MorobeMiner 29 JunJulAug 2014

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MOROBEMINEREdition 29, 2014 Creating a world class mineral province in Papua New Guinea

Bringing you stories of our people, operations and thecommunities in which we work.

Queen Emma Chocolate visits

In this

issue...

16

Laboratory certied

4

Mine hits production targets

2

211,690 ounces of gold within costs

Milestone achievement for Morobe Mining

Lower Watut cocoa farmers one step closer

Production recordHidden Valley sets higher targets after achieving targetproduction for FY 2013-14.


2/162 Morobe Miner Newsletter Edition 29

Greg Jackson - Chief Executive Officer

CEOs Message

2014 marks the 6th year of the

Morobe Mining Joint Ventures

operations in Morobe Province.6

MOROBE MINER is produced by the Media

& Communications Department of MMJV.

Permission must be obtained for the

reprinting of articles in this employee-

stakeholder newsletter.

Editor: David Wissink

Contributors: Clive Hawigen, Carl Hayes,

Morne Swart, Stan Bierschenk, Bruce

McLennan, Mark Handley, Gordon Warvi,

Salome Vincent, Samuel Toposona, Walter

Pondrelei, Rachael Lennie & Jeremy Mark

Send comments or contributions to:

[email protected] Box 4015 Lae 411, Morobe Province

Papua New Guinea

Morobe Mining Joint Ventures (MMJV) is

equally owned by Harmony Gold Mining

Company Limited (50%) and Newcrest

Mining Limited (50%). MMJV comprises

of three joint ventures - Hidden Valley JointVenture (HVJV), Wafi-Golpu Joint Venture

(WGJV) and Morobe Exploration Joint

Venture (MEJV).

P3. HV GMs message

P4. Bucks for trucks achieves targets

P5. ER team prepares for challenge

P6. Safety rolls out BBS training

P7. NISIT certifies laboratory

P8. The winning culture of 2014

P10. Travel staff undergo tr aining

P11. Happy 39th Independence PNG

P12. Where are they now?

P14. Road awareness rolls out

P15. Partnership delivers buildings

P16. Watut cocoa makes history

In thismonthsnewsletter Hello all and welcome to another edition of Morobe Miner. A

lot has happened in the last three months, more significantlya milestone achievement for Hidden Valley furtherstrengthening our position as a mining leader in Papua NewGuinea.

At the end of Financial Year 2014 in June this year, HiddenValley reached a record production of gold, a biggest achievement in the mines history andbreaking the previous record it set in 2011.

But this would not have been possible without a coordinated team effort from every employee.We have developed a new culture, a culture of success in The Way We Work initiative andeveryone involved throughout all our sites should be congratulated. Let us keep this newculture burning into the new financial year and onwards.

Prefeasibility work is progressing on the Wafi-Golpu Project. We are working withstakeholders including government and landowners to ensure project alignment for thepermitt ing of an early works program commencing in 2015. We will report more on thisprocess in the next edition of the Morobe Miner.

Again the level of commitment to our communities remains as high as ever. We are seeingmore successes in our partnerships with the government through its provincial and locallevel institutions and with the communities and their ward development plans. Our cocoafarmers in the Lower Watut have tasted their own chocolate produced from their cocoa treesfor the first time. This is a result of hard work and commitment to our people over the years.

The introduction of adult literacy and numeracy programs is providing a chance to thosewhove never had the opportunity to learn how to read and write, the continued communityhealth programs, and capacity building programs ensures we strengthen the communities in

which we work. A strong emphasis continues been put on partnerships and working together.Without the support from key stakeholders much of the success in our communities is notpossible.

We have to keep reminding ourselves of putt ing extra focus on safety at the workplace andto be proactive at all times. Safety still remains our priority. Take time to identify hazards

either it be our behaviour towards our colleagues or our work environment and put in controlmeasures. At the end of the day our families depend on us and we must ensure that we aredoing the right thing at the right time every time.

We hope you enjoy this edition of Morobe Miner and look forward to your support to makeMorobe Mining the most successful mining organisation in PNG.

To our readers from all corners of the country and overseas, thank you for spending timereading about our stories please share with your family and friends.

Hidden Valley hits record productionHidden Valley reached record production of211, 690 ounces of gold for the Financial Year2014.

This is the biggest achievement in the mineshistory, breaking the 201, 464 set in 2011.

The target was achievable through constantsafe practices, delivery of production costs;and reducing operation costs.

For the initial six months, Hidden Valleymine operated with only one medical injury,and also achieved a cash cost of $997/oz,meeting its All in Sustaining target cost of$1000/oz.

During a gathering with Processing staff,Hidden Valley General Manager, Bevan

Jones said: What weve achieved in the last12 months is a lot and its because of ourconstant drive to maintain our safety culture.The success of our business was because ofsafe production and management of bothemployees and work place productively.

Mr Jones commended the teamworkbetween all departments across the businessfor the achievements.

We need to be proud of the trend we carryat Hidden Valley. All the good things weve

been doing in the last year, we need tomaintain that. We understand how we workand we should continue with The Way We

Work Culture to continue our success.

