Ministers want ‘no fly in fly out’ for mining projects in Morobe and Sepik

By MATHEW VARI | POST COURIER (edited)

Minister for Defence and Member for Telefomin Hon. Solan Mirisim has appealed to the Freida River project developers to seriously not take on the fly-in-fly-out arrangements for mine staff who will be working on site.

Mr. Mirisim’s statement was in support of the Minister for National Planning and Yangoru-Saussia MP Richard Maru’s who also don’t want to see fly-in fly-out employment condition for Wafi-Golpu and Freida Mine.

“That also goes for Freida River project, there is no fly-in-fly-out, there is got to be a township so let the landowners and all the employers comes in to participate in the local economy and communities.

“So let me appeal to the company or developer that there should not be any fly in fly out and there has got to be a township.

“Township we have been planning for a big airport in Green River in the center where the township can be up to the Freida River project township.”

Mr Mirisin’s district sits where the project is set to be developed, and his comments on the issue were made on the back of Minister Maru’s stance on the issue that no such arrangement is to take place for the Wafi-Golpu project in Morobe.

“We are building a national airport there (Morobe) at the cost of K1.5 billion. It has a city of its own and it will be an anchor development that will complement the airport.

“And Morobe and Lae already have the wharf and facilities and I really want to see that, and there cannot be any excuse as far as I am concerned.

Morobe and Papua New Guinea must get maximum benefit from the development of their resources,” Mr Maru commented on the Wafi Golpu project development.

The Morobe Provincial Administration has claimed a K500-million through a lawsuit on Wafi-Golpu Mine. - Via Garamut News.