Landowners’ consent is not a requirement for issuing or renewing the licence for mineral prospecting.
This, according to the Mineral Resources Department when asked about the concerns of a landowning unit in Namosi about prospecting work on their land.
The department said there was no change in land ownership as an exploration licence only granted mineral exploration rights to the licensee.
“Landowner consent is only required when a mineable or viable mineral resource is established and the project proponent expresses an interest to commence mining via a mining lease,” the department said.
“Renewal of exploration licence is based primarily on the performance of the licensee and ongoing technical and financial capability to ensure bona fide or progressive exploration work on the ground during the renewal term.”
The landowning unit said landowners needed to make decisions on developments on their land and not Government or any investor.
Spokesman Petero Sanivalu said the interest of the landowners lay on the preservation of their customary and traditional values that were attached to the land.
“There are other developments that are sustainable and augur well with Government’s intention of creating blue economies like carbon trading etc,” he said.
“We demand that we be notified of mineral finds on our land as we have rights to these minerals and are shareholders with 80 per cent shares while the State owns 20 per cent shares in these minerals.”
He said landowners had seen prospection exercises damaged land, particularly damage of the Wainiqwase River.
