BY BEN BILUA
THE landowners of Gold Ridge Mining have called on the government to live up to its promise in the development of Gold Ridge Mining.
Chairperson of Gold Ridge Mining Mr Dick Douglas said operation at Gold Ridge has been on schedule but has been held back due to the bad state of the Tina Hulu Bridge.
He explained that the Tina Hulu Bridge is the gateway to Gold Ridge Mine Site and the current situation at the bridge is not conducive for the operation to continue.
Douglas said Tina Hulu Bridge has been partly damaged and needs reconstruction to speed up the operation.
He said the eastern part of Tina Hulu Bridge has been washed out by flood during the recent rainy season leaving approximately a 50 metres gap between the edge of the bridge and the river bank.
Douglas said Gold Ridge landowners and the new investor have already transported one container with equipment and tools to renovate the infrastructure to Gold Ridge while the other container is still at Ravua 2.
“We cannot transport this container to the site because the bridge is not in a good condition, so we decide to leave the container at Ravua 2 until the bridge is fixed,” he explained.
Douglas operation at Gold Ridge will not proceed unless the bridge is fixed.
This paper understand that landowners of Gold Ridge Mining have braced themselves with the support of the Government and the new investor AXF Gold Ridge Pty Ltd of Australia to reopen the Gold Mine.
In 2016 the outgoing Government (DCCG) appointed a team to facilitate programmes and activities which aimed at revitalising the gold mine.
Last year (2017) the team held numbers of consultation with the landowners as part of the programme.
However there is no progress on the reopening of Gold Ridge today.