Hidden Valley mine


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It is with pleasure that I am able to announce

the physical results achieved at Hidden

Valley for the 2014 financial year (FY14).

Firstly and most importantly we have

managed our mine so that nobody was

seriously harmed and all our employees

have been able to go home healthy to their

families.

We did however have an incident where

one of our colleagues was injured seriously

enough on the 28th June that required

medical treatment from our doctors which

is classed as a Medically Treated Injury

(MTI). This was the first MTI sustained at

Hidden Valley in over six months and serves

as a reminder that we can never stop beingvigilant in the tasks that we do every day.

If we let our guard down and do not focus

on the right behaviours or apply the safety

tools we have been trained in, then an injur y

can occur. We are fortune that this injury is

not life changing and the individual did not

lose any time from work.

During the full year we have seen our

Serious Injury Frequency Rate (SIFR) drop

to record low levels which is an excellent

result and reinforces the fact that a safe

workplace is a productive workplace that

achieves production targets.

We produced 211,690oz of gold and for

the first time in Hidden Valleys history

achieved a full year gold budget target. This

was a spectacular effort that everyone needs

to be proud of.

The year was not without its production

hurdles, some were foreseen others were

not. What makes this achievement all the

more meaningful to me was that as a team

we banded together, faced the adversity,

developed a plan to get us back on track,

executed the plan, used our The Way

We Work tool kit and were ultimatelysuccessful.

The actual cost results are still being

calculated but at this stage there is every

possibility that we will also achieve our

target of $1000/oz All In Sustaining Cost

(AISC).

It is very pleasing to be able to announce

such positive results.

Without the sustained effort of everyone in

the Morobe Mining team, this result would

not have been possible. For that I thank you

all.

The Morobe Mining team is definitely a

winner and we all need to celebrate that

we achieved what we said we were going

to do - to make Hidden Valley a successful

and sustainable

mine.

FY15 isshaping up to

be even more

challenging than that of FY14 with higher

expectations in all areas. We must ensure

that we have a safe workplace free from harm

where we can work productively. We also

have increases in all physical production

targets that will have to be closely tracked

and effort put in every day to ensure that we

meet them.

FY15 will be an exciting year with major

reinvestment with a purchase a new Mining

Fleet to ensure that we are able to meet ourincreased production targets. It is now up to

all of us to stay focused, play our role in the

team, use our The Way We Work tools and

keep winning.

I know you can do it Team Morobe Mining!

Bevan Jones - GM Hidden Valley

211,690oz of Gold!

July shutdownsuccessful at HVOn July 8, the processing plant completedthe first shutdown after the major reline ofthe SAG mill in April.

This was the first 24-hour shutdown eventintended for servicing the mill motors,replacement of the mill feed chute and otherminor repairs and improvements.

During this, the processing metallurgicaland reliability teams recordedmeasurements and data in the SAG millto establish liner wear rate and provided aprediction of the mill successfully operating

for six months without any shell relining.An improved design of the SAG millautomated ball charger feeder was installed.This will provide an increased accuracy ingrinding media addition to further improvestability in milling rate.

This exercise forms part of the shutdownschedule moving from the historic three-monthly relining shut to once every sixmonths. This operational change willprovide an average of K4.7 million per year

benefit to Morobe Mining in reduced costsand increased mill utilisation.

The critical path task was the laseralignment of the mill drive train. Both drivesof the SAG mill were aligned to provide less

vibration during operation which will leadto longer mill motor and gearbox life andreduce the risk of premature failure.

The Safety and Emergency Response teamsassisted greatly in ensuring all activitiesprogressed safely and without incident.

It was extremely satisfying to see all thesafety precautions in place to ensure safe

completion of this important shutdownevent.

Congratulations to all employees involvedin this successful program.

The PDS Condition Monitoring Services teamcarrying out the mill drive laser alignment.

MINING PHYSICALS UNITS FY14

Actual Budget 2014 Variance

Ore Mined

Ore Mined Tonnes 5,023,759 4,201,956 821,803

Waste Mined (In-pit) Tonnes 16,387,426 16,806,412 (418,985)

Total Material Mined Tonnes 21,411,185 21,008,368 402,817

Milled Tonnes 4,002,568 3,942,830 59,738

Gold Grade g/t 1.88 1.90 (0.02)

Gold Recovery Recovery % 88.2% 88.0% 0.2%

Total Gold Ounces Produced Oz 211,690 211,642 48

The physical results achieved are summarised in the table.



By Francis Kaikum - Business ImprovementAnalyst

The success story of the Short IntervalControl (SIC) implementation at Hidden

Valley is evident in the Processing Plant.

The plant stability and performanceimprovement over the last year is one of thekey driving forces behind our achievementin cost reduction and ounce production.

There is improved individual employeeengagement and the teams have gainedcontrol over how the plant is operated.

SIC is a structured audit by the operator foridentifying stability or gaps in a process.

SIC records data at regular intervals; every1 to 4 hours, or 3 to 4 times per shift. Thedata is used to correct variance to operating

requirements in a short time frame.Operators understand what the processdoes and recognise if the process is workingas required or not.

