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. An abandoned Rio Tinto mine in the Bougainville region of Papua New Guinea has caused flooding as well as pollution, according to the Human Rights Law Center, which released this photo from last year. Luke Fletcher, a long-time Bougainville watcher and executive director of think tank Jubilee Australia warns of the resources curse that has plagued PNG. The Panguna mine is set to reopen after landowners in Bougainville agreed to the decision, 30 years after it was forced to shut amid a civil war between local rebels and the government of Papua. You shall not use your academic position as a platform for indoctrination and agitation.". Mining operations were officially halted on 15 May 1989, due to militant activity . U.S. Court is prepared to hear Bougainville genocide case against Rio Tinto. Rio Tinto, therefore, is of the view that it is for the people of Bougainville to determine their future, including any potential redevelopment of the mine.. of 1 New services are provided with trained personnel 19:33. However, China is also sniffing around opportunities in Bougainville, although not necessarily the Panguna mine itself, which was valued recently at a staggering $US58 billion ($84 billion). BCL hit back saying the landowners association (known as SMLOLA) is a new invention and points to recent statements disputing its provenance. I am more than happy to engage in further probing dialogue with anyone who cares to comment; but I will not react to any further personal attacks, or ill informed judgements on the rigour of my research. View of Melbourne, Australia 12:09. Following PNG security forces heavy-handed intervention allegedly under strong political pressure from Bougainville Copper the rebellion quickly escalated into a full-blown separatist conflict that eventually engulfed all parts of the province. But the feat came at a huge cost. The ore processing consists of four stages as the rocks are crushed into less than half inch units 3:40. Construction required filling the swamp 14:40. Its very clear that no one elses pollution is responsible for these problems, Adams said. 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. Bougainville displays great cultural diversity in a relatively small region. In a memorandum dated 6 December 1988 he recounts his reaction to the Prime Minister's proposal: "The PM's priority was to 'appease' the landowners. 1. Unit 3: Transition and Change - Bougainville Case Study 1 Additional Support Material Bougainville - Background Notes From 1987 to December 1997 Bougainville Copper The Bougainville Copper Agreement of 1974 was signed with some resentment on the part of the Bougainvillean landowners. Only then will BCL shareholders find the certainty they demand. The war is long over and the mine has been closed for 30 years, but its brutal legacy continues. 3. 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. "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. On 15th May 1989 production was brought to a halt by militant activity and the mine has remained closed since. Debate continues raging over the role played by Rio Tinto's subsidiary Bougainville Copper Ltd (BCL) in the decade-long war waged by Papua New Guinea "security" forces on the people of Bougainville from 1988 onwards. Computers tabulate the needs for materials and labor 11:52. Because of this, no dividends will be paid, chairman Peter Taylor announced at BCL's 45th annual general meeting in Port Moresby. Today in Naval History - Naval / Maritime Events in History Other Events on 17 September 1574 - Death of Pedro Menndez de Avils, Spanish admiral and. With Buka Island and several island groups, it forms the autonomous region of Bougainville. When I conducted research in Bougainville in 2015, I estimated the deposit of the mines waste rock (tailings) downstream from the mine to be at least a kilometre wide at its greatest point. Photo: The Panguna mine was abandoned in 1989 after an armed uprising known as the Bougainville Crisis. MELBOURNE, Australia An independent investigation will begin on Tuesday into the environmental and human rights impact of an abandoned gold and copper mine in Papua New Guinea . Photos taken in Panguna-Loloho-Kieta during construction era plus recently added( 9/2012) booklet and article on the. 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. In an interview with PNG Industry News, he blamed political uncertainty in Papua New Guinea for BCL's current woes. Rock crushers weighing 24 tons 24:20. Such past shortfalls aside, Adams said that Rio Tinto has since agreed to more stringent environmental requirements for other mines. The movie opens on a beach with palm trees. David Johnston (no relation to Michael) and Kalia shareholder Nick Zuks also did not return calls. They say that waste from the copper and gold mine is causing health problems for 12,000 . Melbourne Australia 10:06. For example, the company's charitable arm - the Bougainville Copper Foundation (BCF) - had surveyed homes lost to village burnings, which were conducted en masse by the Mobile Squads and the PNGDF during 1989. Read more: A map overlays the scene at the mine 27:04. BCL did not alert the domestic or international community of the impeding humanitarian crisis. And the team learned of the perils of fording rivers subject to sudden floods as aging tailings dams from the 80s begin to fail. The 156 complainants live in communities around and downstream of the mine. 