Papua New Guinea's PORGERA gold mine operator Barrick Niugini Ltd (BNL) has filed an application in court asking that the State provide all documents and information it had used when it refused to renew the miner’s special mining lease (SML).
The application, which was supposed to be heard on Monday, is scheduled for today before Deputy Chief Justice Ambeng Kandakasi.
BNL is trying to find out what caused the State to delay its application for SML renewal.
The miner had claimed that reasons of refusal of its SML were never disclosed.
During the hearing of the case, on several occasions lawyers representing the State and its authorities informed the miner and the court that documents of the refusal were confidential in nature and could not be disclosed.
At contesting BNL’s application seeking leave for a review of a review on State’s refusal of its SML, Solicitor-General Tauvasa Tanuvasa informed the court that the decision by the State was gazetted and could not be reversed.
Tanuvasa had said that the miner and the State could only concentrate on the transitional period.
However, the miner is still insisting to be given reasons for the refusal and it filed the application.
This is because the miner had claim that its application for SML renewal was lodged two years earlier, prior to its expiry date this December.
Meanwhile, the miner and the State have come to an agreement regarding a care and maintenance plan regarding the safety and environment of the mine site.
The plan was endorsed by Kandakasi on Monday.
Both parties will work together to ensure that the mine site is in safe and stable condition during the transition period.
The National /PacificMiningWatch
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