LANDOWNERS from Gobe Petroleum Development Licence (PDL) 3 and 4 have called on Prime Minister James Marape, Petroleum Minister Jimmy Maladina and Petroleum Secretary David Manau to arrange charter flights to transport them to Gobe for the Papua LNG (LCPNG) Call Over Hearing.
The call was made by the 14 Gobe clan landowners ahead of the hearing, which is scheduled to take place at the Gobe Project Site from November 5 to 17.
Team leader Donald Olave said that although Santos and the National Petroleum Authority had expressed their willingness to provide support, the landowners had yet to receive clear communication regarding travel arrangements.
“We, the 14 clan landowners, have not yet received clear communication regarding travel arrangements to Gobe for the review hearing, despite the LCPNG Call Over Hearing notice being published one month ago,” Olave said.
He called on the Prime Minister and the petroleum minister to intervene and assist with arranging charter flights to ensure landowners could attend the important hearing.
Olave also raised concerns over what he described as unequal treatment of landowners from different petroleum projects.
“Despite the fact that Papua LNG is a non-revenue project, it has received substantial support. In contrast, we, the Gobe landowners, have been supporting Papua New Guinea for three decades through steady revenues. However, we believe we are not being treated equitably compared to landowners from other projects,” he said.
Meanwhile, Petroleum Resources Gobe (PRG) and the Mineral Resources Development Company (MRDC) have reportedly stated publicly that they are not legally authorised to facilitate the LCPNG hearings.
Nevertheless, the 14 Gobe clans are seeking clarification from PRG and MRDC on whether any commitments have been made directly to the landowners regarding logistical support and allowances for the hearing.
The landowners maintain that appropriate travel arrangements and logistical support are necessary to ensure their participation in the review process.