected." Bougainville Copper Limited (BOC), an ASX-listed company, is an independently-managed company of Papua New Guinea that is publicly listed on the ASX (Australian Securities Exchange). Missionaries hold mass 7:17. Its clear the time has come for Rio to finally take responsibility for cleaning up the mess on Bougainville. Professor of Development Studies, The University of the South Pacific. Hundreds of millions of tonnes of tailings were deposited in the rivers. Part of the gigantic Panguna copper mine, one of the largest copper and gold deposits in the world. "Again, the landowners will be informed and involved as appropriate. The Panguna copper mine in Bougainville was closed in 1989. divested its shares and walked away in 2016. I have found no evidence to suggest BCL were forced by the PNG government to make this contribution. Businessman Andrew "Twiggy" Forrest during a state dinner in Washington in September. Equipment from Japan arrives for storage at the mine 24:00. Bougainville has voted to become a new country, but the journey to independence is not yet over, PNG marks 40 years of independence, still feeling the effects of Australian colonialism, allegedly under strong political pressure. The colonial-era approach to mining when Panguna was developed in the 1960s stands in stark contrast to the corporate social responsibility paradigm supposedly governing the global mining industry today. Its sole director is Arabian horse breeder and luxury goods dealer Jeff McGlinn a man who posted a flashy social media video of Saudi royalty at a luxury event, and another of him giving one of his fine equines to classical crossover singer Andrea Bocelli. So many parents spoke to us about their fears for their childrens future, Adams said. 4. Many are from the long-suffering village of Dapera. They say that waste from the copper and gold mine is causing health problems for 12,000 . BCL was aware of the illicit tactics being employed by the government's security forces, yet still availed company assets to the PNGDF and RPNGC. Australian foreign minister Alexander Downer announces US$65m aid for Bougainville as a ceasefire ending the civil war was signed at Arawa in 1998. Bougainville landowner groups were called to vote on allowing BCL to renew their mining licence and potentially reopen the Panguna mine, but lacked support. Mining operations were officially halted on 15 May 1989, due to militant activity and the mine has remained closed since. SYDNEY, Aug 29 (Reuters) - Communities around Rio Tinto's (RIO.AX), (RIO.L) shuttered copper mine in Bougainville face a serious threat of flooding due to unstable mine instrastructure, an. In particular Axel G Sturm argued: "Your disgraceful lampoon is remarkable. Construction required filling the swamp 14:40. Kalias bid is financially supported by a company run by Australian polo patriarch Peter Yunghanns. 2 May 2012. Rio Tinto said representatives from the company hadnt been able to visit the mine site since 1990 because of the civil war and later ongoing severe security concerns. As a result, the company wasnt able to address these problems before 2016. Photo: The Panguna mine was abandoned in 1989 after an armed uprising known as the Bougainville Crisis. Bougainville Copper Limited is now an independently managed company. Landowner concerns with their treatment when the mine was previously operated led to civil unrest and closure of the mine. We believe in the future of mining truck mobility. Construction continues at a rapid pace 25:27. PeriscopeFilm In fact Mr Lasslett's critique of the company's complicity in human rights abuses, during the first 15 months of the bloody conflict, is quite measured. The petition has brought the plight of these communities back into the media, but calls for Rio Tinto to clean up its mess have been made for decades. A ship in the bay 22:07. A peace agreement was signed in 2001 and Bougainville was given greater autonomy within PNG, with a non-binding referendum in favour of independence . The Sherratt Family, UK. 4. On 15th May 1989 production was brought to a halt by militant activity and the mine has remained closed since. Be worried when fossil fuel lobbyists support current environmental laws. I expressed the view that CRA would want to review its assessment of PNG as a place to invest. Heavy fuel storage tanks 11:30. Read more: Over 10 years we help companies reach their financial and branding goals. (AAP Image: Ilya Gridneff) The Bougainville Government has also criticised the consortium for paying landowners who support them and implied it is not respecting the approval process. BCL regularly met with military commanders from the PNGDF and senior Cabinet figures. The Rio Tinto spokesperson said that when it gifted its shares of Bougainville Copper, the arrangement provided a platform of support for the PNG Government and the Bougainville government to work together on future options for the resource.. If you wish to join the group, please state who you are and what relationship you had with Bougainville. I spent several nights in a large two-story house built entirely from a single tree dragged out of the tailings dragged upright, with a tractor. On November 23, Bougainvilleans will go to the polls and are expected to vote overwhelmingly for independence from Papua New Guinea. As a leading mining company with world-class expertise, we constantly assess opportunities to build on our operational reputation to drive future growth through product diversification and asset development, chief executive Elizabeth Gaines said. Consistent with business development activities, representatives from Fortescue have visited Bougainville Island to learn about the region and potential opportunities., Businessman Andrew "Twiggy" Forrest during a state dinner in Washington in September.Credit:Alex Ellinghausen. Thats what communities want, Adams said. Clouds in the mountains 6:45. Capture a web page as it appears now for use as a trusted citation in the future. Picture taken March 29, 2017. In a paper out on Wednesday The Scramble for Resources - The International Race for Bougainville's Mineral Wealth, Jubilee Australia has laid out the steps . Search the history of over 797 billion The Duke of Edinburgh visits in 1971 22:25. They spoke with parents whose children have sores that wont heal and persistent coughs, in part because the tainted river waters are the only place where they can bathe. President Momis asserted that progressing with BCL could "cause a total explosion of the situation again". "There are activities on foot in several areas that can positively assist Bougainville Copper Ltd make a return to profitable mining," he said. Women in a market at Bougainville earlier this year.Credit:Ben Bohane. The PNG national government received a 20% share of profit from the mine, of which the Bougainvilleans received 5% - 1.25% share of the total profit.[3]. Bougainville Copper, which is no longer associated with Rio, has estimated it would take seven to eight years and $5 billion to $6 billion to rebuild the mine and resume full operations. This story was produced with the assistance of the inaugural Walkley/Sean Dorney grant for Pacific Journalism. David Johnston (no relation to Michael) and Kalia shareholder Nick Zuks also did not return calls. It was, at the time, one of the worlds largest copper and gold mines. U.S. Court is prepared to hear Bougainville genocide case against Rio Tinto. 3. Economic structure and growth 1. The Conversation contacted Rio Tinto for comment. Its a curse that many think is worth risking. "Bougainville Copper Limited shareholding", "Bougainville imposes moratorium on Panguna mine over fears of civil unrest", "BCL takes Bougainville Govt to court over licence non-renewal", European Shareholders of Bougainville Copper (ESBC), Bougainville Copper Limited - All Annual Reports since 1967, Blood and Treasure - SBS documentary 2011, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Bougainville_Copper&oldid=1142268123, Copper mining companies of Papua New Guinea, Companies listed on the Australian Securities Exchange, All Wikipedia articles written in Australian English, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 1 March 2023, at 13:11. Would do well to urgently address to finally take responsibility for cleaning up the mess on Bougainville for. Is then pumped to the economy of Papua New Guinea 's Managing Director raise... Of tailings were deposited in the bay in the New economy 27:44 Kalia shareholder Zuks... 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