Simberi Mining Project CDA Signed
The long-awaited Simberi Mining Project Community Development Agreement (CDA), was finally signed yesterday (Friday August 28) at the New Ireland Provincial Government Assembly/office in Kavieng, New Ireland Province.
This milestone comes three decades after the first CDA was signed in 1996.
The parties to the agreement and their signatories are:
1. State – CDA signed by the Minister for Mining Hon Solen Loifa MP.
2. New Ireland Provincial Government (NIPG) – CDA signed by the Governor of the New Ireland Province Hon Byron Chan MP.
3. Sentral Niu Ailan Local Level Government (SNALLG) – CDA signed by the SNALLG President Hon Terence Kamari
4. The Simberi Mining Area Association (SMAA) – CDA signed by the Chairman Mr Pius Maris Vaket.
5. Simberi Gold Company Pty Ltd (SGC) – Represented by the Country Manager Mr Randy McMahon. He could not sign due to administrative hold-up within the company. The company indicated their willingness to sign at a later date.
Following the initial signing in 1996, the CDA was reviewed in 2012 and finalized in 2013. Between 2014 and 2016, statutory approvals were sought for fiscal and legal clearance, alongside the Business Development Plan and Training and Employment Plan. In 2017, the National Executive Council (NEC), through policy decision No. 95/2017, approved the implementation of the agreement.
However, signing was delayed due to objections from the NIPG, which sought increased benefits including Special Support Grants (SSG), Infrastructure Development Grants (IDG), and the Tax Credit Scheme (TCS). Internal differences within the SMAA, the impacts of the COVID 19 pandemic, and a court case involving SMAA leadership in 2023 further contributed to the delay.