"Bougainville's destructive goldmine could also be its $90 billion key to independence", 6 June 2023

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An independent group, the Panguna Mine Legacy Impact Assessment (PMLIA) Oversight Committee, was formed to oversee the assessment of the mine.

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The committee consists of landowners, clan and community leaders, members from the ABG, Rio Tinto, BCL and the Human Rights Law Centre.

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It is expected the assessment will have early findings for release in mid-next year.

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Complainant, landowner and local MP Theonila Matbob said while Rio Tinto's funding for the assessment was a start, she wanted a commitment from the company to fund the clean-up and remediation.

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In a statement, a spokesperson for Rio Tinto said the independent legacy impact assessment (LIA) was "an important milestone in understanding the potential impacts of the Panguna mine".

"Our people were recently able to visit Buka for the first time in more than 30 years as part of the LIA process, which is helping us to better understand the situation," they said.

"This included meeting with government representatives, landowners and clan and community leaders, who are fellow members of the Legacy Impact Assessment oversight committee."

When asked if the company would contribute to a remediation fund, the spokesperson said the assessment was a "key first step to identifying impacts and discussing next steps with all parties".

"The understandings from it will help us meet our commitment to act in line with our external environmental and human rights commitments and internal policies and standards," they said.

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