The operator keeps the process in stability,knowing what to change in the process by

what is occurring in the process.

SIC exposes these variances to identifyopportunities to improve the effectivenessand efficiency of that process.

Hidden Valley needs stability in its

operations from mine planning to oreprocessing so we can maximise the goldextraction potential from the stakeholderinvestment.

SIC brings ownership and accountabilityto the operator, improving their knowledge

and effectiveness.

SIC empowers team members to take directaction in their areas of responsibililty byoffering them actions to complete whencertain process conditions are met.

This maintains optimum operating

conditions and stability and for operators toescalate when a process goes outside of theircontrol.

SIC is a part of The Way We Work culture.It encourages teams to work together,share ideas and promote safe workpractices achieving regular incrementalimprovements to Planning, Mobile FleetMaintenance, Mining Operations, MaterialMovements and Gold Processing.

SIC implementation has been successfulin the Processing operations because theteams commit to the adoption, continually

audit their compliance and challengethemselves to be in control.

Our aim is to make a success story for theentire Hidden Valley Mine operations withSIC implementation site wide.

Bucks forTrucks

achievestargets

By Sydor Utaeo & Rodney Burgess

The Operation Department is managingits cost and improving production sothat the overall All in Sustaining CashCost (AISC) of $1,000 per ounce targetis realised safely.

Of the several business cost and

production improvement initiations,the Bucks for Trucks Program wasimplemented in late May 2014 incollaboration with Mine TrainingDepartment at Hidden Valley Mine.

The Bucks for Trucks (B4T) Programwas geared towards eliminatingbottlenecks within the loading, haulingand dumping production cycle bypromoting optimal use of the currentfleet capacity, operator skills andeffective supervision to reach KPITargets.

The program also entrenches The Way

We Work culture and discipline intothe Operation Department Team.

The input measured in time wasmanaged in the mine operationproduction cycle to achieve extratonnes of material using the currentfleet capacity.

These inputs managed under the B4TProgram were the Truck Spot Time,Excavator Load Time (first bucket tolast bucket), Truck Queue Time, DumpTime and Haul Cycle Time on a fullcircuit.

During the B4T Program improvementswere evident in all of the inputs.PC2000 Excavator material loadingtime on HD785 Trucks improvedduring the B4T Program for allOperation Crew in Hamata. The loadtimes were below three minutes.

The Outputs measured were ExcavatorDig Rate, Truck Payloads and Total

Material Movement (TMM).There were some record productionimprovements observed in Hamataduring the program on Excavator Dig-rate, Truck Payloads and the TMM.

During the B4T Program there was anotable improvement in the ExcavatorEX702 productivity rates which wasabove the 1,100 tonnes per hour for allthe Mine Operation Crew.

The benefit associated with theB4T Program on the business wasimpressive.

Some of the benefits were theimprovement in achieving the overallMining Physicals and AISC $1,000 perounce targets, optimal use of currentMine Operations Productive Capacity,Up-skilling Mine Operators in line

with Line of Progression (LOP) andmaking Hidden Valley Mine a saferplace to work.

Potential benefits, if each PC2000loading unit achieved 2 loads more perhour, equates to 24 loads a shift, 48loads a day, 336 loads a week and 1,344loads per month.

Short Interval Control a success story

SIC ensures any variances in processes are correctedbefore they get out of hand.



By Michael Moiya, Metallurgical Technician

The Metallurgical team at the processingdepartment attended a training on mineralprocessing technology recently.

Professor Jacques Eksteen (ChairHydrometallurgy) and Greg Wardell-Johnson (Senior Research Metallurgist)from Western Australia School of Mines atCurtin University conducted the training.

The training was sponsored by Harmonyand Newcrest as part of the AMIRA P420Project.

This sponsorship provides for surveysof the Gravity and CIL circuits and from

this computer models will be developed toto determine how these circuits could beimproved and made more efficient.

It was an excellent opportunity to learn abouthow the area of ore mineralogy impacts thedifferent stages of our processes, gravity,

flotation, con leach, CIL and refinery.

The entire team was impressed and certainly

learnt a lot from this course. They also learntthe planning and implementation requiredfor plant surveys to be carried out properly.

I was enlightened by the relevant andvaluable information presented as itwas based on extensive research by the

presenters.

It has certainly added value to our work asmetallurgical technicians; broadening ourknowledge on the metallurgical aspect ofgold processing.

I have also come to realise and appreciatethe vital role we play towards the recoveryof gold here in Hidden Valley.

The course notes provided were very usefulfor future reference and self-development.

This was a worthy initiative provided byHarmony and Newcrest to the ProcessingDepartment and proved to be a success.

Staff who attended included Osborne

Kiluwa, Fred Anis, Imae Iofa, MatthewNiso, Jimmy Kop, Jacklyne Ben, GabrielDingi, William Chan, James Zerre, DorishNari, Gloria Abba, Joe Kikako, Nigel Kenewiand Amos Moka (student).

