12 Dec 2005

Gold Ridge Mining chief says Solomon Islands landowners will benefit from mine

12:24 pm on 12 December 2005

The head of the company looking at re-starting the Gold Ridge mine in Solomon Islands says the country will benefit in a number of ways if the mine goes ahead.

Mike Christie says the mine could be in operation again by mid-2007 and could make as much as 77-million US dollars a year.

The Gold Ridge Landowners Council, which represents the owners of the land on which the mine is sited, say they want fair compensation for the land.

But Mr Christie says a compensation agreement between the landowners and the previous owners of the mine remains valid.

And he says the landowners and government will benefit from the mine in multiple ways.

"Three percent of the total revenue is split between the government, landowners and other parties. So that money goes directly to those people regardless of whether the mine makes a profit or not. With 500 or 600 people employed there is income tax, there is company tax, there is duties and levies."

The head of Gold Ridge Mining, Mike Christie.