An obstacle here is that the company fears ritual apology would expose it to liability in the courts. More than 150 people in Bougainville have filed a complaint against the embattled Rio Tinto company. When I conducted research in Bougainville in 2015, I estimated the deposit of the mines waste rock (tailings) downstream from the mine to be at least a kilometre wide at its greatest point. Discontent was brought to a head in 1988 by a long-running dispute over the uneven economic returns and environmental impacts from Panguna copper mine. BCL placed substantive pressure on the Papua New Guinea government to send the Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary Mobile Squads - a paramilitary style force, who according to their own commanders excel in the use of terror (RPNGC Assistant Commissioner, Personal Communication, 2006) - to Bougainville in 1988, following attacks on mine property by a landowner group. Indeed, Panguna along with the socially and environmentally disastrous Ok Tedi mine in the western highlands of PNG are widely credited with forcing the industry to reassess its social license to operate. I am more than happy to engage in further probing dialogue with anyone who cares to comment; but I will not react to any further personal attacks, or ill informed judgements on the rigour of my research. For more information visit http://www.PeriscopeFilm.com, There are no reviews yet. The power plant will supply the towns of Arawa and Panguna with electricity as well as to the mining facility 18:05. In recent months, the mudslinging by supporters of both groups has died down. Nevertheless, it is not my intention to vilify BCL. We believe in the future of mining truck mobility. The mine has been closed since 1989 and has ceased all production. BCL should demand that Rio Tinto - its parent company - cease contesting litigation taken by Bougainvillean landowners in the US, and fully compensate those victimised by the security forces using BCL property/facilities. The first Bougainville independence movement began to arise in the late 1960s, as people began to air their grievances against the then Australian colonial government over the handling of the Panguna mine. There was no answer from Caballus in response to a series of questions, including regarding its links to Bougainville Advance Mining and how it achieved such a prime position. The movie opens on a beach with palm trees. Today, its in the immediate vicinity of the abandoned mine pit. Bougainville Copper Project 1969/1970 Photos The Panguna mine was operated by BCL, majority owned by Rio Tinto, for 17 years from 1972 until 1989, when operations were suspended due to an uprising against the mine and subsequent civil war. 1 talking about this. Construction required filling the swamp 14:40. She and her colleagues contend that shedding its shares in Bougainville Copper, which controls the still-abandoned mine, does nothing to absolve Rio Tinto from its responsibility to improve the lives of the people who are still affected by the mining operations to this day. On satellite images, the Panguna mine yawns amid the otherwise green mountain forests of central Bougainville Island in the South Pacific, a silty river valley tracing a jagged path from the mine south and west to Empress Augusta Bay. This highlights the enormous challenges in seeking redress from mining companies for their operations in foreign jurisdictions, and, in this case, for historical impacts. Bougainville Copper mine in PNG shut in 1989 on stock market TWENTY four years after the world's largest copper mine was closed due to a civil war, the majority Rio Tinto - owned Bougainville Copper Limited still floats on the Australian Stock Exchange. Unit 3: Transition and Change - Bougainville Case Study 1 Additional Support Material Bougainville - Background Notes From 1987 to December 1997 Bougainville Copper The Bougainville Copper Agreement of 1974 was signed with some resentment on the part of the Bougainvillean landowners. Were working to restore it. And it's based on compelling evidence which BCL shareholders - not to mention Rio Tinto itself - would do well to urgently address. In a paper out on Wednesday The Scramble for Resources - The International Race for Bougainville's Mineral Wealth, Jubilee Australia has laid out the steps . Computers tabulate the needs for materials and labor 11:52. Bougainville has a long human history with the first inhabitants arriving around 29,000 years ago. Hundreds of millions of tonnes of tailings were deposited in the rivers. The case ultimately foundered on jurisdictional grounds. In its heyday, the