By Brett Corney - APDOperations Superintendent

The 2014 Emergency ResponseChallenge is fast approachingand once again Morobe Miningis supporting this importantevent by competing in thechallenge.

The 2014 event will be hosted byNewcrest Lihir in Kavieng fromSeptember 18 to 21.

The team started intensivetraining on July 15 andare covering all aspects ofemergency response.

The team will be pushed to thelimit by competing in simulatedreal life events including FireFighting, Search & Rescue inBreathing Apparatus, MultipleCasualty (First Aid), RopeRescue, Endurance, HazardousChemical Spill Response andTheory.

This is the first time teamMorobe Mining will consist ofonly auxiliary members fromthe Hidden Valley Emergency

Response Team.

These volunteers will competeagainst full-time teams fromOk Tedi, Lihir, and Ramu Nickel(two teams).

Barrick Porgera and Oil Search

will use a mixture of full-timeand volunteer teams. Simberi

like Morobe Mining will featurea volunteer team and a teamfrom Tolukuma may also takepart.

This years ER Challenge teamare:

David Wawa (Drill and Blast)

Benedict Saun (NKW)

Rueben Warmaue (Safety)

Sailas Kamoang (Safety)

Bonny Iso (Site Services)

Donny Bryon (Tyre Fitter)

Rael Kageni (Warehouse)

Kenneth Sata (Mobile FleetMaintenance).

Team Captain David Wawa saidthe team has been preparing

well.

We begin with a theory sessionand then we go into the practicaltraining. We have some new menon the team but Im confident

well be ready for the challenge,

David said.

The ER team thanks eachdepartment for releasing theirstaff to attend the training andthe competition. In return theyget employees with new skillsand commitment.

Meanwhile, Morobe MiningER was also nominated to runthe tough endurance event this

year.

Endurance and fitness is apriority for emergency responseteams and this years event has

been designed to combine valuessuch as Working Together,Courage, and Commitmentand as with every task we do in

Safety.

All in all, the company still reapsthe rewards by having a better

trained emergency responseteam ready to respond safely,efficiently and professionally atany time.

Good luck to our team and GoTeam Morobe Mining!

ER team prepares

for challenge

Metallurgy team attends training



Safety rolls outBBS trainingThe Hidden Valley Safety

team has embarked onBehaviour Based Safety(BBS) training roll-out that isexpected to reinforce existingsafety practises site wide.

Team leaders are expected to beable to enforce proper controland manage risks in theirrespective workplaces.

In June the team began the RiskManagement and BehaviourBased Safety training foremployees in leadership roles at

the mine site, as well as at LaeCentral Services.

Safety Coordinator BerniceSuma said BBS focuses onemployees behavior and therisks associated.

We are carrying out thistraining to help them changetheir at-risk behaviours so thatthey are more conscious and

aware of the level of safety when

carrying out a certain task,Bernice said.

She said the training isbeing driven from themanagement level down wheresupervisors, coordinatorsand superintendents who areimmediately attached to theirsubordinates can implement.

During the training, we teachthe participants how to analysesituations and make them awareof possible at-risk behaviours

that may lead to incidents andinjuries, Bernice said.

Part of the roll-out includesthe use of a new tool - MajorHazard Cards. These cardsare put in place to strengthenexisting safety measures andchecklists for the different levelsof management.

The cards are categorised in

colors: Yellow for operators,Green for supervisors, Blue forsuperintendents and Red formanagers.

Safety Coordinator Joel Amanisaid the cards identify hazardsin various work areas and listthe control measures that can

be taken to minimise the risks.

The training also helps teamleaders how to approach theirsubordinates and correct themimmediately by acknowledgingpositive behaviours, Joel said.

Mobile Fleet WarehouseCoordinator, Richard Gimlolo,

was among the first teamleaders to attend the training.He found the training to be very

helpful and informative.

Some of the things we learntclarified and highlighted risksthat I wasnt aware of in my

work area. We were taught alsohow to approach our staff andresolve at-risk behaviours in apositive way, he said.

Hidden Valley hosted an Internal & ExternalGrievance Workshop in June.

Fifty-seven staff attended the trainingwhich was jointly facilitated by the HumanResources & Training Department inpartnership with the Department of Labour& Industrial Relations (DLIR).

GM Bevan Jones emphasised the importanceof the workshop in his opening address.

This session is about understanding someof the legal framework and expectations ofour organisation, society and governmentabout how we conduct ourselves. When wefollow the systems that are in place, we arepracticing our workplace culture, which isThe Way We Work, Mr Jones said.

Morobe Mining Industrial RelationsSuperintendent, Norbert Sale presentedthe Internal Grievance Process to membersof the Employees Representative Council

(ERC) and operational and technicalsupervisors.

Mr Sale said the presentations gaveparticipants the know-how to assist themin settling work-related issues at theearliest, and prevent potential disputes and

industrial actions.

Industrial Relations Manager Herman Gireprovided the External Grievance process

presentation and Industrial Registrar,Helen Saleu gave an indepth look at the roleof her office.

