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PT Newmont Minahasa Raya is a joint venture company
between Newmont Gold Company (USA), which owns 80 percent of the shares, and PT Tanjung
Serapung (Indonesia) holding 20 percent. PTNMR is located in South East Minahasa, some 80
km south of Manado, the capital of North Sulawesi. |
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| PTNMR operated an open pit mine from 1996 and ceased operations in 2001 after the deposit
was recovered. PTNMR’s economic contribution to Indonesia included royalties, taxes
and various direct and indirect benefits. Mine closure activities were completed in 2004
while post-mining environmental monitoring will continue until 2008. |
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Mine Closure |
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The objective of the mine closure programs is to
minimize environmental impacts and maximize long-term local business sustainability.
Planning for responsible and effective mine closure was carried out at the start of the
mine. Collective efforts from related stakeholders to ensure a smooth mine closure are
necessary. The company’s main responsibility is to carry out staged closure programs
in collaboration with the Government of Indonesia. |
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Responsibility to Work with the Local
Community |
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Consultation with stakeholders is critical to
responsible mine closure in order to factor in community interests. Consultation meetings
with stakeholders at all levels (village, regency, national) have been carried out since
March 2001 and resulted in significant inputs to the mine closure plan. PTNMR believes
such consultation is vital and will continue until all mine closure programs are
completed. |
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Commitment to Sustainable Development |
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The potential economic and social impacts of the
mine’s closure to local communities were identified via consultation. Newmont is
committed to satisfying economic, social and environmental needs for the realization of
sustainable development. Several programs were carried out from 2001 to 2005 and their
progress was monitored through 2007. Monitoring will be carried out in collaboration with
local communities, NGOs and community based organizations with a focus on building local
capacity and self-reliance.
Newmont expects the community development programs to run independently. Programs cover
micro-finance, fisheries, appropriate agricultural technology, vocational training to
encourage small business development and skills building.
The current post-mining community development programs include: |
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Community Based Business Development. |
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Grouper and seaweed farming. Ratatotok is one of the fish
producing areas in North Sulawesi, where most of the people work as fishermen. In light of
this indigenous industry, floating fish net cages (kajapung) were used to improve fish
production along with seaweed cultivation that has competitive market value. Currently, a
number of self-sufficient groups have yielded a number of harvests. |
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Education Infrastructure. |
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During its operation in Minahasa, PTNMR built 5 schools
including 3 kindergartens, 1 Elementary School, 1 Junior High School and 1 Senior High School.
The company also provided assistance that includes school equipment, distribution of thousands
of textbooks, library training for teachers, teaching aids and scholarships for students with
outstanding achievements from poor families. |
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Health Infrastructure. |
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A healthy, self-reliant and prosperous community is the
objective of any community development program. Since 1999, PTNMR has carried out various
programs for community health improvement such as nutrition improvement for mothers and
children, Posyandu cadre training, maternity equipment, traditional midwife training and free
medication. PTNMR also built a health facility (Puskesmas) in Ratatotok that is now
independently managed by the local administration. PTNMR has provided additional assistance by
providing operational vehicles, computers, medical equipment and medicines. |
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Development of Lakban and Teluk Buyat as a tourist
resort. |
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PTNMR has developed a tourist resort at Lakban beach and
Buyat Bay equipped with a play ground for children, a volleyball court, a jogging/ cycling
track, coast guards, toilets and a parking lot. Cottages and a hall with diverse religious
symbols to foster greater social harmony in North Sulawesi were built at Harapan Damai Hill.
Hundreds of local tourists visit this resort every week. The management of the resort has been
handed over to Southeast Minahasa regency administration for further |
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Development of New Industries. |
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PTNMR provided assistance including training and business
capital for former PTNMR employees in developing a Virgin Coconut Oil industry. CV ECO was
established as a forum for VCO small industry business. PTNMR also collaborates with PT ACR, a
fishery company, to build an ice plant and cold storage at the Lakban port area. This business
is expected to absorb local workers and become one alternative driving the local economy. |
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Commitment to the Environment |
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Reclamation is not limited to re-designing the
disturbed areas around mine area, but also forming desired topography, spreading topsoil,
controlling erosion and managing water to spread surface flow. Reclamation started from
the beginning of mining activities and continues during and after the mine’s closure.
From the start, PTNMR stockpiled topsoil from mining activities and has progressively used
this for reclamation of disturbed areas through to the end of the mine closure.
Environmental monitoring, on both land and sea, are continuing and will ensure compliance
with environmental laws and regulations and mine closure standards applicable in
Indonesia. Reclamation was carried out during and after the mine closure until 2006, while
the monitoring will end in 2008. |
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Revegetation of the Former Mine Area |
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PTNMR has reclaimed some 200 hectares or 95 percent of
the total disturbed areas. The monitoring, carried out by a team from Sam Ratulangi
University of Manado, identified that 91 species of birds have re-populated the site. In
2006, 155,814 tree crops and fruit were planted in the area. This does not include those
that had been planted from the start of PTNMR operations.
The reclamation and revegetation programs also provide jobs for those who worked during
mining operations. The programs are expected to provide economic benefits and nurture a
sense of belonging to the area that will become a forested area to be protected by the
community. The programs are aimed at restoring the former mine to as close to, or better,
than its original function. |
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Mangrove Rehabilitation |
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PTNMR, in collaboration with Non Governmental
Organizations (NGOs) and local communities, supported mangrove forest protection and
conservation at the Ratatotok and Buyat coast areas. Local working groups also have been
formed for mangrove planting and restoration. To date, some 50,000 mangroves have been
planted on five hectares of village lands. This activity and the communities awareness of
mangrove forest function is very important, since mangroves are the nursery ground for
various water biota, produces various health and food products, and prevents coastal
erosion due to waves and winds. Maintaining the mangrove ecosystem means conserving the
coastal areas. |
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Development of New Underwater
Habitat-Reefballs |
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PTNMR’s reefball (artificial coral reef) program
at Buyat Bay and Totok Bay is the world’s biggest reefball program carried out by a
private company. PTNMR started the reefball project in 1999 in collaboration with the
Reefball Foundation (USA), which was carried out by the local community. Reefballs are a
dome-like, artificial reef with holes in both sides. They provide new habitat for
underwater life including microorganisms, coral reefs and various fish species. To date,
there are some 3,000 reefballs deployed in Buyat and Totok waters. Regular monitoring by a
team from the Fishery and Marine Faculty of Sam Ratulangi University shows significant
improvements, as the reefballs have fully developed into several new colonies. The balls
serve as a shelter and feeding ground for fish where the coral reef attaches, while also
preventing coastal erosion. |
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