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 fundamental objective.. Adams said an independent review, conducted while the mine was still operational, revealed the companys failure to manage copper levels in the effluent from the mine which the company had agreed to do had completely obliterated the fish life downstream. The Sherratt Family, UK. Contributions to the National Government in the form of taxes, duties and dividends were approximately 17 per cent of internally generated Papua New Guinean Government revenue during that time. Bougainville Copper Limited (BCL) is a mining company of Papua New Guinea (PNG) that is listed on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX). It should also reveal the relevant conversations that took place between the BCL management and senior state officials during this period. Adams team cataloged the fouled water supplies that force communities to depend on drinking water piped from long distances upslope. [8], During 2017, President Momis and the Autonomous Bougainville Government advocated for the re-opening of the Panguna mine. 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 Port installations continue at the bay 17:25. Read more: Regardless, all views are to be respected." Bougainville landowner groups were called to vote on allowing BCL to renew their mining licence and potentially reopen the Panguna mine, but lacked support. In his latest broadside, Sturm accuses Ulster University criminologist, Kristian Lasslett, of using his "academic position as a platform for indoctrination and agitation.". The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald have confirmed that representatives of Mr Forrest's mining company, Fortescue, travelled in recent months to the island and were exploring growth opportunities there. Taylor said he was more optimistic about the future of this company than any year out of the previous 20 years. Discontent was brought to a head in 1988 by a long-running dispute over the uneven economic returns and environmental impacts from Panguna copper mine. During the final year of production in 1988 and 1989, Rios subsidiary Bougainville Copper (BCL) extracted 550,000 tonnes of copper concentrate and a whopping 450,000 ounces of gold. We believe that [Bougainville Copper] was compliant with applicable regulatory requirements up until the mines operations were suspended in 1989, a spokesperson told Mongabay. Photo: Ben Bohane/The Australian 19 July 2011 bottom 2. Were working to restore it. "Some of these are within the control of the company itself, others less so. 1 talking about this. Bougainville Copper Limited 10:15. "It is possible that some further remediation work will be carried out on site with the co-operation of landowners, to make areas safe whether mining proceeds or not," he said. But they will not suffer corporate intransigence lightly. Be worried when fossil fuel lobbyists support current environmental laws, Committee Member - MNF Research Advisory Committee, PhD Scholarship - Uncle Isaac Brown Indigenous Scholarship. For more information visit http://www.PeriscopeFilm.com, There are no reviews yet. Find himon Twitter: @johnccannon. The mine produced copper concentrate that also contained significant quantities of gold and silver. Bougainville Copper Ltd (BCL) yesterday announced a loss of K3.7 million in 2011, compared to an anticipated loss of K7.3 million, reports The National. 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. Yet this reconciliation to some extent holds a key to international reconciliation among Bougainville, Australia and Papua New Guinea". On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Local residents informed me it was tens of metres deep in places. But even before its closure in 1989, the knock-on effects of the release of what would come to more than a billion metric tons of mining waste had surfaced, affecting the land, its wildlife and the people who live there. Nevertheless, the company continued to provide material assistance to the security forces. Bougainville Copper (ISIN PG0008526520) is an Australian-listed copper company which lost its main asset due to a civil war on the island of Bougainville during the 1990s. Geographically, Bougainville is the largest of the Solomon Islands, located near the northern end of that chain. The disposal of hundreds of millions of tonnes of tailings into the Kawerong-Jaba river system created enormous problems. The Panguna copper mine in Bougainville was closed in 1989.Credit:Alamy, There is at times frustration when some purporting to speak on behalf of all landowners are in fact representing a narrower interest. Concrete is poured for foundations 16:15. The mine, located in Bougainville, was centrally important to Papua New Guinea, providing over 45% of the country's national export revenue. Its a curse that many think is worth risking. Power station generators are built as lead line items in other countries 12:50. 