Wafi-Golpu Joint Venture

04/07/2024

The Mining Chocolate Program was the talking point at the Wafi-Golpu Joint Venture booth during the PNG Resources Week held at University of Papua New Guinea from 1 to 4 July.

WGJV set up a booth to inform the delegates, UPNG staff and students about the Project that now involves over 5,000 cocoa farmers represented by 6 Cooperatives. Trupla Morobe chocolate bars, produced from the farmers cocoa and manufactured by Paradise Foods Limited in partnership with WGJV, were displayed and shared to promote the Mining Chocolate program. Students from other tertiary institutions also visited the booth during the Career Fair from July 3 to 4.

WGJV Social Performance Senior Advisor, Sheila Harou spoke of great progress of the cocoa program and how it is sustainably changing the lives of the people in the project footprint. She also highlighted the community investment programs making a positive impact in the communities, including the Water, Sanitation & Hygiene (WaSH) program, installations of solar streetlights and Teacher in a Box e-Library systems.

27/06/2024

Wafi-Golpu Joint Venture has renewed a Memorandum of Agreement with the Cocoa Board of PNG to expand its cocoa support program to assist the farmers in the project impact areas.

The MOA, signed on Friday June 21, includes seven Cocoa Cooperatives and inclusion of the first school, Bumayong Lutheran Secondary School (BLSS), as the WGJV reaffirms its direction to nurturing the young generation into cocoa farming as a sustainable venture. The school under agriculture subjects taught there, aims to teach the students the value of cocoa farming and self-reliance after leaving school.

“So that’s why we started agribusiness to empower people, that they have an income stream as not everyone will have a job or a contract when the mine is fully permitted and eventually starts up,” said David Wissink, WGJV Head of External Relations & Sustainable Development. He said the MOA is in its fifth year and has proven to be a successful model, working with key stakeholders to progress the cocoa industry in Morobe Province.

Also present at the signing ceremony was the Minister for Education, Hon Lucas Dawa Dekena, who witnessed the cocoa tree seedling planting by about 50 students. The Minister commended the WGJV and Cocoa Board PNG for the valuable partnership and emphasised to the students to take on these new skills and extend it beyond the school boundaries to enrich their communities.

Through the partnership, the WGJV is supplying 500 cocoa seedlings to BLSS and providing materials and technical support in partnership with Cocoa Board PNG. The joint initiative, which commenced in 2019, is under the WGJV’s Mining Chocolate Program and is also benefitting cocoa cooperatives from Lower Watut, Babuaf, Hengambu, Nasuapum, Labuta, and Salamaua.

24/06/2024

This month, the Wafi-Golpu Joint Venture team visited Eec and Oligidu villages to engage with over 400 community members, providing updates on the project.

During these visits, the team explained key aspects of the project and its potential benefits for the communities as well as addressing specific questions.

Additionally, the team met with local cocoa farmers to discuss their concerns and interests about the project who expressed their gratitude for the detailed information provided.

The WGJV team appreciate the opportunity to speak directly with community members and provide an update on the project.

10/06/2024

This World Environment Day, the Wafi Golpu Joint Venture led a cleanup program at the Voco Point Boat Stop.

The cleanup campaign saw over 50 community members participate to support the staff in collecting waste, particularly plastic bottles littered along the beachfront.

In addition to these cleanup efforts, our team distributed 1,000 fruit tree seedlings to SML schools and 1,000 cocoa seedlings to Bumayong Secondary School and Wawin National High School, building on the donations from previous years.

17/05/2024

07/05/2024

Linge Cooperative Society: A positive step for farmers

Farmers from Gingen, Dengea, and Zimake villages celebrated the launch of the Linge Cooperative Society that is aimed at empowering and sustaining its members through various farming businesses and particularly cocoa.

Linge Cooperative Chairman, Steven Giame, received the Cooperative Certificate on May 3 after the members completed a 9-day comprehensive training on Cooperative Governance and Management. The training was a collaborative effort between Wafi-Golpu Joint Venture and Sere J Pacific and equipped farmers with the knowledge and tools needed to navigate the complexities of running a cooperative.

