50 disputes delay Ramu project
Papua New Guinea Post Courier
Date: 12/3/01
A senior magistrate is being asked to settle 50 land disputes which threaten to hinder work on the Ramu nickel/cobalt project.
The National Executive Council will be asked to appoint a Lands Commissioner to resolve the disputes, which local and district courts have been unable to deal with.
Daniel Rolpagarea, from the State Solicitor’s office in Port Moresby, said a submission to NEC had been prepared seeking funds and the appointing of an experienced senior magistrate.
“We have now identified a senior magistrate who will concentrate fully on those cases or disputes. “And as soon as the NEC endorses and approves the submission, we will go ahead with the task of dealing with the disputes in Madang.”
Highlands Pacific has been given the approval to develop the project, valued at more than $US800 million.
Late last year an agreement was signed between the State, provincial government, landowners and the developers, but 50 disputes between the company and owners of land at the mine, along the pipeline route and site of the proposed refinery, are still yet to be solved.
Mr Rolpagarea told a briefing for villagers at Walium, Madang Pro-vince, that land was the major problem.
He said attempts were being at a national level to deal with the problems and to reach amicable solutions to enable the mining project to proceed as soon as it could.
Mr Rolpagarea said the land disputes were supposed to have been dealt with last year. However, the unavailability of a judge or a senior magistrate to deal with the complex land issues had prolonged the delay.
A senior magistrate is being asked to settle 50 land disputes which threaten to hinder work on the Ramu nickel/cobalt project.
The National Executive Council will be asked to appoint a Lands Commissioner to resolve the disputes, which local and district courts have been unable to deal with.
Daniel Rolpagarea, from the State Solicitor’s office in Port Moresby, said a submission to NEC had been prepared seeking funds and the appointing of an experienced senior magistrate.
“We have now identified a senior magistrate who will concentrate fully on those cases or disputes. “And as soon as the NEC endorses and approves the submission, we will go ahead with the task of dealing with the disputes in Madang.”
Highlands Pacific has been given the approval to develop the project, valued at more than $US800 million.
Late last year an agreement was signed between the State, provincial government, landowners and the developers, but 50 disputes between the company and owners of land at the mine, along the pipeline route and site of the proposed refinery, are still yet to be solved.
Mr Rolpagarea told a briefing for villagers at Walium, Madang Pro-vince, that land was the major problem.
He said attempts were being at a national level to deal with the problems and to reach amicable solutions to enable the mining project to proceed as soon as it could.
Mr Rolpagarea said the land disputes were supposed to have been dealt with last year. However, the unavailability of a judge or a senior magistrate to deal with the complex land issues had prolonged the delay.
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