8. Australian External Territories Minister Charles Barnes was accused of telling the Bougainvillean people they would "get nothing". FEEDBACK: Use this form to send a message to the author of this post. 6. Karoona Maket 21:14. Sir Rabbie Namaliu was the Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea during 1988-1992. Landowner concerns with their treatment when the mine was previously operated led to civil unrest and closure of the mine. Bougainville Copper Project 1969/1970 Photos Dew Farmers in Bougainville to Produce Rice with Mill donated by Bougainville Copper Limited, Outstanding Leadership Skills Awarded at Tonu Secondary School. See: London Calling asks: did Rio Tinto fund war on Bougainville? This is one of the problems of the resource curse, you have these big revenues sitting in bank accounts that can be misappropriated quite easily, he said. A professor trains the people of Papua New Guinea to work in the mine 20:00. 2. Rivers and streams became filled with silt and significantly widened. The issue of compensation went to the High Court of Australia, where it was found that the compensation was inadequate under ordinary federal Australian law, but that as an External Territory, Papua New Guinea was not guaranteed the same standards that applied to mainland Australia. Last week the Bougainville Government announced an agreement had been reach with Panguna landowners to re-open the island's controversial Gold and Copper mine. Other companies - including one chaired by a former Liberal defence minister David Johnston and another by Arabian horse breeder and luxury goods dealer Jeff McGlinn - have also been striving to gain local support on the island to reopen the mine, which was shuttered in 1989. Boards are the best place to save images and video clips. Narrators John Worthy, Sam Bena. Optimizing productivity and improving safety. BCL should demand that Rio Tinto - its parent company - cease contesting litigation taken by Bougainvillean landowners in the US, and fully compensate those victimised by the security forces using BCL property/facilities. 1:52 pm on 18 February 2022. Please try again later. BCL regularly met with military commanders from the PNGDF and senior Cabinet figures. Lets examine what led to the ongoing crisis. Different equipment is displayed in demonstrated 20:30. The Panguna mine is a large copper resource in the east of Papua New Guinea in the Autonomous Region of Bougainville. 7. It ended the day at 89 cents, up 122.5%. The two governments signed a peace deal in 2000 under which Bougainville remained part of PNG but was allowed a measure of governing autonomy. 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. 1989: World's Largest Gold/Copper Mine Bougainville was home to the largest copper/gold mine in the world, the Panguna Mine which operated until 1989. 3,000 inhabitants of Panguna will work at the mine 18:40. Once the backbone of the Papua New Guinea economy, Panguna has been idle since the civil war began more than 30 years ago - a war the mine was at least . BCL is an independently managed company of PNG that is working towards the vision of resuming. 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. Cut from a glossy travel brochure and just smaller than Hawaii's Big Island, Bougainville is blessed with incredible natural resources: warm waters teeming with fish, hyper-fertile soil and one of the largest untapped mineral deposits on the planet. Another significant shareholder, Graeme Kirke, is the founder of Kirke Securities where Mr Forrest previously worked. The Autonomous Bougainville Region consists of 168 islands with the most populated being the large island of Bougainville and the smaller island of Buka to its north, separated by the narrow Buka Passage. "Interest of K2.2 million earned on court-held IBDs has been brought into account this year. [2], The mine was vitally important to the economy of Papua New Guinea. Mining operations were officially halted on 15 May 1989, due to militant activity and the mine has remained closed since. Now Aussie companies are fighting over it again. Over 10 years we help companies reach their financial and branding goals. Recent Growth, Poverty, Inequality, and Environmental Dynamics 1. Copyright 20102023, The Conversation Media Group Ltd. A no-go zone around the Panguna mine, set up by the Meekamui Defence Force, is signposted in Bougainville, 2008. Bougainville Copper has a strong local board and management team that knows Bougainville extremely well. A 16th century map 5:41. 