Mining Amendment Bill introduced to support strategic mine redevelopment in Bougainville
The Bougainville Mining (Amendment) Bill 2026 was introduced in Parliament this week by the ABG President and Minister responsible for Mining and Petroleum, Hon. Ishmael Toroama.
The Bill seeks to amend the Bougainville Mining Act 2015 to establish a special and exceptional legal framework for the orderly and accelerated redevelopment of a previously operating large-scale mine where the Bougainville Executive Council determines such redevelopment is in Bougainville's national and public interest.
President Toroama said the existing Mining Act was primarily designed for new mining projects progressing through the conventional exploration-to-development pathway and did not adequately address the unique circumstances of redeveloping a previously operating large-scale mine.
“The existing provisions of the Bougainville Mining Act 2015 contemplates a sequential process commencing with greenfield exploration to prospect discovery, to resource definition, to feasibility assessment, to mine development and commercial production and finally to formal closure and redevelopment,” he said.
He stressed that the proposed amendments do not remove or dilute the core principles, protections and overall architecture of the Bougainville Mining Act, including landowner rights, compensation, benefit sharing and environmental protections.
The Bill would also provide for customary landowners to receive a prescribed percentage of free, non-dilutable equity in an eligible mining lease holder. This represents a significant strengthening of landowner participation and ensures that landowners become direct co-owners of the redevelopment project.
“Landowner rights, compensation rights, local content participation and benefit sharing rights and royalties are preserved. Landowner equity participation is preserved and strengthened,” President Toroama stressed, adding that environmental protections and approval, the mineral resource forum process, community consultation and agreement requirements remain mandatory.
“This Bill is about economic self-reliance. It is about responsible resource development, strengthening Bougainville ownership of strategic mineral assets and ensuring that landowners participate as true partners in development,” Toroama said.
The Bill proposes a new statutory pathway that would apply only in exceptional circumstances involving the redevelopment of a previously operating large-scale mine.
The proposed amendments would apply only in exceptional circumstances where:
- A previously operating large-scale mine exists;
- An established mineral deposit exists;
- Legacy issues remain unresolved;
- Redevelopment is necessary for Bougainville's economic future and fiscal self-reliance; and
- The BEC is satisfied that redevelopment is in the national and public interest.
The Bougainville Mining (Amendment) Bill 2026 was read for the first time and will proceed through the remaining stages of the parliamentary process before being considered for passage and enactment.
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