Voices

on Panguna

Find out here what people said on re-opening the Panguna mine and Bougainville Copper Limited... 

"For the sake of our children and their children's future it is our moral obligation to make the right decisions now!!! The Panguna Mine must reopen!!°

Resulution of the Bougainville Women's Mining Forum

27.03. 2014

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"...re-opening of Panguna or establishing another operation if Panguna fails to start the economy was very important for Bougainville’s economic survival."

Former national MP of Central Bougainville and former PNG Minister of Mining

15.02.2014

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"...we need to tell them why it is important that we have to get this mine up!"

Albert Punghau 

Minister of Finance - Autonomous Bougainville Government

09.12.2013

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"The situation for the re-opening of the mine continues to improve. It is a slow process but we expect that. My attitude has been and continues to be I would rather take my time and get it right, than rush and get it wrong. I think what is happening on Bougainville is in line with my expectations. The support for the mine re-opening continues to grow and the support for Bougainville Copper as the operator continues to grow."

PETER R. TAYLOR

Chairman of  Bougainville Copper Limited

09.05.2013

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".. the opening of the Panguna mine will obviously contribute to the economic self-reliance of Bougainville that will be very important to the future independent state of Bougainville..."  

JAMES TANIS 

Former President of the Autonomous Region of Bougainville

07.05.2013

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"The bulk of the population want the re-opening of the mine."

JOHN MOMIS

President of the Autonomous Region of Bougainville

08.03.2013

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"We want Panguna to reopen to support the ABG to reach its goal of economic self reliance in preparation for referendum and independence for Bougainville...Panguna must be opened in my lifetime!."

CHRIS DAMANA

Chairman of the  Panguna Landowners

12.02.2013

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"...despite all these (peace) programs, so many ordinary Bougainvilleans continue to question on the day when the mine would be re-opened?"

SAM TORORIA
A Bougainville Citizen

12.02.2013

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"It's quite interesting to read and note that RIO, through BCL, is very adamant about returning to Panguna; not surprising to say the least. My informed view is that RIO/BCL should make a calculted return to Panguna as they have learnt their lesson the hard way and purported redemption will be VERY BIG for LOs, ABG and AROB. 

The maxim/saying: "It's better to deal with the devil you know, rather the devil you do not know" should be the guiding approach to the second coming of RIO/BCL. It's now up to the Panguna LOs, ABG and AROB people to decide RIO/BCL's second coming. 

RIO/BCL wants a mine; LOs wants a mine; ABG wants a mine and AROB people wants a mine - this window of opportunity is here - for sustained development, growth and posterity for all in AROB."

 J. K. Semos, PhD

Devine Word University, Madang

12.02.2013

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"Rio Tinto (RIO) is looking into restarting its Panguna mine in Papua New Guinea, one of the world's largest sources of copper and gold until the company abandoned it a quarter century ago after local villagers chased off workers in a secessionist uprising. A new study by Rio Tinto's majority-owned subsidiary Bougainville Copper (BOC) says the mine on Bougainville island still contains at least five million tonnes of copper and 19 million ounces of gold, worth USD41 billion and USD32 billion, respectively. Bougainville was one of my tips for Tim Boreham’s (The Australian) tipping competition this year. The Australian, Criterion column 2nd. February"

ALEX MOFFATT

Director J Palmer + Sons

Melbourne

08.02.2013

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"The potential for a restart could only be fully assessed once it was safe to return to the mine! The new estimate for copper and gold supports consideration of a number of potential development options."

Peter R. Taylor

Chairman of Bougainville Copper Limited

08.02.2013

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"The further copper-gold potential of PNG should not be overlooked either. Already the Wafi-Golpu and Yandera projects are world-class and the exploration potential at Bougainville is not well publicized – when that mine does reopen there will be huge opportunities if they are managed correctly."

BLAIR PRICE

Editor of PNG Industry News

04.02.2013

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The ABG President chief JOHN MOMIS wants the closed PANGUNA Copper mine on Bougainville island to reopen to support the ABG with much needed funds to deliver much needed services to the people of Bougainville.

Speaking on his weekly Radio Talk on Radio New Dawn on Bougainville  FM, chief Momis said that PANGUNA was a single impact project that can bail out Bougainville from its financial problems.