“It has taken us a long time to get here and we’re thankful for the continuous support by WGJV to empower our people through these types of training,” Mr Giame said. “The training has given us skills on how to manage a cooperative or business, and we look forward to working with WGJV, Cocoa Board PNG and other key partners to have better access to resources and technical support.”

Sheila Harou, Senior Advisor Social Performance & External Affairs for WGJV, congratulated the farmers, nearly half of which were women, for attaining their certification. “We challenge the members of the cooperative to make use of their land and grow cocoa. With high buying prices for cocoa, please plant cocoa and manage your business using the skills you learnt. To the Cooperative, treat it as a business and get your IRC and IPA certificates, open your bank account, and put what you learnt into practice.”

The Linge Cooperative Society is the first farmer cooperative formed from the Hengambu tribe, one of three landowner groups in the Wafi-Golpu Project Special Mining Lease application area. This is the sixth cooperative that WGJV has supported since the inception of the Mining Chocolate program in 2010. The other cooperatives that are driving cocoa are from the Lower Watut, Babuaf, Labuta, Salamaua and Nasuapum areas and over 4,000 cocoa growing families are producing over 300 tonnes of cocoa per year; a shared success story for the region.

29/04/2024

Wafi-Golpu Joint Venture is urging its communities to practise safety in the wake of recent snake bite incidents in the Project footprint areas.

A 44-year-old man was rushed to ANGAU Memorial Provincial Hospital on April 23 by WGJV medical staff after being bitten by a snake while attending to his garden. The man is from Venembeli village, of the Yanta tribe, and is recovering at the hospital thanks to the quick efforts of the company staff.

WGJV has attended to five snake bite cases over the last 12 months and is working to raise awareness about precautions residents can take to avoid snake bites.

“We are deeply concerned about the recent cases of snake bites and by working together and promoting safety in the communities, we can mitigate the risk of such incidents occurring in the future,” said WGJV Health Extension Officer, Philip Dulau.

Mr Dulau encouraged locals to prioritise safety practices when venturing outdoors by maintaining situational awareness, avoiding tall grassy areas and other potential hiding spots for snakes.

25/04/2024

Long Service appreciation for Alex Muriki

As the Site Support Superintendent, Alex Muriki has the spent the last ten years focused on helping his teammates create a culture of productive and safe working practices. “This is what inspires me the most, the type of culture that we are continuously creating here even though we don’t have a mine yet. We continue to learn new things and keep working together as a team, share the responsibilities and encourage one another to follow the safety requirements,” Alex said.

Hailing from the provinces of Madang and East Sepik, Alex embarked on his career as an Emergency Response Officer. Progressing through the ranks, he transitioned into roles as a supervisor and coordinator, before being promoted to the position of Site Support Services Superintendent. He now supports the site team and assists them in any way possible to better the project.

“I really want to see the project ramp up. The project will not only produce gold and copper but create employment our people, bring long term benefits to our stakeholders, and change people’s lives for the better. This is what I want to see happen,” he said.

Alex lives by the company value of honesty and encourages his teammates to apply situational awareness when they are onsite or at home. “It saves lives. We want to go home the same way we came to work. Our jobs are important and so are our families; they want to see us return to them and this is why we do what we do.”

03/04/2024

Enabling local communities to earn a significant and sustainable income from agriculture is a core focus for the WGJV.

The success of the WGJV’s ‘mining chocolate’ cocoa development program speaks for itself. Families in the Babuaf, Lower Watut, Hengambu and other nearby communities are harvesting and selling cocoa every few weeks, providing them with a regular income estimated at over PGK3 million per year.

24/03/2024

The WGJV continues to support WaSH Projects in the Wafi-Golpu Project Area with the latest being in the Babuaf community comprising water supply and hygiene works at the Babuaf Primary School, Babuaf Elementary School, and Kapunung village.

Construction of a storage tank; solar lighted WaSH stations which includes shower units, laundry sinks and benches; VIP latrine toilets; household kitchen taps, wash sinks and benches.

This phase of the project will provide improved clean water access and hygiene facilities for over 650 people.

11/03/2024

Long Service appreciation for Kelly Koaru

Over the span of his two-decade-long career in the mining industry, Kelly Koaru has witnessed an evolution in the mining landscape to what it is today, with advances in safety systems and processes.

