THE Bougainville Government passed a mining legislation to strengthen landowner participation through equity ownership provisions and ensure responsibility for historical liabilities remains with those responsible for those liabilities.
The legislation passed this week was the Bougainville Mining (Amendment) Act 2026.
ABG President and Mining and Petroleum Minister Ishmael Toroama said that the reform was the culmination of extensive consultation and dialogue undertaken over the past four years, including the Panguna Mine Dialogue process, consultations with landowners and community leaders, and broader ABG economic development consultations.
“This legislation has not emerged overnight,” he said.
“It is the result of years of consultation, discussion and reflection involving landowners, communities, leaders and stakeholders across Bougainville.
“It reflects the aspirations expressed by our people for greater participation in resource development, stronger Bougainville ownership and a more secure economic future that can start to be realised today.
“The passing of this legislation also demonstrates the maturity of our institutions and our ability as Bougainvilleans to develop laws that respond to our own circumstances, priorities and aspirations.”
Toroama added that the amended Act established legislative framework for the orderly and accelerated redevelopment of previously operating large-scale mines in circumstances where such redevelopment was determined by the Bougainville Executive Council to be in the public interest of Bougainville.
He said the Act also provided for the grant of a large-scale mining lease to an eligible holder in accordance with the Act’s provisions.
Meanwhile, Toroama said that importantly, the Act did not remove or weaken the core principles, protections and safeguards contained in the Bougainville Mining Act 2015 and related laws.
In fact, landowner participation, environmental approvals, compensation arrangements, consultation processes and other statutory requirements and protections remain mandatory under the law.