The question raised on isolating anoffence from a grievance was a good one.Differentiating the two terms will helpas many times non-work related issuesget caught up in work-related ones. Itsimportant to separate them if you want toresolve matters well, Mrs Saleu said.

ERC member Clement Marisa said theworkshop has given the ERC a chance toarrange the order of the grievance processfrom their perspective.

The workshop has elevated my skills andconfidence in addressing and resolving

work-related issues. We can be able toguide those who have been aggrieved, andhelp them present their grievances to the

management the right way, he said.

APD Surveil lance Supervisor, Agnes Daniel,supported Mr Marisas comments.

I now understand my role in managinggrievances before they escalate, Agnes said.

During discussions, communicationwas identified as a key factor in betterunderstanding the grievance process.

Fixed Plant Senior Planner & Scheduler,Michael Babul said: Better communicationof grievance processes helps everyone fromthe shop-floor to management to fullyunderstand how to handle grievances andtheir responsibilities in enforcing theseprocesses.

HR Superintendent Bebea Konie saidfeedback from participants was positive

with suggestions to have similar workshopsrun site-wide in future.

The participants after the workshop.

Staff attend

grievance

workshop

Process ing staff going througha Major Hazards checklist (top)and Safety Officer Rachael Paruassisting mine crew members (inset)understand the new tool.



Hidden Valley Mines Environment

Laboratory is now certified under

ISO/IEC 17025 Standard, writes

Environment Superintendent Jatrepa

Tinkerame.

NISITcertifies

laboratory

The International Organisation forStandardisation (IS0) and InternationalElectrotechnical Commission (IEC) 17025

Standard is a general requirement for thecompetence of testing and calibration used

by laboratories in the world.

Hidden Valleys laboratory was certifiedunder this standard through the PNGLaboratory Accreditation Scheme(PNGLAS) of the National Institute ofStandards and Industrial Technology(NISIT).

Morobe Minings Environment Manager,Edward Nicholas, who received thecertificate in Port Moresby on June 29, saidit was a milestone achievement.

ISO 17025 is the main ISO standard used bytesting and calibration laboratories to meetthe general requirements for competency inthis service, he said.

This accreditation sets the scene for thelaboratory to expand the facility includingaddition of more test procedures to whatthe laboratory has currently applied for andreceived endorsement.

Mr Nicholas said not only will there besignificant cost reductions in analyticalservices but more importantly it willprovide a working environment conducive

for professionals to be developed in thisarea of environmental management andmonitoring.

In presenting the certificate, the Director

General of NISIT, Victor Gabi mentionedthat obtaining accreditation to suchinternational standards is a long processand congratulated the mine on the hard

work and high standards it showed inobtaining the certification.

Hidden Valley General Manager, BevanJones, and General Manager Sustainability& External Relations, David Wissink,

congratulated the team and said this alsoprovided the opportunity to continuedeveloping the local capacity to work in thelaboratory.

Work began in October 2012 to documentthe laboratory quality management systemto conform to the standard and all drafts

were completed in January 2013. Anexternal review was completed in March2013 and the laboratory commencedimplementation of the system in April of thesame year. An external audit was carriedout by PNGLAS and National Associationof Testing Associations (NATA - Australia)

on the system in July 2013. The laboratorysatisfied all conditions raised by the auditorsin December 2013 taking 13 months in totalto complete the process.

Since then, the laboratory has participatedin a number of proficiency testing programs

which compares the performance of similartesting laboratories in the Asia-Pacificregion and has done well particularly for

Weak Acid Dissociable Cyanide (WADCN)and Total Cyanide (TCN) testing.

In the meantime, the Department ofEnvironment and Conservation (DEC) has

verifi

ed and given Hidden Valley Operationsthrough the Environment Department athumbs-up for meeting requirements withinthe Environment Permit for the Hidden

Valley Mine. The DEC team paid a visit tothe Hidden Valley mine on July 11, to confimthe 2013 annual report.

DECs Environment Standards ManagerRobert Sine said they visited the TailingsStorage Facility, Processing Plant, sewerage

treatment plant, waste rock dumps andvehicle workshops.

These areas are covered under thatEnvironment permit. Our preliminery

judgement is that these areas are incompliance with the permit, Mr Sine said.

Mr Nicholas said the verification addsvalidity and transparency to the 2013Environment Management and Monitoringreport.

As stated in the report, the complianceperformance has improved significantlyfrom the early days of operations right

through to last year. We now have a goodhandle on the areas they visited, he said.

Top: Coordinator Lab Services Dominic Bainok (top)and Lab Technicians Anne Anonga and Bacchiocchi

Jarabi with the Certificate.

Bottom: Mr Nicholas, DEC Acting Manager forTerrestrial & Protected Areas, Benside Thomas,

Principal Scient ist Gabriel Luluaki and Mr Sine.

Warehouse staff equipped with new skillsTwenty employees from Hidden

Valley completed an intensivehands-on WarehousingTraining in June.

The program was facilitatedby Australian based Training

Institute of Queensland (TIQ).

Training Facilitator Ben Klatt ofFMS Training Services said thetraining was a success.

