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It is worth noting that Bougainville Copper Limited (BCL) remains actively engaged with project area landowners and their communities through our project team on the ground and we are certainly well-aware of the legacy issues associated with the mine's prior operations.

While the material ... gathered is useful, we are also mindful that more broadly, these are extremely complex issues that will need to be subjected to rigorous and comprehensive scientific studies and engineering-based assessments. Importantly, the necessary remediation works identified ... would need to be holistically addressed and would also require considerable resources.

... Rio Tinto is no longer associated with BCL which operates today as a standalone PNG company.... [...] You would also appreciate that BCL at this time is a company of quite limited financial resources.

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The necessary studies that would need to be carried out in respect to the legacy issues would now typically be conducted during the pre-feasibility and feasibility stages of any redevelopment. To advance this work, significant levels of new funding would need to be attracted given the substantial cost that a project of this scale would require. BCL is aware of the nature of this work and has factored it into our staged redevelopment plan, should the project be advanced with our involvement.

In the interim, we will continue our program of community engagement and provide support where we can for worthwhile projects in areas including health, education and industry development. Where we are able to and can, we shall also communicate to the relevant local authorities the public safety issues ... raised.

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