The President of Bougainville says landowners who criticise the government's proposed mining law changes have been misled.
The president announced plans for sweeping changes to the mining law in January, as the government sought money to help pay for the region's referendum on independence from Papua New Guinea.
Bougainville's Panguna Copper mine Photo: Supplied
It has been criticised by landowning groups and human rights organisations but John Momis says these people have been misled by mining companies and others who want their own deals.
Mr Momis said the new law would greatly increase returns for landowners, earning them much more than the current measure which only guarantees their ownership of the minerals while they are in the ground.
"Under our proposal they own the resources, unextracted or extracted, and based on the known ore body we can raise the money ourselves."
The mining law change would also see the government set up its own joint venture with an Australian entity, called Caballus.
The joint venture, to be known as Bougainville Advance Mining , would aim to re-open the huge and controversial Panguna mine.
The Bougainville referendum is set to be held in mid October.