The trainees were grateful that

they learnt new skills. Being thefirst of its kind in this area ofPapua New Guinea, its successmeans a lot for the employees,he said.

Topics covered in the training

included health and safety,dangerous goods, stock controland organising receival anddispatch operations.

After completing the program,participants received a

nationally accredited CertificateI, II, or III in WarehousingOperations.

Storeman, Ray Yokolo saidthe training increased hisknowledge and skills in carrying

out his tasks.

I developed the skills andknowledge expected from thistraining, Mr Yokolo said.

Participants dur ing the training.



Hidden Valley came alive on July 28-31 when

they celebrated a successful Financial Year2013/14 with songs, traditional dancing and

various activities.

Traditional dancers from Watut, Biangaiand Kamkumung villages in Lae broughtthe traditions of Morobe to the site.

Popular PNG musician Armstrong Gomara,known by his stage name Dadii Gii,entertained the crowd as well with his hits.

Safety boots turned into dancing shoesas staff burned the dance floor with theirsignature moves.

Hidden Valleys newly formed TWWWBand, comprising talented miners andcontractors, blasted out their compositionsand renditions; a unique blend ofcontemporary PNG and rock style.

In the true sense of celebrations, everyone

present at the Adam Wright Recreation Hall

celebrated with gusto.

Yet none of this would have come aboutwithout The Way We Work (TW WW)initiative that has created a new culture;a culture of success at HV and throughoutMorobe Minings Operations site wide.

Hidden Valleys General Manager BevanJones was full of praise saying that althoughthe journey had been a difficult one, theyhave been able to convert all the hard work,through TWWW initiative, into success.

The Way We Work is really about theculture we want to come to work and use.That culture is a combination of all thethings which are good in all the variouscultures within PNG and countries wherethe expatriates come from.

Its a set of ideals and a set of social rules

that when we come to work we can put aside

our various differences, understand thatsystem and use it every day to make surethat were successful, Mr Jones said.

He said success did not come by accident.

In early 2013 when we started to showpeople the tools and behaviours that we

wanted them to use, we saw a huge degreeof improvement within our work teams. Soinstead of having targets which once seemedimpossible, we were able to band togetherand use those tools, and our new cultureand put together the winning ingredients.

Mr Jones said all staff and those who hadbeen a part of the Morobe Mining team inthe last couple of years should be justifiablyproud of the effort and results that theyhave achieved to ensure that Hidden Valleyachieves a viable open pit mine.

The Way We Work

The Winning Cultur


9/16

FY14

Milestones

1,949,691ounces produced

FY15Targets

$1,100/ozby June 30, 2015

242,745ounces

9ww w.morobejv.com & w ww.morobeminer.com

Thank you very much and appreciate

your participation in our journey andremember that this is all about TW WW,the winning culture of 2014, he said.

Hidden Valley site managers were giventhe opportunity to thank their teams fora successful financial year.

Most of them thanked their workersfor their commitment and dedication.They said without their workers fullyembracing TWWW, they would not haveachieved results.

Morobe Provincial GovernmentAdministrator, Giyoving Bilong,congratulated Hidden Valley forachieving a milestone.

He said the success of HV is a successfor the government of Morobe Provinceand its people and gave two reasons why

celebrating this success was important.

He said the first reason from thecompanys fruition goes in line withthe governments vision 2050 to see allsucceed in life and be smart, healthy and

wealthy.

The government wants to see thathappen in the lives of every citizen inthe country. And to succeed in life andto achieve those outcomes we can rideon important events that take place and

work together as a team, he said.

He said the other thing was theimportance of learning and observingfrom these successes.

I think its important for us to learnfrom the company, employ the strategiesand succeed and try to apply it in ourindividual lives, he said.

of 2014

211,690ounces produced

Gold

Silver

Gold

AISC


10/16

v

10 Morobe Miner Newsletter Edition 29

Tier 5

Tier 4

Tier 3

Tier 2

Tier 1

Hidden

Valley

Training

Events in

Q1-Q4 FY14

Professional Development Processing/MaintenanceOperations

201

78

151

850

689

750

342346

357

350

609

624

714

2377

305

Rose takes abigger step

Training Coordinator Rose Sogowa hascome a long way.

Rose was recently promoted to her currentposition; an exciting occasion for her andthe Operations Training Department atHidden Valley.

Rose comes from a mixed parentage ofWinima in the Biangai area of BuloloDistrict, and Madang Province. It has

been six years since she began as a Tier 1Trainee Heavy Equipment Operator.

Rose is the second Tier 1 female at HiddenValley to be promoted to the level ofCoordinator and the first aligned withmining operations.

It was a goal I had set for myself when Istarted work as an operator. Im happy tohave achieved it. I believe I deserve thisrole and Im looking forward to learningand contributing more to the departmentand company as a whole, she said.

For the last three years Rose hasfulfilled the role of Supervisor Trainerafter completing the Train the Trainerand Certificate IV Trainer Assessorqualifications.

Rose is also accredited to facilitateadvanced level training in the Simulatorfor haul truck operators.

