2 Apr 2022

Progress for Bougainville group seeking Panguna redress

From , 6:00 am on 2 April 2022

The group seeking redress for the destruction caused by the  Panguna mine in Bougainville has appointed three companies to make an assessment of the damage.

The mining giant Rio Tinto was the company behind the huge copper and gold mine which shut down after sparking a decade-long civil war.

While Rio Tinto has given away all ownership rights for Panguna it has committed to helping with the assessment of the damage and is part of the Panguna Mine Legacy Impact Committee.

That committee is set to hold its third meeting next Thursday.

Don Wiseman spoke with local MP, Theonila Roka Matbob, who has been instrumental in getting the company to contemplate the damage it caused.

He asked her about progress to date.

Photo: RNZ / Johnny Blades