Pundari: Ramu tailings disposal effective

 

By PATRICK TALU, The National

THE government has maintained the disposal of mine tailings from the Ramu mickel mine is done in an “environmentally safe and socially responsible manner”.
Mining minister John Pundari, commenting on the outcome of a week-long stakeholders meeting in Madang on the deep-sea tailings placement system (DSTP), said it (the system) was the right approach.
In a statement yesterday, Pundari said the government was confident given the body of evidences from various environmental reports and assessment on the possible environmental impact assessment carried out by internationally reputable scientific organization.
He also noted the continuing efforts towards ensuring the proper disposal of tailings from the mine.
“We must appreciate the financial risk undertaken by the Chinese enterprises to invest in PNG in a project that is technically difficult to develop when no other investor was willing to undertake the challenge,” Pundari said.
He said the government further believed that the environmentally responsible development of the Ramu nickel mine using DSTP technology offered  the people of Rai Coast and the people of Madang an important opportunity to develop their communities and enjoy the economic benefits that large-scale mining projects had brought to other parts of the country.
“In parting, it is unfortunate that such a volume of study and information was available even before 2003 when MCC first carried out its due diligence study before taking a decision to invest in PNG,” Pundari said.
“It appears that these studies (dating back to 1988 and beyond) were not an issue for contention until MCC’s involvement in the project,” Pundari added.

Woman gets 14 years for murder

By JAYNE SAFIHAO, The National

THE National Court in Madang last Thursday sentenced a woman to 12 years jail with hard labour for killing another woman after she suspected her of having and affair with her husband.
Agnes Baru Anton, 18, from Karisokra village in Bundi stabbed the woman to death last Aug 17 after finding her conversing with her husband at a village disco.
According to facts before the courts, Anton had been forced into marrying her husband and was two months pregnant at the time.
She went to the disco because she had heard rumours of her husband talking to the deceased in places.
At the disco she saw the woman standing next to her husband in a secluded place away from the main dance area.
“I felt bad when I saw them together as he had forced me to marry him and made me pregnant and now he was with this woman.
“I thought of how my father had left us and it seemed like the sort of thing was going to happen again.
The woman died from three stab wounds.
Agnes was attacked and lost her baby. Her house was also burnt down in retaliation.
A compensation or “bel kol moni” of K1,370 and seven pigs was arrange by Anton and her relatives.
She pleaded guilty and expressed remorse for the crime but Justice David Cannings said this was not a strong case for a suspension of the sentence.

Judge visits Beon jail facilities

MADANG’S resident judge Justice David Cannings visited Beon jail at the weekend. The purpose of the visit was to see the living conditions for four of the 14 inmates accused in the BSP robbery trial.
During the visit he also took time out to have a look at the houses some of the CS officers are living in. Justice Cannings (who is pictured third from left) was told that about 15 officers were living in bush material homes.
He was told that these houses had been built by the inmates and the one in which he is pictured outside belonged to a corporal.
He learned many high ranking officers on site were also forced to live in these bush material and semi-permanent homes due to the unavailability of proper houses at the prison grounds.

Sick state of Gusap

GUSAP Health Centre in Madang’s Usino/Bundi district needs money to upgrade aging infrastructures.
Executive officer Felix Karpai told the Post-Courier he “urgently needed” more than K66,000 to build staff houses and a perimeter fence around the facility.
Mr Karpai said there was a greater need for the authorities, especially the Joint District Planning & Budget Priority Committee (JDP&BPC), the Madang Provincial Government and the National Government to fund the health centre’s rehabilitation project.
He said: “The population of Gusap is increasing every week due to the introduction of oil palm on the Markham plains.
“Thus, the Government should upgrade infrastructures at the Gusap in a bid for it to deliver adequate and effective health services to the populace.”
Gusap health board’s deputy chairman Pastor Kom Gilmai expressed similar sentiments saying they were looking for funds to build seven staff houses.
Pr Gilmai said: “We are glad that AusAID has “given us the green light to finance one house. The Government should fund the rest of the houses and other facilities.”

