Lockyer’s visit not taken kindly

Darren Lockyer with Kainantu MP and Mining Minister Johnson Tuke during a press briefing of the Eastern Highlands Super 8 Rugby League tournament on January 31 in Port Moresby. The tournament is an initiative of Tuke

“Lockyer, your entire country is on fire from the impacts of coal”

Carmella Gware | Loop PNG | February 7, 2020

Whilst rugby league enthusiasts were star struck at the sight of Darren Lockyer during his recent trip, other Papua New Guineans did not take too kindly to his visit.

Lockyer, whose name is synonymous with Australian rugby league, is also attached with an exploration and energy firm that is currently eyeing coal production in PNG.

The company is Mayur Resources Ltd where Lockyer heads its business affairs division.

Among those concerned Papua New Guineans was environmentalist and Northern Governor, Gary Juffa.

“This is a grave insult to PNG but most won’t realise it,” Juffa commented under an earlier article by Loop PNG.

“We have become so brainwashed that we will be convinced of anything if they simply put an Aussie rugby league player in front of it to sell it.”

Governor Juffa said Lockyer would not have paid PNG any heed “if he wasn’t lobbying for his company to be given all green lights for coal, a substance that is helping accelerate global warming and contributing to all the consequences”.

Civil organisation, Nogat Coal PNG, said:

“Last month Darren Lockyer’s company, Mayur Resources, announced they would be building a coal power plant to process cement at their Central Cement and Limestone (CCL) facility just outside Port Moresby near Papa-Lea Lea.

“It’s just insane that in 2020 with the climate crisis doing huge damage everywhere that coal would even be considered. There are cheaper better and cleaner solutions for making cement and powering electricity than coal.

“Lockyer, your entire country is on fire from the impacts of coal.”

Global campaigning organisation, Greenpeace, says coal is the single largest contributor to global warming and currently, one-third of all global carbon dioxide emissions come from burning coal.

“Additionally, scientists are increasingly clear that in order to avoid the worst impacts of climate change, we need to leave 80 percent of global carbon deposits — like coal — in the ground.”

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Coal Power not a Favorable Option

Stret Pasin:  Good news but I hope she has locked in her support as she will come in for attack from the coal proponents and their cronies. They will try to get rid of her if she does not follow their line.

Adelaide Kari | EMTV | February 5, 2019

Mayur Resource when speaking to EMTV News stated that they had submitted a Power Purchase Agreement proposal to PNG Power and was confident they had tick all the boxes.

Today, PNG Power Acting Managing Director, Carolyn Blacklock, commenting on the proposal of coal, said the company is looking towards renewable energy.

PNG Power confirmed they had received the Power purchase agreement for Mayur Resources but were not confident that the proposal showed a commitment that would last 25 years.

Blacklock also stated that PNG Power was looking more towards hydro and solar, and coal power would not be a part of PPL Plan.

The Minister for Energy, Sam Basil, an open supporter of the Coal Power station, has publicly said the ball was now in PNG Power’s corner. With PNG Power weary of the idea of a coal power station, what does this mean for Mayur’s prospect of a coal power station?

But the prospect of a Coal Power station may still be pushed with the National Energy Bill that is currently being drafted, exact specifics of this touted National Energy Bill have not been given out to the public just yet. The Minister for Energy, Sam Basil, stated it will allow other energy companies, provincial governments and landowners to enter into agreements to supply energy without approval from the State-owned PNG Power.

Northern Governor, Gary Juffa, who has openly gone against the idea of coal mining in PNG, says the National Energy Bill needs to be structured properly, and should be based on renewable energy. Governor Juffa stated that the bill will allow provincial government to create revenue and is a positive to the bill.

The argument for cheaper vs cleaner energy has become the source of a debate that will continue until the National Energy Bill is tabled in Parliament, and even that information, is still unclear.

Ban seabed mining in Papua New Guinea, says Juffa

Post Courier | June 6, 2017

“I say ban seabed mining.”

“I would do this instantly if I were the prime minister, said Northern Province governor Gary Juffa.

Governor Juffa said that he supported calls by Cardinal John Ribat and said that deep sea mining is an effort that many senior scientists warn against given the fact that the consequences are largely unknown.

