The Hidden Valley Mining Project revised Community Development Agreement (CDA) was successfully initialed yesterday (Friday June 13) in Lae after 2 months of negotiations.
The parties are:
- The Nakuwi Association In (landowners)
- Bulolo Urban Local Level Government
- Wau Urban Local Level Government
- Watut rural local level Government
- Wau Rural Local Level Government
- Morobe provincial government
- The Independent State of Papua New Guinea
- Morobe Consolidated Goldfields Limited (Hidden Valley Mine)
The agreement was initialed by:
- Mining Minister Hon Rainbo Paita on behalf of the State.
- Morobe Governor Hon Luther Wenge on behalf of the Morobe Provincial Government, and its entire lower level governments.
- Nakuwi Association Inc (Landowners) Chairman Wayang Kawa on behalf of his association.
- Steven Rooney on behalf of the developer of the project Hidden Valley Mine.
Present to witness the ceremony were the Vice Minister for Mining and Member for Bulolo Hon Sam Basil Jr, Member for Wau-Waria Hon Marsh Narewec, Managing Director of the Mineral Resources Authority (MRA) Jerry Garry, General Manager for Hidden Valley Mine Steven Rooney, landowners, State Team and other stakeholders.
Hon Paita said at the ceremony that he was pleased with the outcome of the negotiations. He assured all parties that he would do his best in ensuring that the National Executive Council (NEC) deliberates on the agreement in a timely manner, so that parties could start benefiting.
Vice Minister Hon Basil Jr said his district and Local Level Governments (LLGs) had missed out on benefits in the past. He said this time around, he had comprehensively captured his districts’ development aspirations in his position paper, and urged the relevant state agencies and the government to carefully consider his paper.
Governor Wenge said he was satisfied with the content of the agreement and thanked Mr Garry and the State Team for effectively progressing the negotiations, a sentiment which was also shared by Hon Narewec.
Mr Garry on behalf of the State Team commended the leadership provided by the Morobean political leaders in progressing the CDA to this stage. “Everything falls and rises on leadership,” said MD Garry. He said the initialing of the CDA was an outcome of quality and effective leadership provided by the leaders of Morobe.
Major benefits streams contained in the agreement include Royalties, Special Support Grants (SSGs), Tax Credit Schemes, Business Development Plan, Training & Employment Plan, Women In Mining (WIM) and Law & Order amongst others.
