Treating with Landowner Interests in the Papua New Guinea's Mining Projects

During the life of a mining project in Papua New Guinea (PNG), the greatest impact is on the people of the project area and the most intense, day-to-day contact is between these people and the project's field staff. Yet formal structures at present emphasise contact between much higher levels of national government and company personnel. Whilst understandable, this is unfortunate particularly since, given the nature of PNG politics, villagers do have a powerful influence on project success, as recent dramatic events on Bougainville have indicated. A greater role for local views and greater attention to such views by other parties is clearly required. But to achieve a successful marriage between informal village politics and the formal structures of investment procedures will require considerable patience and adjustment. This should be reflected in the cost of project development and be regarded as being as of a significance equal to that currently accorded to the technical aspects of project development.