The Australian government has announced that it will provide A$2 million ($1.33 million) to Papua New Guinea (PNG) to restore road access to the Porgera gold mine, one of the world’s largest, following a deadly landslide in Enga province in May.
The announcement comes as a delegation of seven Australian ministers and the country’s police chief are in PNG for security and trade talks, amid competition with China for policing ties in the Pacific Islands. The visit also aims to underscore Australia’s humanitarian assistance after the recent disaster.
Australia’s Minister for Pacific, Pat Conroy, expressed his emotional reaction after visiting the landslide site with PNG Defence Minister Billy Joseph and the delegation, saying “it was moving to see so many people in such a dire situation.”
In addition to the road restoration funding, Australia will provide assistance for health clinics and education packs for thousands of survivors who have been displaced from their villages due to the mountainsides collapsing.
PNG had requested the A$2 million to “start the work to open up the national highway there to the Porgera gold mine, which is obviously an incredibly important source of jobs and revenue for the people of Enga province,” Conroy said.
The Porgera mine, located about 30 kilometers from the landslide, is an underground mine jointly run by Canada’s Barrick Gold and China’s Zijin Mining Group, with the PNG government holding a 51% share. The mine had recently restarted operations this year after being in dispute for four years, as PNG sought to boost returns to tribal landowners.
PNG Prime Minister James Marape had previously stated that the reopened Porgera mine was expected to return to its status as one of the world’s largest gold mines, becoming a significant contributor to the national treasury and generating income for Enga province. The mine employs around 2,000 local workers.
The exact death toll from the May 24 landslide remains unclear, with the national government and a U.N. estimate putting the number at around 670.
Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong acknowledged the country’s “permanent contest in the Pacific” with China for security ties, stating that Australia’s assistance aims to ensure stability in PNG.