Community & Regional Development Fact Sheet - Morobe Mining ...

COMMUNITY &
REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Community & Regional Development Plan
Hidden Valley Joint Venture initiated a five year Community &
Regional Development Plan in 2010 focused on the four main
pillars of Education, Health, Agriculture and Infrastructure
programmes.
The comprehensive plan is addressing long term social and
community development needs amongst the communities. To
date K20 million has been invested in agriculture, aquaculture,
health, education, community infrastructure, water supply and
sanitation, community and LLG capacity building programs, and
the Lae to Bulolo Highway maintenance.
Partner in Development
Projects and programs are the result of extensive community
consultation with the different levels of government taking into
account the five year development plans of Morobe Provincial
Government, LLG’s, Districts and Wards. Private Public
Partnership agreements are also in place to continue delivery of
programs and projects. Some of these partnerships involve
organisations such as Lutheran Development Services, Adventist
Development and Relief Agency, Morobe Fisheries Management
Authority, National Agriculture Research Institute, National and
Provincial departments of Works, Health and Education, Small
Business Development Corporation, Coffee Industry Corporation,
and Cocoa & Coconut Research Institute.
Education
Close consultation with the government’s education departments
has seen a number of programs being successfully implemented:
- First elementary schools established in Nauti and Winima
landowner villages
- Nine double classrooms built in Huon Gulf to Bulolo districts
- A school fee subsidy program that has benefited over 1500
students attending over 50 schools at a cost of K580,000
- Purchasing of teaching aid and materials for selected schools
- Sponsoring training of elementary teachers to help build capacity
- Education baseline survey for impact areas conducted
Planning for education infrastructure in both Hidden Valley and
Wafi-Golpu impacted communities is continuing.
Hidden Valley mine has so far sent four batches of selected
landowners and community representatives to the Wau small
scale school of alluvial mining. This practical programme was
initiated by the Mineral Resources Authority and the European
Union with the sponsorship commitment of Hidden Valley, to
improve techniques and yields for small scale miners.
Health
HVJV is working closely with the National and Provincial health
departments to assist its host communities in the health sector.
- Aid posts built and stocked with drugs for the three landowner
villages of Nauti, Winima and Kwembu situated in the Wau and
Upper Watut areas of Bulolo District.
- More than 10 villages in the Lower Watut are accessing a newly
opened clinic at Babuaf Village.
- A company operated clinic at the Wafi-Golpu project camp also
provides medical service to communities apart from employees.
- Joint community health patrols and education conducted on
Maternal Child Health, TB, HIV and malaria in partnership with
government health teams for remote areas.
- Capacity building for health workers
- Health and Sanitation awareness to empower communities have
health and hygiene knowledge to avoid simple diseases
- Engagement of Angau Hospital, UPNG and Unitech for utilisation
of Rural Medical Officers and nursing students
- A MMJV Health Baseline Survey being conducted in late 2012
In 2012 a Five Year Partnership Agreement reached with the Oil
Search Health Foundation commenced in the Wafi area but will
expand to other health objectives throughout Bulolo and Huon
Gulf Districts. This project, among other initiatives, aims to
combat malaria by improving access to early malaria diagnosis
and appropriate treatment and decreasing malaria-related
morbidity.
In an area where alluvial mining follows the rich history of gold
production from the sands of the rivers of Wau and Bulolo,
CRD Factsheet November 2012

CRD Factsheet November 2012
Roads & Foot Bridges
MMJV works in partnership with Department of Works and the
National Road Authority engineers to monitor, scope and repair
badly deteriorated sections of the Lae-Bulolo Highway.
Under the infrastructure program, MMJV has carried out in
cooperation with partners on local and national infrastructure.
Local infrastructure upgrades to landowner village roads to Nauti
and Winima as well as the alternative Wandumi road linking
Bulolo and Wau.
An MOU was signed in 2012 between MMJV and DOW Local
Government Engineering Division to pave way for site survey and
investigation and construction of the Samsam, Sambio and Taiak
footbridge sites. Through MMJV, a draft agreement was also
reached with Bulolo District JDPBPC to co-fund up to K450,000 for
9 footbridges along Watut River.
Water Supplies
For many communities who face long daily walks to access fresh
water supplies, more than K2 million has been spent on providing
clean, reliable village water installations. The water supply
programme is accompanied by sessions of health and sanitation
awareness. So far, projects have been implemented in landowner
villages of Nauti, Kwembu and Winima, and more than 40 villages
in the Lower Watut, Middle Watut, Upper Watut and the Wafi
region.
Lower Watut has seen 14 completed projects in villages including
Goraris, Chiatz, Mafanazo, Uruf, Wonkinz, Kapungung, Wampan,
Tsilitsili, Malarina, Kasek, Magaring, Pekumbe and Wawas. 13
projects completed and in various stages of completion in Middle
Watut including Widipos, Baiyune, Samsam/Pelengkua, Sambio,
Galawo, Taiak, Gawapu, Biamena, Piu, Dambi, Kapin, Nayakes. For
Upper Watut, 18 water projects have been installed and in various
stages of completion including Winima, Kwembu 1, 2 & 3, Golden
Pine, Manki 1and 2, Nauti, Latep, Tapanda, Erowa Creek, Saksak,
Mango Block, Neranda, Aibinka, Minianda, Society and Heyu.
Provision of water projects in these areas are improving life and
community health throughout the Watut River region.
Agriculture/Aquaculture Programs
Along with clean water goes improved nutrition, and also
addressed are agriculture and fish farming. Training is aimed at
complementing the skills of the village people who depend on
their land.
There is focus on cocoa, coffee, fresh produce and aquaculture to
improve production, improve marketing and management,
improve downstream processing and manufacturing, and
strengthen extension research and development. Nearly K1
million has been spent on various agriculture and aquaculture
projects and capacity building programs.
Five cocoa fermentries have been constructed in Lower Watut
and a partnership has been formed with Business for Millenium
Development to explore and develop the Watut Chocolate
Project.
Fish farmer trainings in Lower Watut and Middle Watut have seen
four model fish pond construction and stocking at villages
including Mafanazo, Magaring, Malasap, and Kisi-Ono. Fish are
thriving in the ponds, and adding a new source of nutrition and
family income.
For more information, please contact MMJV Media & Communications
on +675 472 1703 or email us at mmj.media@morobejv.com
www.morobejv.com