Diwai bows out in final

By PORENI UMAU, Post Courier

DROPPED balls was the order of the day as LBC Warriors forced Ela Diwai to hang up their boots for the season, winning 10-8 in Madang Rugby League semi-finals last Sunday.
The win gives Warriors the chance to have a crack at the grand finals with Royals this weekend. The game, played before a vocal crowd at the Ron Albert Oval was played down to a nail biting finish with Warriors getting the upper hand with two minutes to full time via a penalty conversion by Esekiel Roka after Diwai fullback Douglas Kata tripped Abi Ekai.
Eka had only Kata to beat after he broke through the Diwai defence only to be tripped and was awarded a penalty that gave his team the win at full time.
Diwai was the first to score with a minute into kick off when Warriors fullback Roger Diru spilled the ball in his goal area. A well orchestrated play by Diwai halves Grant Towingo and Anaga Issac sent winger Jerry Jacob over the try line for the first four pointer. Issac lifted the flags to give Divine Word University a 6-nil lead.
Diwai then launched attacks with hard running forwards Adrian Baungas, Eddie Lappa, captain Joel Martin leading the way.
Warriors tackling machine Samson Mala, Jessey Alko, Kelema Andrew and Hector Morris kept the uni boys at bay. Warriors led by their forwards and strong runs from winger Kembol Kaikepe countered the Diwai raid and in the 13th minute Kaikepe dropped the ball with the try line wide open and at his mercy after a good set play.
The Warriors regrouped and tormented the Diwai defence with halves Albie Eka and Esekiel Roka leading and testing Diwai at will. The pressure produced a try in the 18th minute when centre John Lango dived over for the Warriors four pointer. Eka‘s conversion tied the scores at 6-all to the break.
The second stanza saw Warriors come out with all guns blazing as they launched several raids against the Diwai defence.
Both teams refused to give in but Warriors was the better side in a hard fought match, winning by a mere 10-8 at fulltime.

Delays to cost PNG more

By ERIC TAPAKAU, Post Courier

WHEN our debt from international donors is being significantly reduced, Papua New Guinea is set to crawl on its knees to repay overseas investors if the ongoing landowner issues in mineral and petroleum resource areas are not sorted out once and for all.
This is a warning from a highly placed expert in the mining and petroleum industry who said penalty fees would amount to billions of dollars and any negative impact on the projects emanating from landowner issues would also badly tarnish the good name of the country, especially at a time when PNG was enjoying a reputation globally as a “good investment destination”.
“If these projects do not meet their deadlines, there are clauses in their agreements that they will be liable to pay penalty fees and the State will also be liable to pay some of those fees,” he said.
He said currently PNG was in the process of hosting two multi-billion projects in the Ramu nickel/cobalt project and the PNG LNG Project but both projects had their share of landowner issues.
But he is not alone as Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare also fears that PNG will be liable to repay billions of dollars in penalty fees to the Chinese-owned Ramu NiCo and its parent company China Metallurgical and Constructions Company Ltd if the Ramu project does not meet its schedules.
He said this earlier this year when highlighting the fact that Ramu was an important project for the country.
Ramu NiCo said in an advertisement yesterday that it would consider retrenching its workers after the National Court refused to lift the injunction preventing Ramu NiCo from constructing the offshore component of the project’s deep sea tailings placement system.
The company has so far spent $US1.2 billion of the total $US1.4 billion on construction and construction work is ending with production set to resume by the end of this year.
Ramu NiCo is understood to be losing K7 million daily when the project is delayed due to the court challenge on the DSTP.
“As construction is winding down and most of the equipment has been installed, one real option is to now place the project on a care and maintenance basis, postpone the operational works and adopt retrenchment measures, even though this would be devastating for our workers and their dependents and for the landowners, other community members and business partners,” the company said in a statement.
“Given this, Ramu NiCo will do everything it reasonably can to minimise the losses and the first action will be to urgently appeal this decision to the Supreme Court.”
The company said it would also discuss the present situation with project stakeholders before taking further action.
The PNG LNG project also faces similar situation with construction phase set to be completed by 2013, all stakeholders including the State will be liable to pay hefty penalty fees if first gas is not delivered by 2014.

Kapris and others ‘win’

