Complaint success of mine activists
There has been some success for activists trying to stop the development of a huge copper and gold mine in Papua New Guinea’s Sepik region.
Project Sepik and Jubilee Australia have led the OECD’s Australian National Contact Point to accept its complaint about the threat posed by the Tailings Dam to the giant mining project on the Frieda River, a tributary of the Sepik River.
Their complaint alleges that Brisbane-based but Chinese-owned Pan Aust Ltd failed to obtain free, prior and informed consent from local communities.
The Frieda River flows north to join the Sepik River.
Photo: Facebook – SEPIK Capital, PNG – Wewak Urban Local Level Government
They said the planned tailings dam, covering more than 31,000 acres, would have to keep the tailings from the mine safe forever.
But it is set to be built in an earthquake-prone area, which experiences heavy rainfall and a flood could destroy the vast Sepik River and the livelihoods of 430,000 people.
Jubilee Australia’s Luke Fletcher said both bodies hope the passage of the complaint will lead to an important shift in awareness of how resource sectors affect indigenous peoples.
Ex-candidates charged under electoral law
Five former Solomon Islands election candidates have been charged with violating the election law.
Police said they were candidates for the 2019 federal election who allegedly failed to submit their accounts.
Each candidate must submit a statement or expense report within 90 days of the election result.
Superintendent Michael Bole said more people are expected to be charged with breaking the law.
Bole said the penalty for the violation is SI$20,000 – the equivalent of US$2,450 – and/or two years in prison.
Hope for church memorial
There is optimism that Christchurch City Council will take steps to commemorate the site of St Paul’s Pacific Trinity Church where a proposed stadium is to be built.
Months of complaints follow from members of the Pacific Community in Christchurch that they have been excluded from the consultations.
Built in 1877, the church housed the first Pasifka migrants to Christchurch, but was demolished in 2011 after being badly damaged by that year’s earthquake.
At the time of the closure, the community was predominantly Pasifika.
“The discussions with the councilors and the mayor and their response helped me to feel that there is a new opportunity that we can do this right and that our Matua and family who have used the site for almost 50 years . There is a new chance that it can work,” said Josiah Tualamali’i, addressing Christchurch City Council on July 14.
Tualamali’i suggested the stadium could also be used for Pacific themed events and contribute to a “sense of belonging” by bringing people together for events.
Niue increases Covid workers
Niue has increased the number of workers on its Covid-19 teams with the help of a New Zealand medical support team.
Government Secretary Gaylene Tasmania said while most of New Zealand’s medical support left Niue last week, one specialist remained to help refine protocols and quarantine procedures.
Tasmania said a lot has been accomplished in the time that the New Zealand team has been on the ground.
“They were able to work with our clinical team on setting up the isolation ward, provide some professional development for the team, and look at our protocols.”
A total of 29 cases of Covid-19 have been registered at the border since the beginning of the pandemic.
Canberra donates to Tongan Power Company
The Australian Government is donating $556,000 worth of essential power supplies and equipment to Tonga’s only power company – Tonga Power.
Australian Deputy High Commissioner Donald Mortimore presented the first donation, which included eight transformers, power poles, cables and a large generator.
The donation will help the kingdom’s response and recovery after the January volcanic eruption and tsunami.
The USP vice chancellor says the body is struggling with defaults
The vice chancellor of the University of the South Pacific (USP) says Fiji’s refusal to pay its subsidies over the past three years has hurt the regional institution.
The university estimates that it is owed FJ78.4 million as the Fiji government grant has not been paid since 2019.
Professor Pal Ahluwalia, speaking from Apia in Samoa after being deported from Fiji last year, says there are many things USP has not been able to do across its 14 campuses.
“I’ve committed to spending 5 million FJ million a year to fix this and catch up. Of course we couldn’t do that now.
“My goal was to invest in all of the deferred maintenance in five years, and we can’t do that, and that’s for all 14 campuses that we have.”
Last weekend, USP staff unions placed an ad in a Fiji newspaper calling on the government to pay the outstanding subsidies.
Valais thrower wins French championship title
A young athlete from Wallis and Futuna has won the French title in the javelin throw with 78.09 meters.
The throw was only the second attempt at the Open Athletism de France in Epinal, far from second place with 69.61 meters.
According to the New Caledonian Athletics Training Centre, Felise Vahai Sosaia now has a chance of being selected for the French team for next month’s European Championships.
The 22-year-old has set his own record for the fourth time, taking first place in eight different competitions.
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