Senior Training Coordinator, RobertYuen, congratulated Rose and said thepromotion marked a significant milestonefor Operations Training.

It aligns with the succession planning forthe training team, Robert said.

We congratulate Rose for demonstratingthe dedication required to move up tothe next level and look forward to hercontribution to the Training Departmentand Morobe Mining.

We are Morobe Mining....Julie Sugoho - Customs Coordinator I

enjoy working with a TEAM and believe that

Together Everyone Achieves More.

I work with a dynamic logistic team to ensure

that imported shipments are cleared through

customs and collected in a timely and cost

effect ive manner.

This includes tracking containers that

come in and ensuring that they return whenemptied.

One day I would like to travel the world. Theres a lot of places in the world Id like to

visit, but the place I had in mind for a long time is Vancouver in Canada. Id like to meet

up with my former high school science teacher and to see a real maple tree.

Rose at her desk

Travel staff undergo trainingThe Facilities and Travel Departmentattended two trainings last week with AirNiugini and the Flight Safety Foundation.

Air Niuginis Non-Technical Instructorand Trainer, Martin Tugano, facilitatedthe Dangerous Goods Acceptance and

Awareness training for travel officers on

the August 9. The training was delivered inline with the International Air Transport

Association (IATA) regulation book ondangerous goods.

Its important to know that what goes intoan aircraft is safe for the aircraft, crew andpassengers. They must also understand

why certain goods are dangerous andcan cause harm while in flight. We alsocovered packaging and identifying hazardlabels, Mr Tugano said.

Travel Officer Neshane Paro was happywith the training. The industry we

work in uses dangerous chemicals so itsimportant for us to know how to transportthem safely, Neshane said.

Meanwhile, the Aviation Coordinators

training took place from August 9 to10. It was facilitated by Safety AviationCoordinator with Newcrest, Mark

Wheatley.

Mr Wheatley introduced the FlightSafety Foundations Aviation Coordinator

Course (AVCO) which covered aeronautical knowledge, aviation jargon,hazards specific to aviation, and contractmanagement.

Mr Tugano explaining why and how certaindangerous goods are packaged for transportation.

Tier 1 = NAKUWI Landowners Tier 2 = People of Bulolo District Tier 3 = People ofMorobe Province Tier 4 = People of PNG Tier 5 = Non-Citizens



Morobe Mining staff observed PNGs 39th Independence Dayon September 16 site wide.

Staff at Lae PCS organised a flag-raising ceremony tocommemorate the countrys most significant history.

Staff and their families gathered at dawn in front of the main

office to welcome the 39th independence sunrise and sing theNational Anthem.

Education Supervisor, Philip Chanei and his family took chargeof raising the flag; all clad in traditional gear and PNG colours.

Group Human Resource Manager, Ellenor Iutiko, shared herviews on Morobe Minings values; Honesty, Integrity, Courage,Working Together, Creativity & Innovation, Respect andCommitment to Our People..

She said these values are all captured in the PNG NationalAnthem and the Pledge as well.

Despite our cultural diversity, on this day we stand togetherproud as one nation. We should be proud that though we may be

a small country, we are contributing to the world, Ellenor said.

Following the ceremony, a get together was arranged for staffand families to celebrate the rest of the occasion with gamesand traditional performances.

At Wafi-Golpu, Hengambu locals from Hekeng Village donatedfruits and vegetables as their independence gift to empolyees atthe WafiCamp. Wafis administration and Community Affairsstaff met with the locals and received the gifts on behalf of theircolleagues.

The team at Hidden Valley also marked the occassion when aNCS team cooked up a huge PNG style feast.

Theresa Osikore - Administration Coordinator Sustainability &

External Relations After graduating from UPNG with a Bachelor

of Arts in Physical Geography

and Urban Planning, I started my

career in the mining industry as an

administration officer with the then

Australian Goldfields in 1997.

17 years on and after witnessing

various companies changing until

Morobe Mining took over in 2008, Ihave seen the operation grow to its

present stage.

A long term employment is important, positive attitude towards life

are keys to enjoying your work and I am enjoying my work.

JacK Waso - Dog Handler, Hidden

Valley Gold mine I have been

working as a Dog Handler with HV

Asset Protection Department since

2009.

Its a good job and I enjoy it. As a dog

handler I know that my dog will save

my life.

My current companion is Bear. Bear

is a good dog and is obedient andcan be aggressive sometimes. We are sent to locations where the

company management wants us to be to guard their propert y.

Its not so lonesome out there as long as I have my trusted pal.

Happy 39thIndependence

From right to left: Hekeng villagers with the food they donated to the WafiCamp; WafiProject Coordinator, Kailene Songoa (left) and Mr Chanei (right) posefor a picture with their daughter after the flag raising ceremony in Lae; Children entertaining the crowd with a traditional West Papua dance .



Growing up in the beautifuland quiet Wau town, StephanieFunumari said she never forgother parents advice to be alwaysfaithful in serving God.

My parents, even to this day,always tell my three brothersand I that whatever we do,our motives must be right and

pleasing to God, and I always tryto abide by that, she said.