mine, which would take an estimated $US5 billion in infrastructure spending to restart, was a productive asset for Rio Tinto, then known as Conzinc Rio Tinto. [9], In January 2018, the Bougainville government enacted an indefinite moratorium on renewing the licence of BCL over fears it could reignite violent civil conflict. In the absence of any sort of mine closure or mothballing arrangements, the environmental and socio-economic impacts of the Panguna mine have only been compounded. The Bougainville Copper company of today is quite different from the Bougainville Copper that I reported about in 2004 and 2007. [5] This research suggested that BCL placed pressure on the PNG government to assert its authority on Bougainville, following acts of industrial sabotage. Such past shortfalls aside, Adams said that Rio Tinto has since agreed to more stringent environmental requirements for other mines. Another significant shareholder, Graeme Kirke, is the founder of Kirke Securities where Mr Forrest previously worked. Bougainville Copper Limited (BCL) is a mining company of Papua New Guinea (PNG) that is listed on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX). "It is possible that some further remediation work will be carried out on site with the co-operation of landowners, to make areas safe whether mining proceeds or not," he said. A peace agreement was signed in 2001 and Bougainville was given greater autonomy within PNG, with a non-binding referendum in favour of independence . Adams said she doesnt agree with that reasoning, which she said has become something of a mantra for the company since its divestment in 2016. I have found no evidence to suggest BCL were forced by the PNG government to make this contribution. BOC:ASX price moved over -1.52% to 0.325 February 23, 2023 Key statistics On Tuesday, Bougainville Copper Ltd (BOC:ASX) closed at 0.33, 32.00% above the 52 week low of 0.25 set on Sep 27, 2022.. Mining operations were officially halted on 15 May 1989, due to militant activity and the mine has remained closed since. Capture a web page as it appears now for use as a trusted citation in the future. Fruit trees and fauna 6:24. Clouds in the mountains 6:45. As one General Manager informed me: "We knew the riot squads were heavy handed, that was well known in PNG. As the last ten years has proven, Bougainvilleans are a forgiving people. The mine at Panguna was opened in 1972 and majority-owned by Rio Tinto.It was important to the economy of Papua New Guinea, but the people of Bougainville were seeing little benefit from it.The first Bougainville independence movement arose in the late 1960s, as people aired their grievances against the Australian colonial government over the handling of the Panguna mine. Control room and men monitor the equipment 26:35. That may have been true for the duration of the conflict, Adams said. A new port was also reportedly proposed. Photo: Francis O'Neill, April 1994: . Large dumb truck rolls through the mine 20:55. Although the cultures share some commonalities, there is a range of traditional beliefs, customs and languages. Kalia counts former Defence Minister David Johnston as its chairman and Perth-based mining entrepreneur Nick Zuks as its top shareholder. In 1988, disputes around the notorious Panguna mine sparked a lengthy civil war in Bougainville, leading to the deaths of up to 20,000 people. However, he added that mining would be part of Bougainvilles future. A supplied image shows locals taking shelter from rain under a local administrative building at the former Bougainville Copper Limited's (BCL) Panguna mining operation located on the Pacific Ocean island of Bougainville, Papua New Guinea, March 29, 2017. This derelict mine caused a bloody war. [2], The mine was vitally important to the economy of Papua New Guinea. The two governments signed a peace deal in 2000 under which Bougainville remained part of PNG but was allowed a measure of governing autonomy. Australian foreign minister Alexander Downer announces US$65m aid for Bougainville as a ceasefire ending the civil war was signed at Arawa in 1998. It is one of the largest known copper reserves in PNG and in the world having estimated reserves of 1,000 Mt of ore grading 0.34% Cu and containing perhaps as much as 12 Moz of gold. Country Partnership Strategy: Papua New Guinea, 2021-2025 INCLUSIVE AND SUSTAINABLE GROWTH ASSESSMENT A. Over 10 years we help companies reach their financial and branding goals. Due to a planned power outage on Friday, 1/14, between 8am-1pm PST, some services may be impacted. Equipment from Japan arrives for storage at the mine 24:00. BCL is an independently managed company of PNG that is working towards the vision of resuming. Bougainville Island, easternmost island of Papua New Guinea, in the Solomon Sea, southwestern Pacific. For example, the company's charitable arm - the Bougainville Copper Foundation (BCF) - had surveyed homes lost to village burnings, which were conducted en masse by the Mobile Squads and the PNGDF during 1989. In 1968 elections were held throughout Papua New Guinea. 