“Sensitive ecosystems and life forms that the world barely knows about are in grave danger from this profit-driven endeavor.

“The economic benefits to PNG are miniscule and do not justify the dangers posed by this project.”

“Meanwhile, it’s legality is questionable given that there are no existing laws that would permit or license this activity.

“The current situation is such that the project is driven by politicians who have totally ignored the interests of their country and people by putting their own interest before everyone else. “

“20,000 signatures representing communities to be affected around PNG, including the project site where the minister is from, were affixed to a petition delivered to Minister for Mining Byron Chan on 11 October 2012 at the Holiday Inn, he said.

“I was there.”

“The minister claimed he would respond to the people in two weeks and failed to do so until today.

“Instead of listening to the people, the government took the side of the developer.

“This is totally improper for any government to ignore the very people whose interests it is supposed to be protecting.”

“It is also totally disturbing that one of the executives of the company involved in Nautilus Limited was also an executive of failed mining venture in Eastern Highlands, were a cyanide spill had poisoned waters there and killed a number of people.

“There was a court case that suddenly died away, and we now see the executive back in charge of another mining venture.

“Such people should be prosecuted and punished and blacklisted, he added.

“Meanwhile, I believe that it’s time countries from where these companies come from take a more responsible approach and see what their companies are doing abroad and hold them accountable.”

“For instance, if the laws in the host country do not allow such a venture, therefore it should not be allowed to do that in any other nation to any other people or environment.”

“The laws in Canada would never allow Nautilus to mine their seabed.

“Why? Because of possible environmental damage and infringement on the rights of its citizens and so forth. So why let them do this in PNG?

“Are the people of PNG not entitled to the same rights? Is not the environment of the waters in PNG not connected to this world and therefore Canada too?

“Let us be more globally conscious of the impact of companies on the people and environment of the world.

“These developed nations should be more responsible for what their companies are doing rather then be silent and apathetic, Governor Juffa added.

Jury still out on whether seabed mining is good for Pacific

Giant remote controlled machines will strip mine the sea floor – but is that a good idea?

Radio New Zealand, 29 March 2016

The Pacific Community says it is still not clear whether the potential economic benefits of sea bed mining will outweigh the negative effects on the environment and on local livelihoods.

The comments come after the SPC’s proposed legal and regulatory framework on sea bed mining was accused of neglecting indigenous and environmental safeguards.

Koroi Hawkins looks at some of the pros and cons of the industry.

According to the company involved, in 2018 Papua New Guinea’s Bismarck Sea is set to host the first ever commercial deep water mine operation.

The director of the Pacific Community’s [SPC’s] geoscience division, Mike Petersen, says Nautilus Minerals’ Solwara 1 project will set the tone for the future of the industry.

MIKE PETERSEN: They will be the pilot everyone will be looking at them not only the people we are talking about here, you’ll have the NGO’s who may not wish this development to happen but also industry will be looking at it, government will be looking at it, environmentalists will be looking at it the fishing industry and others will be looking at it so it is under a lot of scrutiny actually.

But an outspoken PNG opposition MP, Gary Juffa, who is the governor of Oro province, says the Solwara 1 project is being steam-rolled by the government without any consideration for relevant regulations or legislation.

GARY JUFFA: There is no legislation that would allow the government or the communities to have avenues by which they can review, monitor and take action if necessary or penalise etc, nothing at all. You know, here we are embarking on this project completely blind.

One regional NGO strongly opposed to the Solwara 1 project is the Pacific Network on Globalisation.

Its coordinator, Maureen Penjueli, says there are too many unknowns and seabed mining legislation in Pacific countries is either non-existent or insufficient. 

MAUREEN PENJUELI: If you look at advanced jurisdictions like New Zealand and Australia it is very clear that when they apply the law in relation to sea bed mining it sets out very precisely. What it means for for indigenous peoples what is means for environmental protection etc. So we believe very strongly that at this particular point in time in history the Pacific is not their yet to pursue seabed mining.

Mike Petersen says as a regional scientific body the SPC is neither pro- nor anti-seabed mining.

But he says as to the viability of the industry studies indicate seabed mining could be a profitable undertaking for Pacific countries and he suggests it has a comparable industry in the offshore oil sector.

