The stoush between the national government and the operator of Gold Ridge mine is continuing. The government rejected applications by the operator St Barbara to be allowed to release untreated water from the tailings dam – which contains high levels of arsenic and cyanide. The mine has been closed since last April’s floods – but…
More than 20 mineral companies are seeking exploration and mining licences from the national government to operate in the country. Records the Sunday Star cited show a total of 129 applications have been lodged with the Ministry of Mines, Energy and Rural Electrification. Topping the list are those eying offshore exploration. Offshore or undersea exploration…
The national government is urged to clean up the Mataniko river as part of efforts to attract tourists into the country. Barney Paulsen, a member of the Guadalcanal Province Town and Country Planning Board made the call yesterday. Paulsen said he had realised that only the lower part of the river within the city council…
A Papua New Guinea investor is reportedly eying to purchase the Gold Ridge mine in central Guadalcanal, and create a joint venture with landowners. Australian firm St Barbara is the current owner. The mine was closed since April last year in the wake of the flash floods that hit Guadalcanal and Honiara. It has not…
A group of local environmental organisations has joined hands to discuss and address environmental issues in the country. They are members of the Development Service Exchange (DSE), the umbrella body for NGOs in the country. Their goal is to share information and create space to provide updates on environment and conservation issues in the country.…
Residents of Kobito and Lau Valley area in east Honiara say they were grateful for the work done to upgrade their feeder road. Work on the road had been going on for the past days, undertaken by Trade Transformation Company (TTC). The project was funded by the government with support from donors. A spokesman for…
Child labour and trafficking is a cross-cutting issue in the Pacific Islands that needs a sub-regional hub to seriously look into and find ways of addressing the issue. International Labour Organisation sub-regional director David Lamotte highlighted this at the close of an ILO sub-regional Child Labour and Trafficking in Nadi, Fiji, Friday. “We all want…
Suva-based director of the Sub-regional International Labour Organisation (ILO) David Lamotte has urged the Pacific media to be sensitive when reporting on issues concerning children. He made the reminder at an ILO workshop on children labour and trafficking that ended at Nadi, Fiji, Friday. Lamotte highlighted this following newspaper reports in Fiji on a female…
A West Papua independence leader was in the country for the past week rallying support for his home country to be part of the Melanesia Spearhead Group (MSG). Octovianus Mote, an exiled West Papuan who now lives in the United States, is the general secretary of the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP). The…
New video footage showing the bloody aftermath of the Paniai massacre in West Papua highlights the urgent need for Indonesia to hold an independent and transparent investigation into the tragedy, says Minority Rights Group International (MRG). In December 2014, four unarmed Papuan teenagers were killed and 17 more Papuans were injured when the Indonesian army…