The Eivo joint venture (EJV) and traditional landowners from Kanavitu have signed a land access and compensation agreement in the next step toward exploration.
The signing follows the June 2023 news that the Autonomous Bougainville Government (ABG) had granted the EJV exploration licence EL07.
Exploration through licence EL07 has strong support from landowners and local leaders, with ABG President and Minister for Mining Ishmael Toroama giving his blessing to the project.
“Under my leadership as Minister for the now Department of Mining & Petroleum we have also renewed BCL’s EL01 over Panguna; soon we will be introducing a gold levy on all gold leaving Bougainville, and also recently the granting of EL07 to EJV,” he said.
“These projects have been given the blessing of the ABG to give effect to Bougainville’s long-term plan and in particular pillar three [of the ABG’s six-point strategy] which promotes sustainable economic growth.”
Department of Mining and Petroleum Secretary Peter Kolotein hsd emphasised the importance of the land access agreement in the exploration process.
“The ABG can has granted EL07 to EJV, but the landowners must grant access consent to the company to enter their lands to undertake mineral exploration activities,” he said.
“The LACA is an important licence condition under law, which requires the license holder to sign with the landowners to show consent for land access.”
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