MIKE PETERSEN: In the 1970s underwater petroleum extraction was considered to be science fiction and something which humans would never make money from or maybe could never achieve. If petroleum the petroleum industry can succeed then why not the mineral industry given technological advances, advances in robotics and so on and so forth.

PNG’s Gary Juffa however says in the blind push to get the project up and running the views of local indigenous peoples have been ignored.

GARRY JUFFA: Are we to just sit back and despair and moan and groan and whine and there is the government no longer serving its people but serving corporate pirates. Is this the situation now that we must accept?. These are questions that people are asking, you know, the people of the Pacific.

Other countries in the region interested in seabed mining are Tonga and the Cook Islands with the latter currently in direct talks with several companies after an open tender last year failed to get any bids.

Fisheries Minister concerned by potential impacts of seabed mining

Call for more study into seabed mining

The National aka The Loggers Times

NORTHERN Governor Gary Juffa has challenged the Government to conduct studies on the effects of seabed mining on marine resources.

He related this to the Solwara 1 project in New Ireland, which he questioned Fisheries Minister Mao Zeming in Parliament yesterday.

Juffa asked Zeming if the ministry or the National Fisheries Authority would conduct an independent study on the effects of seabed mining on the marine resources.

He asked what the Ministry’s stand would be if scientists found the project to cause harm to the marine environment.

Zeming agreed that the fishing industry would be a concern, however, the developer had already been granted a license to carryout the project by the previous government.

He said he would get information from the fisheries authority and make a statement to the House later.

Oro Governor Juffa queries deep sea mining

Post Courier

THE GOVERNMENT must conduct a scientific study to determine the imminent danger that the deep sea mining will have on the marine life, says Oro Governor Gary Juffa.

Mr Juffa said this when directing questions in Parliament yesterday to the Minister for Fisheries after being told that the government has imposes a ban on harvest of beche de mer in compliance with recommendation from a scientific study.

Mr Juffa said it is only fair that a scientific study must be carried out to determine whether the tuna stock in the sea will be affected.

He said the extraction of ore by the developer of the Solwara 1 project from the seabed will affect marine life.

Mr Juffa said there must be an independent investigation into the project.

He said the Government can then act upon the recommendation of the scientific findings.

Mr Zeming welcomed the comments made by Mr Juffa and reminded parliament that the decision to invite the project developer was of the previous government.

Call for deep sea mining study in PNG

Radio New Zealand

The Governor of Papua New Guinea’s Oro Province, Gary Juffa, has called on the government to conduct a scientific study to determine the threat deep sea mining could have on marine life.

This comes as the Government has renewed its commitment to the sea floor mining plans of the Canadian multi national Nautilus.

Mr Juffa told Parliament it’s only fair a scientific study is carried out to determine whether tuna stocks will be affected.

He claims Nautilus’s Solwara 1 project will affect the marine life.

Mr Juffa told parliament that there must be an independent investigation into the project site.

He says the government can then act upon the recommendation of the scientific findings.

Juffa stands firm against Solwara 1 Project

The National aka The Loggers Times

NORTHERN Governor Gary Juffa, pictured, claims that the activities undertaken by Nautilus Ltd in its Solwara 1 project in New Ireland are illegal.

He said in a statement yesterday that there was no legislation that would sanction, license or permit such actions.

He said that the current permits granted were illegal as they were for activities on land and not allowed for or sanctioned the exploitation of the sea-bed and minerals found in the area.

Juffa has been a critic of the project and has expressed grave concern that sea-bed mining has the potential for severe environmental degradation that would

negatively affect coastal communities in PNG.

“I insist that there should be no deep-sea mining in PNG,” he said in the statement.

“Deep-sea mining has been banned in Australia and in Namibia and other nations that are concerned about the impact on the fragile ecosystems of the waters affected.

“Many elected Members of Parliament were against sea-bed mining but had been very quiet on the matter because they did not wish to upset the Government.”

He said leaders had to speak up about their concerns for their people, the environment and the future interests of Papua New Guinea.

Juffa said the country did not need revenue from illegal projects that may cause damage to the coastal communities’ livelihoods.

“A petition containing 20,000 signatures was presented to the Minister for Mining Byron Chan in October 2012 at the Holiday Inn in Port Moresby,” he said.