3. The disposal of hundreds of millions of tonnes of tailings into the Kawerong-Jaba river system created enormous problems. [1], The mine at Panguna was opened in 1972 and was majority-owned by Rio Tinto. 2:56 pm on 1 June 2022. 2. A recent example is when, after Rio Tinto divested from Bougainville Copper in 2016, former Bougainville President John Momis said Rio must take full responsibility for an environmental clean-up. The 156 complainants live in communities around and downstream of the mine. In 1643, the inhabitants of Takuu and Nissan atolls had the first recorded contact with Europeans from an expedition led by Dutch explorer Abel Tasman. Port installations continue at the bay 17:25. FEEDBACK: Use this form to send a message to the author of this post. Sir Rabbie Namaliu was the Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea during 1988-1992. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. If BCL comes to the table and publicly acknowledges its role on the Bougainville war, perhaps the healing process can begin. It should also reveal the relevant conversations that took place between the BCL management and senior state officials during this period. web pages Men crush rocks in the river looking for minerals 8:05. The mine at Panguna was opened in 1972 and was majority-owned by Rio Tinto, an Anglo-Australian multinational and the world's second largest metals and mining corporations 10:00. By the time the hostilities ended in 1997, thousands of Bougainvilleans had lost their lives, including from an air and sea blockade the PNG military had imposed, which prevented essential medical supplies reaching the island. She acknowledged that environmental standards at the time were very, very poor in comparison to what would be acceptable today, but even those werent followed. Army stands guard over the Panguna copper mine. At the time CRA was investing heavily in mineral projects at Hidden Valley in Morobe, and Mount Klare in Enga (Post-Courier, 29/11/1988; Business Review Weekly, 9/6/1989). The Mobile Squads were responsible for numerous atrocities on Bougainville during 1989-1990. Adams team cataloged the fouled water supplies that force communities to depend on drinking water piped from long distances upslope. Optimizing productivity and improving safety. Concrete is poured for foundations 16:15. Bougainville's estimated $58 billion in remaining copper and gold reserves has caught the attention of international mining companies and world governments. "Bougainville Copper Limited shareholding", "Bougainville imposes moratorium on Panguna mine over fears of civil unrest", "BCL takes Bougainville Govt to court over licence non-renewal", European Shareholders of Bougainville Copper (ESBC), Bougainville Copper Limited - All Annual Reports since 1967, Blood and Treasure - SBS documentary 2011, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Bougainville_Copper&oldid=1142268123, Copper mining companies of Papua New Guinea, Companies listed on the Australian Securities Exchange, All Wikipedia articles written in Australian English, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 1 March 2023, at 13:11. Vacuum filters remove the water from the copper slurry in the containers and dried for shipping 5:03. If you threw a rock at them you would get ten rocks thrown back. Geographically, Bougainville is the largest of the Solomon Islands, located near the northern end of that chain. This letter included comments that bordered on the slanderous. RTG chairman Michael Carrick was also loath to talk about the issue. A large dump truck is lowered from a ship for work at the mine 23:40. PNG marks 40 years of independence, still feeling the effects of Australian colonialism. I expressed the view that CRA would want to review its assessment of PNG as a place to invest. Be worried when fossil fuel lobbyists support current environmental laws. Had he, Mr Sturm would have discovered that my findings are based upon interviews with General Managers and three Managing Directors who steered BCL during the 1987-1991 period. Ore is dumped into the primary crusher 2:10. All friends up till the closure of the