The governor of Papua New Guinea's Oro Province is calling on the national parliament to pass legislation that will specifically cover geothermal energy development in the country.
Currently the Mineral Resources Authority grants licences for geothermal projects under the Mining Act, but Gary Juffa says geothermal is not a mineral so it should not be covered by the act.
The newspaper The National, reports Mr Juffa saying specific legislation is needed to cater to all aspects of its development, including landowner benefits.
Mr Juffa says landowners have not benefited under the Mining Act because it only serves the interests of foreigners and developers and he doesn't want the same to happen with geothermal energy.
PNG has previously said it wants the involvement of New Zealand companies in the development of its geothermal power resources.
