A third landowner group, the Babuaf clan yesterday said it was getting a court order to restrain the developer, Morobe Mining Joint Venture Ltd from carrying out feasibility studies that it was engaged in.

"Our lawyer is going to institute proceedings in the court soon to stop all work on the mine until the land issues are dealt with properly," spokesman for the clan Thomas Nen said.

An order is being sought by another landowner group to stop the Wafi gold project in the Bulolo district of Morobe Province. The Yanta and Hengambu landowners also from the same area shut the project last Wednesday and their representatives and a group of MPs from Morobe were in Port Moresby to have talks with government authorities over the decision by the National Executive Council to appoint a fresh lands titles commission hearing.

While the Hengambu and Yanta clans were protesting the NEC decision and shutting down the project operation, the Bubuaf clan last Monday petitioned the MMJV to recognize them as legitimate owners of the Wafi land.

In that petition, the Babuaf clan, among other demands, asked the MMJV to pay PGK5 million [US$2 million] as compensation for using their land.

The clan had given the MMJV until Monday to respond to their demands and in failing, they would close down the project.

Mr. Nen said they had not received any response from the MMJV and they were proceeding with the court action to stop the developer from carrying out further studies into the project.

He said the court order would be served on the company once it was granted by the National Court in Waigani.

Nen claimed that the Yanta and Hengambu landowners were illegal settlers on their land but Morobe Mining Joint Venture was working with them.

Meanwhile, the Yanta and Hengambu landowners are having talks with government authorities in Port Moresby to re-open the mine. The two landowner groups with a high profile delegation from Morobe Province including Governor Luther Wenge, Markham MP Koni Iguan and Bulolo MP Sam Basil were seeking clarification from the Government, on the appointment of the Special Lands Title Commission.

The commission was to look into the 50,000 hectares of the Wafi gold project land which the Babuaf, Piu, Yanta and Hengambu landowners claimed was theirs.

Currently, operations at the Wafi Gold project are being manned by a skeleton staff while exploration work has been stopped.

Papua New Guinea Post-Courier:

Source-  Pacific Islands Report

http://pidp.eastwestcenter.org/pireport/2008/November/11-19-14.htm