Born and raised in Wau, Kelly or ‘Kilo Kilo’ as he is known by his radio call sign, has attested to evolving industry practices and considers it a valuable experience. “Since 2002, I’ve seen all the safety tools, processes and systems improve over time. I’m so fortunate to live through all the changes that have continued to keep me safe,” Kelly said.

His journey started in Wau, where after finishing his basic education, he joined the Morobe Consolidated Goldfields to work as an Asset Protection officer. “We experienced a lot of fatigue in the early days. Shifts weren’t that great, so we worked longer. We didn’t emphasize on PPEs that much, so we had minor injuries from time to time and from those lessons, we started seeing improvements being made,” he said.

Kelly was moved into a supervisory role when Morobe Mining Joint Ventures was formed in 2007, working proactively with his teammates in improving standards in the lead up to the Hidden Valley mine opening in 2008 and the continued exploration work at the Wafi-Golpu Project.

“From 2013 onwards, we saw safety elevated even further with Behaviour Based Safety systems in place and this was strengthened when the critical controls system was implemented in 2017. We are empowered to speak up and speak out when it comes to safety, health, and any other challenges we face at work,” Kelly said.

His highlight was in 2018 when he received the Safety Award for doing an excellent job monitoring public vehicles on the access road between Demakwa and Wafi Camp, while providing information to travellers and drivers. “I’m very grateful to WGJV for all the training that has kept me safe at work and even at home. I look forward to further upskilling to take on bigger responsibilities.”

25/02/2024

Mini sports competitions were held at various villages during the festive period, supported by the Wafi-Golpu Joint Venture.

WGJV supplied sporting items and rations to the SML communities of Babuaf, Hengambu and Yanta as part of its continued commitment to social improvement programs. The company also assisted the communities at Wampit, Zifasing, Nasuapum, Muya and Busama.

The sports events ran alongside church programs in many of the villages and community representatives thanked the WGJV for its continued support.

11/02/2024

The Wafi-Golpu Joint Venture engaged with over 300 participants at its booth during the recent PNG Resources & Energy Investment Conference in Sydney from December 10 to 13.

Conference participants and exhibitors asked questions about WGJV’s permitting process and spoke highly of its community investment programs particularly the Mining Chocolate program. The Trupla Morobe dark chocolate, derived from cocoa beans from farmers working closely with WGJV and Cocoa Board PNG were a hit and booth visitors praised the program for empowering the communities.

01/02/2024

The Wafi-Golpu Joint Venture is pleased to provide an update on our community engagement efforts from 2023.

Throughout the last year, our team actively connected with more than 27,000 participants through a variety of programs and project information sessions. These sessions offered insight into the community initiatives led by the WGJV and shared information on the project’s key benefits.

A breakdown of participants that engaged in these programs includes:
- 19,000 village members
- 8,000 participants from several conferences, school visits, and the Morobe show
- 320 government representatives
- 600 individuals from the WGJV team

22/11/2023

NEWMONT JOINS THE WAFI-GOLPU JOINT VENTURE

The Wafi-Golpu Joint Venture (WGJV) welcomes Newmont Corporation and Managing Director for Papua New Guinea Mr Alwyn Pretorius to Papua New Guinea, Morobe Province, and the WGJV.

Newmont is an American-based company with a rich mining heritage of over 100 years and a global presence in Africa, Australia, Latin America & Caribbean, North America, and Papua New Guinea.

Participants in the 50:50 unincorporated Wafi-Golpu Joint Venture are Wafi Mining Limited and Newcrest PNG 2 Limited. The ultimate parent company of Wafi Mining Limited is Harmony Gold Mining Company Limited of South Africa. The ultimate parent company of Newcrest PNG2 Limited is now Newmont Corporation.

21/11/2023

We are committed to implementing a "hire local, buy local" policy if the Wafi-Golpu mine is developed.

Our priority is to give preference to local suppliers who meet our criteria of cost, quality, capacity, experience, and expertise. We are also investing in training and business development skills for local businesses people, so local suppliers are able to meet our requirements. By supporting local businesses, we aim to foster economic growth and enhance the well-being of our communities.

13/11/2023

Wafi-Golpu Joint Venture had the opportunity to engage with over 2,600 people at its stall during the Morobe Show on November 4 and 5, where visitors spent the time learning about the project and community benefits.

