Dear Editor – The Solomon Islands Government Prime Minister’s Press Secretariat Office posted a media release on Facebook on 13 April 2015 titled “SIG MAINTAINS POSITION ON GOLD RIDGE WATER SAFETY”, which has subsequently been referred to in various media reports.
The media release contains a number of factual inaccuracies which Gold Ridge Mining Limited (GRML) will address directly with the Solomon Islands Government.
In particular, the statement refers to an amount of AUD$100 million consideration in relation to the potential sale of Gold Ridge mine to the Solomon Islands Government.
This amount is incorrect and bears no relation to the nominal purchase price referred to in the relevant confidential correspondence with the Solomon Islands Government.
The Government advised in March 2015 that whilst it would no longer seek to acquire the Gold Ridge mine as announced by the former administration in August 2014, it would facilitate a transfer of ownership to another potential mining operator.
St Barbara Limited has confirmed that it is currently negotiating a potential transfer of ownership of the mine to a Solomon Islands company associated with local landowners.
GRML urges the Solomon Islands Government to act on the recommendations contained in the environmental expert report commissioned by the Government and prepared for the World Health Organization in February 2015, including the recommendation to commence the conditional controlled discharge of untreated water from the tailings storage facility as soon as practically possible.
Gold Ridge Mining Limited
Guadalcanal