After a 26-year absence of mining in Bougainville, and after the island suffered a brutal civil war, a new mining act has opened the door to tenement applications.
The Bougainville Mining Act, passed on March 26, 2015, raises serious concerns as local communities are largely unaware of its provisions that include hefty penalties and imprisonment for infringement of the Act.
The report analyses provisions of the Act which could be in violation of international covenants and with Bougainville’s constitution. It also compares claims made about the Act by politicians and others, with its actual terms.