The stall highlighted many of the company’s ongoing community development programs as staff explained to visitors the investment that the Wafi-Golpu Joint Venture has made, particularly in health, infrastructure, and agribusiness. The Trupla Morobe branded chocolate was the star of the display, made from cocoa beans produced by the Lower Watut, Babuaf, Labuta, Salamaua and Nasuapum cocoa cooperatives.

Many visitors spent some time in the video room, learning more about the Project and expressed enthusiasm on seeing the project being permitted.

01/11/2023

At the Wafi-Golpu Joint Venture, we believe in creating positive change for our communities. Through our Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WaSH) program, we are making strides to improve community standards of living by providing essential amenities like clean water, toilets, and washing facilities.

25/10/2023

The Wafi-Golpu Joint Venture, in collaboration with the Morobe Provincial Government (MPG) Mines department, is supporting road repairs in the Hengambu community.

The MPG Mines department has provided a PC210 Excavator and a skilled operator to start the road repairs, with the WGJV providing 2000L of fuel for the excavator.

The WGJV Site Support team are also supporting the operation, which is an important priority for local community mobility and access for WGJV people and equipment.

Through its support for the road works partnership, WGJV has contributed more than 16,000 litres of diesel and PGK3,300 in food items from the Finchif Camp store house.

20/09/2023

The Wafi-Golpu Joint Venture has supplied more than 60 solar streetlights to local communities.

Since 2022, 44 villages have received new, environmentally friendly street lighting. The Babuaf villages received nine solar lights and the Hengambu and Yanta villages received ten each, while two solar lights each were installed at Wagang and Nasuapum villages.

Along the Huon Gulf coast, WGJV installed the lights at Tami Gidu, Buingim, Buac, Ee'c, Busung, Widiruc, Yambo, Mundara, Gaiyupu and Bukawa (Bik Ples) villages in the Labuta LLG. These solar lights were installed as part of the WGJV’s annual community investment to improve community wellbeing. This program also extends to the Salamaua LLG, where the joint venture has installed lights at Busama (Wakop), Buakap, Asini, Kela, Salamaua Aid Post, Lauguic, Laukanu, Buansing and Salus.

The solar streetlights address the lack of adequate lighting for people attending communal activities at night, including church programs and meetings. The lights have been used for various purposes such as homework, reading, washing peanuts, bilum making and supplying light for construction of roves on houses.

15/09/2023

On this Independence Day, the Wafi-Golpu Joint Venture celebrates the spirit of Papua New Guinea and looks forward to being a part of the country’s bright future. We are committed to supporting local communities and making a positive difference in their lives.

04/09/2023

Prime Minister James Marape visited the Wafi-Golpu Joint Venture booth and tasted the smash hit chocolate ‘Trupla Morobe’ during the Chamber of Mines & Petroleum’s CANCONEX event in Lae.

The CANCONEX (PNG Community Affairs & National Content Conference & Expo) was held at PNG University of Technology from 28 to 30 August, and WGJV set up a booth to inform the delegates about the Project. The booth also displayed the newly produced Trupla Morobe chocolate bars, manufactured by Paradise Foods Limited in partnership with WGJV to promote the Mining Chocolate program.

WGJV company representatives David Masani and Sheila Harou spoke of the community investment programs making a positive impact in the communities, including the Water, Sanitation & Hygiene (WaSH) program, installations of solar streetlights and Teacher in a Box e-Library systems. The Mining Chocolate presentation was the highlight, illustrating the partnership with Cocoa Board PNG and local cocoa cooperatives to improve the livelihoods of community in and around the Project area.

30/08/2023

We take pride in supporting the growth of the agricultural sector in Morobe.

The Cocoa Partnership Program, funded by the Wafi-Golpu Joint Venture and the Cocoa Board of PNG, regularly conducts business and farming training workshops for community members within the Project area.

As a result of this training, farmers can improve operations to produce and sell new products like poultry and fresh produce, maximising their profitability.

27/08/2023

Over the past several weeks, the WGJV Community Affairs team and the Conservation and Environmental Protection Authority (CEPA) have visited communities in the Project area and along the coast. We appreciate the opportunity to listen to communities and answer their questions, while we update them on the Project, and talk about the findings of the rigorous EIS assessment and permitting process.

