"Human Rights Complaint Filed Over Newcrest’s Plans To Dump Waste In PNG", 20 November 2023

[...] [T]hree organisations filed a complaint against two Australian-based mining companies, Newcrest Mining and Harmony Gold (Australia), over the proposal to dump toxic mining waste into the Huon Gulf in PNG’s Morobe Province. The companies are seeking to have a Special Mining Lease approved for the project, the Wafi Golpu Mine,by 2 December 2022 [...].

The complaint has been lodged with the Australian National Contact Point for the Responsible Business Conduct (or AusNCP) asserting that Newcrest Mining and Harmony Gold (Australia) have breached the Guidelines. 

[...]

The complaint alleges that:

• The companies have failed to obtain community consent for the proposed use of Deep Sea Tailings Placement (DSTP).
• The companies have failed to provide an adequate environmental assessment of the proposed approach. 
• The companies have failed to respect human rights, including the right to life with dignity, the right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment, the right to culture, the principles of equality and non-discrimination and the rights of the child; and
• There has been a lack of due process in regards to Free Prior and Informed Consent from the impacted communities.

[...]

A copy of the full complaint is available here.