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Gold panning is underway on the edge of the Panguna mine in Bougainville, which has been closed for decades to large-scale mining.
photo: Johnny Blaze/RNZ Pacific
Bougainville Copper Ltd and its former parent Rio Tinto have agreed to remove ageing infrastructure from the long-closed Panguna mine.
BCL chairman Sir Mel Togolo and Rio Tinto Papua New Guinea country director Andrew Cooper signed a memorandum of understanding last Friday.
Both companies said they wanted to address concerns about future risks from aging infrastructure at former mining sites.
They said this was in response to information received from an independent legacy impact assessment which showed the ageing structure posed a threat.
The aim is to eliminate potential risks arising from deteriorating infrastructure and promote safety in the area.
The work will be carried out on BCL’s legacy assets, including the Jaba pumping station and the Momau River bridge, as well as former mine workshops, storage facilities and concrete walls in the Panguna town area. Work is expected to start in November 2024 and take several months to complete.
Bougainville Chief Secretary Kearnneth Nanei said government had become aware of the dilapidated infrastructure after conducting field work on the Panguna mine legacy impact assessment.
“We are very pleased to be working with BCL, with Rio Tinto’s support, to resolve the issues raised in the best interests of our people.
“We are awaiting the final results of the legacy impact assessment and this work represents a positive sign for the partnership between BCL and Rio Tinto,” he said.
Results from the first phase of the legacy assessment are expected to be released in the fourth quarter of 2024.
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