03/07/2023

Where is the permitting process up to?

There are multiple streams to the permitting process of the Wafi-Golpu project.

While the Environment Permit has been granted, other National Government-led permitting activities are still ongoing, including State Negotiations and the Development Forum.

Landowner compensation agreements will be negotiated directly between landowners and the WGJV.

25/06/2023

Wafi-Golpu Joint Venture staff led a cleanup at the Wagang beach, Voco Point Boat Stop, and the Hilma Wong Park in Lae earlier this month.

In collaboration with local communities, WGJV spearheaded the cleanup campaign to mark World Environment Day and saw over 50 people turn up at each location to support the staff in removing trash, especially plastic bottles littered along the beachfront.

WGJV Social Performance & External Affairs Advisor, Sheila Harou, said the theme this year for the Environment Day was 'Solutions to Plastic Pollution' and the Conservation & Environmental Protection Authority (CEPA) took the lead in organising stakeholders in Lae to commemorate the event by cleaning up the city and participate in other activities. "We plan to collaborate with local stakeholders on future initiatives and educational campaigns to instil environmental awareness especially among the youth and students," Ms Harou said.

WGJV also began distributing about 1,000 tree seedlings to 15 identified schools within its footprint area, as it has done in the previous years.

05/06/2023

With support from the PNG Government and other key stakeholders, Wafi-Golpu can make a significant economic and social contribution to PNG:

- Approx PGK9.1b initial capital investment by WGJV
- Approx PGK17.4b capital and operational investment over life of mine by WGJV
- Estimated 2,500 jobs during construction (employees and contractors)
- Estimated 850 operations jobs (employees and contractors)
- Engagement of local contractors and suppliers
- Local procurement of goods and services
- Investment in training, workforce readiness and business development

*See Newcrest and Harmony releases dated 19 March 2018 for further details, including conditions to progression. Estimated costs are based on December 2017 real estimates. The figures are subject to all necessary permits, regulatory requirements, Board approval and further studies and works.

25/05/2023

On March 17, the WGJV and Cocoa Board PNG were delighted to present the Nasuapum Cocoa Cooperative with a new solar combination drier at the signing of the Cocoa Partnership Memorandum of Agreement (MOA).

Chairlady of the Nasuapum Cocoa Farmers Cooperative Society, Namotz Apollo said, “We are thankful to WGJV and Cocoa Board for the new facility, thank you for listening to our cries.” She challenged the farmers to focus on cocoa and not wait around for the mine, and reiterated, “Look after cocoa and cocoa will look after you.”

WGJV Principal Community Affairs Advisor, David Masani said WGJV is committed to the MOA like it has over the last four years in supporting the cocoa programs. “Before mining comes, we’d like to ensure people are involved in economic activities and people benefit now. This is what we want to push, and we’re happy to work with Cocoa Board and the cooperatives, especially the women who we want to see take a more leadership role in these activities,” Mr Masani said.

The MOA was initiated in 2019 between PNG Cocoa Board and WGJV to strengthen capacity in the cocoa farming space, and initially signed the Babuaf and Lower Watut cocoa cooperatives before the Labuta and Salamaua cocoa cooperatives joined two years later.

17/05/2023

Who to talk to?

The National Government leads the multiple streams of permitting activity that precede any Special Mining Lease application.

If you are interested in learning more about the permitting activity of the Wafi-Golpu project, please direct your enquiries to the relevant government agency.

- Development Forum and MOA process: Mineral Resources Authority (MRA)
- Mining Technical Assessment: MRA
- Environmental Permitting: Conservation & Environment Protection Authority (CEPA)
- State Negotiation Team: Department of Mineral Policy and Geo-hazards Management (DMPGM)

07/05/2023

The Wafi-Golpu project has been working closely with the local cocoa farmers and will continue to support the growth of agricultural sector in Morobe.

Our Cocoa Support Program has delivered an estimated PGK3.3 million per annum for the local farmers and families where we operate.
• Assisting 4,000+ cocoa families
• >1000 hectares
• Supplying 300 tonnes per year
• Earning the families an estimated PGK3.3 million per year