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. Entirely film backed, this material is available for licensing in 24p HD, 2k and 4k. web pages Even the subsistence farming on which many local communities rely has been hampered by the tainted water flowing from the mine. Women in a market at Bougainville earlier this year.Credit:Ben Bohane. An advocacy group says as international mining companies eye starting operations in the autonomous Papua New Guinea region of Bougainville, Canberra must take action. Heavy fuel storage tanks 11:30. While it is our belief that from 1990 to 2016 no Rio Tinto personnel had access to the mine site due to on-going security concerns, we are aware of the deterioration of mining infrastructure at the site and surrounding areas, and claims of resulting adverse environmental and social, including human rights, impacts. In response to my article the President of the European Shareholders of Bougainville Copper composed an open letter addressed to me. Banner image of the Panguna mine tailings wasteland courtesy of the Human Rights Law Centre. 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. 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. Professor of Development Studies, The University of the South Pacific. Prince Philip tours the mine 22:53. Due to a planned power outage on Friday, 1/14, between 8am-1pm PST, some services may be impacted. Mining giant Rio Tinto Group, which was historically Bougainville Copper Limited's major shareholder, exited on 30 June 2016 when it transferred its 53.8 per cent shareholding for distribution to the Autonomous Bougainville Government and the Independent State of Papua New Guinea. [1], The mine at Panguna was opened in 1972 and was majority-owned by Rio Tinto. African Turntables (Pty) Ltd turning underground. Back then, the company was still majority-owned by Rio Tinto (ISIN GB0007188757), the Australian mining giant that had created Bougainville Copper in the 1960s and controlled it through a 53.8% shareholding. Army stands guard over the Panguna copper mine. The researchers tracked the fallout from the mines operations through interviews in 38 villages along the Jaba and Kawerong rivers that flow downstream from the Panguna mine. Papua New Guinea Mine Watch. Indeed, Panguna along with the socially and environmentally disastrous Ok Tedi mine in the western highlands of PNG are widely credited with forcing the industry to reassess its social license to operate. Grow your brand authentically by sharing brand content with the internets creators. Picture taken March 29, 2017. The complainants say by not ensuring its operations didnt infringe on the local peoples human rights, Rio Tinto breached OECD guidelines for multinational enterprises. By the time the hostilities ended in 1997, thousands of Bougainvilleans had lost their lives, including from an air and sea blockade the PNG military had imposed, which prevented essential medical supplies reaching the island. The Panguna mine was operated by BCL, majority owned by Rio Tinto, for 17 years from 1972 until 1989, when operations were suspended due to an uprising against the mine and subsequent civil war. Allegations have been made that BCL's Chairman supported the military blockade which was placed around Bougainville during 1990 - this blockade included the denial of humanitarian aid. Men crush rocks in the river looking for minerals 8:05. Momis initially supported a moratorium on mining at Panguna to avoid reigniting old conflicts between landowner groups. In 2014, the governments planned to figure out how to clean up the site, and Rio Tinto was supposed to have played a supporting role. Construction continues at a rapid pace 25:27. That move left Bougainville Copper as little more than a shell company, Adams said, without the resources to mount such a formidable cleanup effort. In particular Axel G Sturm argued: "Your disgraceful lampoon is remarkable. The transnational company Bougainville Copper Limited (BCL), a joint venture of the Australian based companies Conzinc Rio Tinto and Broken Hill Corporation, began prospecting in 1963. Previously run by Rio Tinto, the mine was at the centre of a decade-long conflict over allegations that locals were being ripped off and the environment damaged by foreign mining companies. Local workers work the mine and ships in the bay in the new economy 27:44. "President (John) Momis has been proactive in assisting the company carry out safety work. The case ultimately foundered on jurisdictional grounds. "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.". My specific claims relate to a small window in the company's life, 1988-1990, where decisions were taken that implicated BCL in the