“He promised to respond in two weeks. It’s been a whole year and more now and these 20,000 people representing their

communities around PNG are being ignored.”

Sumkar MP Ken Fairweather supported Juffa and expressed his concerns.

“The Government is trying to hide this in an obscure company no one has heard of. The whole policy of investing in resource projects is flawed and must be challenged,” Fairweather said.

“Whatever verbal spin the Government wants to put on, this is a con job.

“I agree with Governor Juffa, it would have been better to spend the K300 million on the Sepik Plains Oil Palm project and create jobs.”

Sea bed mining an environmental hazard

Imelda Wavik | Post Courier

Governor for Oro Garry Juffa has cried foul over a proposed sea bed mining project by a company in New Ireland province.

Mr Juffa has slammed the Nautilus Limited Company for proposing to undergo operations on the Solwara 1 project which is illegal in all its terms and will be a serious environmental hazard to the coastal communities not only in the concerned province but throughout the country.

Mr Juffa who has been a critic of the planned project claimed that activities undertaken by the company leading to its Solwara 1 project are illegal as there is no legislation that would sanction, license or permit such actions.

The sea bed mining project has been criticised by the governor as the granted permits only allow the mining company to operate on land only.

The recent activities leading to the development of the project will cause harm to the coastal communities and the coastal environment in the area.

He said the illegal operations causes exploitation of the sea bed and minerals found in that area.

The governor has insisted that sea bed mining should be stopped.

He said this type of mining has been banned in other nations who are concerned about the impact on the ecosystem of the sea.

It was also noted that more than 20,000 signatures from an area near the proposed mining project were presented in a petition to the Minister for Mining Byron Chan in October 2012.

Mr Chan had promised the petitioners that he would get back to them in two weeks time, but nothing has happened since then. Member for Sumkar Ken Fairweather who is also against the project said the Bagbag Islanders who will be affected by this project have cried foul over it. “The Bagbag Islander are against this, all 20,000 of them,” he said.

Juffa hits K300m Solwara bid

Imelda Wavik | Post Courier

The national Government’s intention to buy a K300 million shares in a proposed mining project has been criticised by two Members of the Parliament.

Oro Governor Garry Juffa and Sumkar MP Ken Fairweather have both expressed grave concerns over the Government’s proposal of buying the shares from Nautilus limited’s Solwara project which is still in an uncertain situation.

Mr Juffa has stated that the project, which concerns sea bed mining, will have a dangerously negative effect on coastal areas in the region and eventually throughout the country.

He highlighted that the government’s intention to buy shares in the project may be a good one financially for the people of this country, but the project itself will do no good.

Governor Juffa also voiced grave concerns that many elected members of parliament were against sea bed mining but had been very quiet on the matter because they did not wish to upset the government.

But he said leaders had to speak up about their concerns for their people, the environment and the future interests of Papua New Guinea.

The governor stressed that there is no revenue needed from this project as it is a dangerous project which will cause more harm than good.

“We do not need the revenue from this illegal project that may cause much damage to our coastal communities’ livelihoods,” he said.

Mr Fairweather said he was not satisfied with the intention of the government.

The member has expressed great dissatisfaction with the government betting money on an untried process.

He said the government’s money would be better spent on other promising projects such as the palm oil project in East Sepik.

He said the money proposed to be spent on the untried Solwara-1 project would be better spent in East Sepik where it could create plenty of jobs.

“You would have a better chance of getting a return by betting on the Melbourne Cup,” he said.

He said the Government is trying to hide this in an obscure company no one has heard of.

“The whole policy of investing in resource projects is flawed and must be challenged. Whatever verbal spin the government wants to put on this is a con job. I agree totally with Governor Juffa,” he said.

PNG provincial governor unhappy with share of resource profits

ABC Radio Australia

The Governor of Oro Province in Papua New Guinea, Gary Juffa says the country is not getting a fair share of the revenue generated by resource projects.

Mr Juffa says at the moment PNG gets just two per cent of the nett revenue from extractive industries where many countries receive between 10 to 25 per cent, and he has called on other provincial governors to block amendments to the Mining Act until they ensure a greater share for PNG of the revenue.

Presenter: Brian Abbott

Interviewee: Gary Juffa, the Governor of Oro Province in Papua New Guinea

Listen here