A landowners' group at the site of the Panguna mine in the autonomous Papua New Guinea region of Bougainville wants a joint venture to start mining there again.
Bougainville's Panguna Copper mine Photo: Supplied
The original miner at Panguna, Bougainville Copper Ltd, recently laid out a timeline through to 2025 for a possible resumption.
The chairman of the Osikaing Landowners' Association, Lawrence Daveona, along with a group called the Me'ekamui Government of Unity, said it was happy to consider a return to mining, but it would want BCL to enter into a joint venture deal with a company of the landowners choice.
"BCL would open the mine with our participation, in which we, the Osikiang landowners, we have our partner, who will partner with us, in a joint venture arrangement with BCL - that is our position."
Mr Daveona said any progress on mining had to involve direct negotiations with the landowners before any exploration licences were issued.