JOHN MOMIS

President of the Autonomous Region of Bougainville

30.11.2012

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"I call for unity of all Bougainvilleans to fulfill Autonomous Bougainville Government President's number one pillar of unification of all Bougainvillean's despite of their affiliations"

ROSE PIHEI

Minister for Culture and Tourism

Autonomous Bougainville Government (ABG)

22.11.2012

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"The forum has helped the landowners to know where other Bougainvilleans are standing on the Panguna issue.

Panguna landowners are ready to work with the Autonomous Bougainville Government as the legitimate government for Bougainville and other factions are already working with them to join the team so that Bougainville can voice their grievances as one Bougainville.

The Panguna mine will be opened as soon as all the negotiations are completed.

Panguna gave independence to PNG and should now be opened to give the necessary funds for Bougainville to move forward."

MICHAEL PARIU

Panguna Landowner Representative

22.11.2012

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“We have made a lot of progress in the past months.

We want everyone to be involved! Those to be involved in this process include all concerned stakeholders, the ex-combatants, Me'ekamui, the landowners and the Autonomous Bougainville Government. After all consultations with all stakeholders we will proceed with pre-feasibility studies on reopening the Panguna Mine.

The progress on reopening the mine has moved forward, it is steady and it is heading in the right direction."

 PAUL COLEMAN

 Company Secretary of Bougainville Copper  Limited

 28.08.2012

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"…that the only avenue currently for Bougainville to source all the funds it needs is to re-open the Panguna mine …"

JOE LERA

Regional Member of PNG Parliament for Bougainville

09.08.2021

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"…the meeting with Bougainville Copper Ltd (BCL) was a step forward. It was a very good meeting because we agreed at once some decisions that BCL has to meet..

…most people in mine-affected areas and all of Bougainville, we would very much want BCL to come back before it decides to come to Bougainville and help us with our economic recovery on Bougainville.."

BERNADINE KIRRA

Chairwoman and spokesperson of the Panguna landowner group

24.07.2012

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"It was the first time that all the landowners were represented in the group that talked with us. In the past we had other big meetings but not all landowner groups were represented. But this time it was good. The landowner groups represented all the groups that have been listed as the legitimate landowners, which include Mekamui, of course.

“I was not completely surprised. I was very happy because we had been doing a lot of work, the administration has been doing a lot of work liaising and talking with the landower groups and insisting that landowners must come to an agreement to work together…"

JOHN MOMIS

President of the Autonomous Region of Bougainville (AROB) and Head of the Autonomous Bougainville Government (ABG)

24.07.2012

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"BCL will come and re-open the mine but need to tidy up a lot of things before they come and re-open the mine. We all agree that BCL will come back because they have learned their mistake. We have learned our mistake and, maybe, we can start on a new slate…"

CHRIS DAMANA

Interim Chairman of the key umbrella group, the Panguna Landowners

24.07.2012

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"The re-entry into Panguna by any best bidder or Bougainville Copper Limited (BCL) can be made possible by the end of 2012…"

PATRICK NISIRA 

Vice President of the Autonomous Region of Bougainville (AROB)

17.01.2012

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"The people of Panguna commend this government for tackling this problem head-on and which the former Somare-led government had for a long time failed to address in an effective and honest way…

…in preparation for the re-opening of the Panguna mine."

MICHAEL PARIU

Deputy Chairman of the Panguna Landowners Association

29.12.2011

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"… both parties had agreed to re-negotiate the BCA with the Bougainville Copper Ltd, the national government and any other interested developer.

The decision to re-negotiate the BCA was reached on the consensus that mining would be allowed at Panguna and the BCA must not be reviewed but re-negotiated because the agreement was drawn up by parties which were no longer present at the negotiation table…"

JOHN MOMIS

President of the Autonomous Region of Bougainville (AROB) and Head of the Autonomous Bougainville Government (ABG)

06.12.2011

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“(Autonomous Bougainville Government) President Momis supports the vision of returning to mining at Panguna and has publicly stated he believes the majority of the Bougainville population also supports reopening the mine.”

PAUL COLEMAN

Company Secretary of Bougainville Copper Limited

17.08.2011