The Signing of a Surface Access Agreement between an overseas mining group and 20 tribes in East Malaita for mineral prospecting stirs environmental concerns
AN overseas group, Asia Mining Company, has signed a Surface Access Agreement with over 20 tribes in East Malaita to carry out mineral prospecting, sparking concerns about large-scale environmental woes in Malaita.
A team from the mining company this week conducted a presentation to the Malaita Provincial Government in fulfilment of procedural requirements under the Mines and Minerals Act.
The mineral prospecting will likely to concentrate on East Kwara’ae and Fataleka land tenements.
Premier Daniel Suidani confirmed representatives from the landowning tribes in East Malaita have signed the Surface Access Agreement with representatives of the landowning tribes.
He said the mining company will likely use the signed document to bid for a Prospecting License from the Ministry of Mines, Energy and Rural Electrification to carry out mineral prospecting in the areas covered under the Surface Access Agreement.
The Premier said whilst the Malaita Provincial Government is still to decide on the matter, the Malaita Provincial Government Business License Ordinance does not have a provision for mining.
He said the Malaita Alliance for Rural Advancement (MARA) Government being a responsible government will do its utmost best to protect the province from an investment such as mining as it poses great harm to the environment and will have a long-term effect on inhabitants.
Premier Suidani said currently everything regarding the mining company and its movement and arrangements are coordinated from the Ministry of Mines, Energy and Rural Electrification (MMERE) in Honiara.
He said when the process required of it by the responsible ministry is fulfilled, the mining company will go to the Malaita Provincial Government for a Business License and this is where the MARA Executive will have to make its stand.
The Premier explained that the Asia Mining Company was not invited to Malaita by the MARA Executive but came here through its own arrangements with landowners and MMERE.
The presence of the new mining company representatives in Malaita Province has received mix reactions.
Members of the public in Malaita Province have called on the leaders of the tribes that brought the mining company officials to Malaita to reconsider their mining plan.
The concerns raised by these Malaitans for the tribal representatives to reconsider their deal with mining company might come a little too late as the mining company has already signed a Surface Access Agreement with landowning groups as confirmed by Premier Suidani.
Many commentators have raised concerns, saying environmental damages caused by logging operations in Malaita were enough a disaster for the people of the province to suffer the consequences.
They are calling on the Malaita Provincial Government under the leadership of MARA to defend the province from further environmental damage.
Many fear that mining presence here in Malaita Province might disturb the good work that USAID is doing in Malaita in trying to conserve the province’s forest, part of which has already been destroyed by logging operations.
The new mining company is said to have links with the controversial Win Win mining company currently operating in Guadalcanal Province.
By WILSON SAENI
Solomon Star, Auki