mine. This afternoon, the Bougainville Copper share price exited a trading halt to hit 99 cents, 147.5% higher than its previous close. A professor trains the people of Papua New Guinea to work in the mine 20:00. (AAP Image: Ilya Gridneff) The Bougainville Government has also criticised the consortium for paying landowners who support them and implied it is not respecting the approval process. Meanwhile, a Chinese delegation is rumoured to have offered substantial funds in late 2018 to help finance a transition to Bougainville independence, along with offers to invest in mining, tourism and agriculture, with a figure of $US1 billion cited. I took it from Mr Sturm's statement, he had not bothered to familiarise himself with my research on the Bougainville conflict. A. They were very heavy handed in the way they handled disputes in the HighlandsIt was a case, somebody has to come. "Overall, income and costs were generally within budget, administration and exchange losses being over, offset by a similar amount under budget for BCA renegotiation," he said. The cities are built 19:15. An abandoned Rio Tinto mine in the Bougainville region of Papua New Guinea has caused flooding as well as pollution, according to the Human Rights Law Center, which released this photo from last year. Nevertheless, the company continued to provide material assistance to the security forces. 5. [4] Papua New Guinea has been an independent country since 16 September 1975. The mine was operated by Bougainville Copper Limited (BCL), an Australian subsidiary of Rio Tinto, and sought to tap large deposits of copper, gold and silver in the Emperor mountain range. The colonial-era approach to mining when Panguna was developed in the 1960s stands in stark contrast to the corporate social responsibility paradigm supposedly governing the global mining industry today. Bougainville Copper trained some 12,000 employees, including approximately 1,000 completing full trade apprenticeships and some 400 completing graduate and post-graduate studies that resulted in considerable progress in the localisation of the companys employees and significantly added to the number of skilled workers elsewhere in the countrys workforce. Photo: Ben Bohane/The Australian 19 July 2011 bottom They operated the Panguna mine for 17 years, and many scholars and journalists have written quite favourable pieces on their corporate record during this period. Land clearing begins 15:40. Environment Minister Sussan Ley faces a critical test: will she let a mine destroy koala breeding grounds? Were sorry, this feature is currently unavailable. If the ESBC wish to restore the integrity of BCL, then they should forward the following demands to BCL's Chairman and Managing Director Peter Taylor: 1. Search the history of over 797 billion Bougainville Coppers main objective is to work cooperatively towards realising the vision of resuming active exploration and sustainable copper, gold and silver mining at Panguna, in central Bougainville, after mining ceased in 1989. Local residents informed me it was tens of metres deep in places. Read more: The PNG national government received a 20% share of profit from the mine, of which the Bougainvilleans received 5% - 1.25% share of the total profit. A volcano smokes. Construction continues at a rapid pace 25:27. The Panguna mine is set to reopen after landowners in Bougainville agreed to the decision, 30 years after it was forced to shut amid a civil war between local rebels and the government of Papua. Indigenous music, Radio Bougainville. With Buka Island and several island groups, it forms the autonomous region of Bougainville. BCL operated the copper, gold and silver mine at the Panguna mine on Bougainville Island in PNG from 1971 to 1989. BCL must publicly apologise for its evidenced role in the Bougainville conflict. Autonomous Bougainville Government president John Momis. The war is long over and the mine has been closed for 30 years, but its brutal legacy continues. That legislation was later rejected by the government's legislative committee, illustrating how politically contentious this issue will be in an independent Bougainville. 2023 Getty Images. The Conversation contacted Rio Tinto for comment. The manoeuvring over the gigantic, mothballed Panguna mine comes ahead of an independence referendum later this month that could turn Bougainville into the worlds newest nation after disputes over foreign mining prompted a bloody, 10-year war that killed perhaps 15,000 people. Recent Growth, Poverty, Inequality, and Environmental Dynamics 1. 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