hostilities, and the human rights abuses they generated. Were sorry, this feature is currently unavailable. This public disclosure should document the logistical support BCL supplied to the government's security forces between December 1988 and March 1990. Man in the laboratory testing the soil for copper content 8:54. Streamline your workflow with our best-in-class digital asset management system. A BCF official informed me that during a security operation in March/April 1989, "forty, fifty villages, and the crops [were destroyed]. This film is part of the Periscope Film LLC archive, one of the largest historic military, transportation, and aviation stock footage collections in the USA. The mine at Panguna was opened in 1972 and majority-owned by Rio Tinto.It was important to the economy of Papua New Guinea, but the people of Bougainville were seeing little benefit from it.The first Bougainville independence movement arose in the late 1960s, as people aired their grievances against the Australian colonial government over the handling of the Panguna mine. Although the cultures share some commonalities, there is a range of traditional beliefs, customs and languages. Bougainville's estimated $58 billion in remaining copper and gold reserves has caught the attention of international mining companies and world governments. 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. Louis-Antoine de Bougainville was a French admiral and explorer. Paul Toohey 7 min read June 4, 2013 - 5:36PM News Corp Australia Network mining The London-based parent company continues denying any wrongdoing, even though a US federal court has agreed to hear some of the charges being levelled against it. For an all-round overview of the Bougainville Copper story - a constant plaything of speculators - please refer back to my Weekly Dispatch of 13 March 2020. As this dearth of inquiry is particularly evident in South Pacific economies, this paper examines the management of Bougainville Copper Limited (BCL), an Australian mining company that operated in Papua New Guinea (PNG) until it was violently expelled by local communities in 1990. The entry of Caballus sparked fears among Bougainville locals specifically those linked to rival miners that a three-way fight for Panguna would erupt. Thats what communities want, Adams said. The Panguna copper mine in Bougainville was closed in 1989.Alamy "There is at times frustration when some purporting to speak on behalf of all landowners are in fact representing a narrower interest. Further, Bougainville Coppers presence in the North Solomons Province had promoted the development of significant local business enterprises to provide goods and services required for the mining operation and for the residents of the province. Part of the gigantic Panguna copper mine, one of the largest copper and gold deposits in the world. If you want to post a public comment, you can do that at the bottom of the page. PNG marks 40 years of independence, still feeling the effects of Australian colonialism. A geologist with 17yrs industry experience in grade control geology, resource definition, near-mine and regional mineral exploration, and database geology. 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. It was the most serious conflict in the south Pacific since World War II. Men discuss the new project in Papua New Guinea 10:35. These communities used the rivers for drinking water and the adjacent lands for subsistence food gardening. That legislation was later rejected by the government's legislative committee, illustrating how politically contentious this issue will be in an independent Bougainville. 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). Check the amazing fares on selected routes from as low as K19*. That will come at a cost, she added a cost that the Human Rights Law Centre and other groups contend Rio Tinto should bear. She added the companys representatives wouldnt have to visit the mine site to find ways to improve access to water and health care and to orchestrate an assessment so that communities understand the risks they face and how to deal with them. The Panguna mine devastated our communities physically and culturally and we are still living with the consequences, said Theonila Roka Matbob, a teacher from the village of Makosi, which is downstream from the mine, according to a statement. "Due to the loss recorded and the need to preserve cash for future development the company will not pay a dividend. Read more: The mine at Panguna was opened in 1972 and was majority-owned by Rio Tinto, an Anglo-Australian multinational and the world's second largest metals and mining corporations 10:00. A spokesperson said: We believe the 2016 arrangement provided a platform for the Autonomous Bougainville Government (ABG) and PNG to work together on future options for the resource with all stakeholders.

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