Porgera land-holders oppose increased tailings

Land-holders from the Kulini Strickland Resource Owners Association are outraged over Porgera Joint Venture's (PJV) application seeking a water use permit to quadruple the amount of tailings dumped into the Strickland River system. If the permit is granted -- after a warden's hearing at Porgera on November 26 -- PJV would be allowed to discharge water with colluvium and soft rock from the open pit and neutralised tailings from January 1, 1997, until 2008.

Ruben Yandale, vice chair of the association, said, "Enough is enough. The PJV has been polluting our river for several years now. We do not want it to continue. The government must listen to its people and not give PJV rights to bagarap our lives for another 10 years."

Meanwhile, the PNG-based Individual and Community Rights Advocacy Forum (ICRAF) has announced it will begin a national and international campaign against Placer Niugini and the Porgera Joint Venture with the assistance from partner NGOs around the world. ICRAF will be calling upon partner NGOs in Australia, Canada, Britain and United States to highlight the impact of the waste disposal of the Porgera gold mine.

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