The politics of mine closure and sustainable development at the OK Tedi mine, Papua New Guinea

Abstract

This thesis is about the Ok Tedi mine in Papua New Guinea. Throughout the literature on mining and communities, there is a split between the technical and the social. Technical mining – the engineering, environmental, planning and operations – do not ordinarily consider communities beyond the technical aspects of community relations – housing, employment, transport – rather approaching communities in a sanitised, corporate manner. There is plenty of discussion about environmental aspects of mine closure already, but it is important to have an extended discussion and create a space for debate about the roles of mining companies in developing sustainability plans that are for communities, not just the environments they exist in. The Ok Tedi mine has a unique institutional aspect that has grown with the mine – the Ok Tedi Mining Complex – which is inhabited by various governmental and non-governmental organisations. The mine closure and sustainability planning process under the OTMC is unique to Ok Tedi mine, as there is no other mine in PNG that is guided by the same legislation, norms, and cultural frameworks. The OTMC is dominated by the stakeholder relationships of the organisations under its auspices, and the outcomes of these relationships directly affect the outcomes of development planning. This thesis examines the development of the OTMC, and assesses the way it shaped the relationship between the main stakeholder organisations - Ok Tedi Mining Limited, PNG Sustainable Development Program Ltd., PNG national government, Ok Tedi Development Foundation, communities of the Community Mine Continuation Agreement regions, Fly River Provincial Government – has influenced the development of mine closure as a function of sustainability planning, the ongoing funding streams available for programs, and the development and implementation of programs aimed at encouraging sustainable livelihoods. This involves two case studies of livelihood promotion programs – Agriculture and Food Security, and Artisanal and Small Scale Mining. The dissertation is an original contribution to knowledge because there has been no systematic examination of the Ok Tedi Mining Complex as an institution, and there have been significant developments transforming the way that the stakeholder organisations relate to each other concerning mine closure and sustainability planning. Show more