Transcript
PNG's public has the right to be informed about impacts of seabed mining, according to various PNG civil society groups.
Bismarck Ramu Group's Christina Tony says it remains concerning that government gave approval for the project after only one environmental impact study.
She says that study was done by Nautilus.
"And that environmental impact study has never came out to the public. And we've had an independent company in Australia actually reviewed that environmental impact statement and they had concerns over that statement, which they gave the information to the national government. That information hasn't been extended to the public yet."
A spokesman for the Mineral Resources Authority says the government has been engaging in consultations about the project with local communities on a quarterly basis.
"[There's been] formal engagement since 2009. The communities are fully supporting the project and we do have records of that. That's from the locals who are at the villages and the coastline. But the people who don't live there but who live in Moresby or live in some of the centres, they have different views."
The government has said the New Ireland and New Britain communities would stand to gain a benefits package, largely to do with infrastructure like roads, bridges and sanitation facilities.
Christina Tony says that to date, these have been limited, and meanwhile locals have asked the project operators what spinoff benefits they could expect.
"And they were told bluntly that actually there's no benefits for the local people. Everything will be happening offshore, on the huge ship offshore. No one will be coming onshore."
As far as the government is concerned, Solwara 1 is going ahead.
Katherine Karaya, the first secretary to the Mining Minister Byron Chan, says there remains only a few issues still to be settled, related to landowners and the building of the main ship to be used in the project.
She admits however that local communities are worried.
"And the people, you know, there's growing support that we should forego the Solwara 1 project because the sea is like the garden for the New Guinea islanders, especially New Britain and New Ireland people. So once there is underground activity going on when there's mining, there will be no more fish swimming or sea life anymore. So they're quite worried, I can't deny that."
If there's one thing other than community opposition that may still hold the project back, it's financial pressures on the developer.
Nautilus recently advised that it was reducing its workforce and cutting some of it activities.
This has implications for the complex equipment being built for Nautilus to mine the PNG seabed, leaving it searching for 'significant additional project funding'.
