A third company contests for Rennel bauxite deposits among disputes

The bauxite deposits at Rennell Island is attracting a lot of attention and the newly established mining company, which is a joint venture of Mugava and Solomon Mining Limited, is the third company to show interest in this project.

Asia Pacific Investment Development (APID) and Bintang Borneo Mining Company Ltd are the two other Indonesian companies that are vying for this lucrative bauxite source.

The Chairman of the Mugava Board of Directors, Jessy Kaipura confirmed that there is a joint venture and it includes the landowners of the demarked areas. He also said that no application for the prospecting license has yet been submitted and that they are working on the same.

Mugava is a locally registered company that is said to include sixteen individual landowners while Solomon Mining Limited is a Hong Kong registered company incorporated from World Link Bauxite Limited.

However, there is a dispute in the process of acquiring the permit. While local owners are claiming that survey work was initiated without their consent Kaipua is denying any survey work being done at all.

Chief Surveyor at the Ministry of Lands and Survey, Leslie Volalia explained that for such propose development on any customary land to take place, a land acquisition has to be done first by an acquisition officer appointed by the Commissioner of Lands.

Only after such an acquisition has been processed with the approval of the commissioner, can any survey take place.