By ROSALYN EVARA, Post Courier

BEON jail commander was yesterday ordered by the National Court to ensure that William Kapris and his three other co-accuseds are provided with basic necessities.
The orders were made yesterday in relation to the human rights applications which had been filed by Kapris, Kito Aso, Elvis Bala Aka and Isabelle Kivare last week through their respective lawyers.
The orders that were sought by the applicants were in relation to Section 57 of the Constitution which encompassed their right from freedom from inhuman treatment, full protection of the law and to be treated with humanity.
Following his visit to the jail at the weekend and submissions which had been made by the respective lawyers on behalf of their clients on Tuesday, the court heard the orders were for the duration of their stay in Madang and not in relation to concerns which they had raised of their detention at Bomana.
Justice Cannings said having seen the place in which Kapris, Aso and Bala Aka were being kept he said the state was much better than they were back in 2005 when he last visited and had ordered the closure of the then “dark cells”.
However, he said it was still “inhuman in some aspects”.
He ordered that Kapris and Aso because of their records of escape and the security issues raised by the CS Commissioner remain in separate confinements but that they by August 30 be provided with fresh blankets, towels and mosquito nets.
He ordered that both also be given four litres of clean water every day and a basin in which to wash their hands, two periods of 30 minutes in the open air in which to exercise and one visit a week also for 30 minutes by a family member or friend in addition to the visit by their lawyer.
Further that both be escorted to Modilon Hospital for medical checks and treatments for injuries which they have sustained, Kapris to both his feet and Aso to his mouth and lips.
Justice Cannings ordered that Bala Aka be moved from the separate confinement to the main remand compound by August 27 as he had history of escape.
In relation to Kivare’s application Justice Cannings also ordered that she be provided by the August 30 with fresh blankets for both her and her daughter, towels and a larger mosquito net.

DWU launches solar power

THE Divine Word University in Madang has taken on a “green university” initiative by investing in solar power, which was launched by businessman and former politician Sir Peter Barter last Sunday.
The solar power project was the highlight of the university’s 14th foundation day anniversary, the day the government declared Divine Word Institute as a national university.
Under the solar project, phase one would include the installation of solar-powered street lights.
Archbishop of the Madang Catholic archdiocese William Kurtz celebrated the occasion with the university and blessed the street lights.
Sir Peter said DWU was on the right path to invest in solar energy to help combat global warming-induced climate change.
He said other tertiary institutions and the rest of PNG should follow the lead by DWU and invest in alternate energy from fossil fuel.
“Solar power equipment does not come cheaply, or easily.
“It is through hard work, dedication and commitment,” Sir Peter said, and commended the efforts of DWU president Fr Jan Czuba and project coordinator Fr Philip Smith.
Fr Czuba said solar power street lights at the Madang campus were part of a three-year project that would cover all DWU campuses.
He said the project was trialed at the university’s Coronation Drive property.
The university’s concern for the environment began with the launching of its “paperless university” policy three years ago.
Fr Czuba said the university would continue to upgrade its campus facilities and grounds to ensure it promotes nature and the natural environment.
Student Representative Council president Kathleen Tokilivila praised the university, saying the students were proud to be studying in an institution that had developed innovative ways to serve the public.

DWU students celebrate Cultural Day

THE Divine Word University campus once again came alive with traditional song and dance as students took the centre stage in the annual Cultural Day in Madang last Saturday.
For the first time students from neighbouring Solomon Islands, whose intake has increased this year, also showcased their culture.
The students from the proposed provinces of Hela and Jiwaka were also allowed for the first time to perform separately from Southern Highlands and Western Highlands respectively.
The public in Madang and the visiting tourists and the growing expatriate community of Chinese, Filipinos and Europeans took the chance to see a sampling of the diverse cultures and traditions of PNG.
The Cultural Day is in August every year that the university sets for the students to acknowledge their indigenous roots in traditional song, dance, costumes and folklore.
President of the university, Fr Jan Czuba, said the Cultural Day was not a “show” but a day the students must be given a chance to reflect on the importance and values of the indigenous cultures of PNG amidst the
influences of modern ways.

Leaders maintain ‘no DSTP’ stand

VARIOUS landowner groups yesterday renewed their opposition that to the deep sea tailings placement (DSTP) system in Madang waters.
A group of disgruntled leaders met at the seafront of Coastwatchers Hotel as the Madang National Court was hearing an application by Ramu NiCo seeking a lifting of the interim injunction which had halted its construction of the DSTP system offshore facility at Basamuk Bay.
In a media statement, the group, backed by plaintiffs Farina Siga, Sama Melambo, Eddie Tarsie and Peter Sel, said that the simple message was “there will be no DSTP in Madang”.
“We call on Mining Minister John Pundari, who, a few days ago, visited Bongu village in Rai Coast and made an undertaking of ‘looking into things’ and who recently deviated from that speech, to stop drawing attention away from the real issue confronting us – listen to the people.”
Leader George Ireng said they were not against nickel mining or any other mining activity but wanted the government to find an alternate method of tailings disposal.
He said that DSTP was banned in other countries and PNG should follow suit.
The group noted the failure by the Lands Titles Commission to sit and identify genuine landowners along in the project impact areas.
Bagbag islander John Simoi said the Bismarck and Solomon seas were famous for their unique biodiversity and home to half of the world’s coral, leatherback turtles, various seagrass and tuna breeding ground in what is known as the Magado Square.