The Bougainville Autonomous Government has rejected the Bougainville Copper Limited (BCL) Panguna mining license bid following divisions among landowners. According to BCL company secretary Mark Hitchcock, the Bougainville Government said “it was a tight split between approval for mining and non-approval for mining and as it was too close, they felt that it might lead to conflict.”

“There are small groups of opposition but there is always mining and those opinions have to be listened to and understood, but as a general rule we see strong support for mining and for Bougainville Copper,” Hitchcock said. The Bougainville Government also recently imposed a moratorium on any company restarting mining at the site. Hitchcock said BCL would continue discussions with the Bougainville Government and wouldn’t abandon plans to restart the mine. He said it was up to the landowners, who have the final and ultimate say on whether they go for mining and who they go mining with.

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