The twenty four year-old comesfrom a mixed parentage ofKwembu Village in the BiangaiDistrict, and Karkar Islandin Madang Province. She isa Resident Health ExtensionOfficer at the ANGAU MemorialGeneral Hospital in Lae.

This year she completed a four-year degree course in Rural

Health at the Divine WordUniversity in Madang and beganher two-year residency.

Since I was 7 years old, Ideveloped an interest in health.That interest stuck with me forthe rest of my primary school

years and so when I applied forfurther studies, I chose DWU to

study health.

I like to help people. I get thatfrom my mum who was my rolemodel growing up. People likeher because she is friendly, kindand funny.

While doing her Grade 12 atGrace Memorial Secondaryin 2002, her relatives fromKwembu submitted anapplication through the Nakuwi

Association for school fee

support under Morobe Miningsscholarship program.

She was successful and MorobeMining paid her school fees inthe first two years of studies.

Im thankful to Nakuwiand Morobe Mining for thescholarship. I was able tostudy Rural Health and thesupport also helped my parentsfinancially as I also had three

brothers who were in school atthat time, Stephanie said.

Stephanies father, MasarFunumari, said he is proud ofhis daughters achievements.

Theres a need for healthworkers and my daughter cancontribute to bridging that gap.Morobe Mining is contributing

a lot to PNGs human resource,he said.

Stephanie said her work atANGAU is very challenging asshe deals with sick people everyday. She said it takes a lot ofpatience and hours spent in thehospital.

I would like to continue hereeven after my residency ends.I want to have the opportunity

to work in the rural areas someday, she said.

Stephanie has plans to pursueher health career and studymedicine. For now she is content

with her residency.

My motto is Stay low and aimhigh. It means to live simply, buthave big dreams and work hard.I encourage others to work hardand concentrate on their studiesand follow their dreams.

Whereare they

now?

Andrew Kupa comes from Nauti Vil lage andis studying towards a Degree in Accountingat the University of Technology in Lae.

In his mid-30s, Andrew is determined toexcel in his studies. After completing Grade10 at Grace Memorial Secondary School 18

years ago, he had never given up on attaininga university degree.

In 1996, he joined the exploration geologyteam from Conzinc Riotinto of Australia(CRA) as a field assistant working in what isnow Hidden Valley.

He then took up six months of clericalstudies at the Commercial Training Centrein Lae before becoming a Village LiaisonOfficer with Australian Goldfields, who took

over from CRA, to prepare the communityfor mining.

In 2002, Andrew and many of his colleagueswere laid off because new company Aurora,who had taken over from AustralianGoldfields, went belly up.

In 2007 he was recruited again, this timewith the drill and blast team during theconstruction phase of Hidden Valley.

Andrew eventually joined the CommunityAffairs team and worked there until 2010when he left for studies.

During these times I was always lookingfor an opportunity to further my skills and

being in the workforce for some time now itmotivated me to aim high., he said.

Andrew is grateful for the support byMorobe Mining.

Morobe Minings tertiary

education assistance scheme

is turning dreams into reality for

local students at Hidden Valley

mine and Wafi-Golpu Project

areas. This issue features two

young individuals who have

come a long way thanks to the

company.

Stephanie Funumari

Andrew Kupa



Literacy teachers graduate

Twenty year-old Martha Lennyfrom Hekeng village put asideher dreams of being a nurse totake on elementary teaching.

Early this year I was on my wayto to Browne Nursing School ona ship when rough seas capsizedour boat. I was fortunate to

be alive, but I was shaken bythe experience and instead ofcontinuing, I returned home.

While at home, the communityat Hekeng approached me andasked if I could teach elementaryschool aged children becauseI had a higher education levelthan any other person in the

village.

Martha was among twelve localsfrom the Wafi-Golpu region

who completed a weeks Early

Education & Induction trainingin early July.

The training was preparedand delivered by the BuloloEducation Services and MorobeMining.

Morobe Minings educationteam came to see me and invitedme to take up the training. Atthat time, I was creating lessonsfrom my own ideas and teachingthe children. I had no teachingqualifications but I saw andunderstood Hekengs need forelementary education and I wasmore than willing to help. I saidyes, Martha said.

The aim of the training was toassist the trainee teachers gain

basic skills and knowledge onthe early childhood educationconcept to better understandchildren and how to deal withtheir learning processes.

The course covered eleven topics;Child Development; Caring

for Children; The ElementaryTeacher; Curriculum toLessons; Teaching Methods;Culture & Community;School Administration; Pupil

Assessment & Reporting;

Material Production; HIV/AIDSAwareness; and Phonics.

While addressing the trainees,District Education Advisor JohnTjipet said: When you have thesame devleopment goals, workin partnership to achieve them.

Community & RuralDevelopment Manager,Benjamin Kamaya, alsocommended them for theirpassion and commitment tohelping their communities.

Morobe Mining is always happyto support capacity buildingprograms that the governmentplans for you. We believe inpartnership because positiveresults stem out from workingtogether.

Currently, there are a little over

500 locals from the Wafi-Golpuarea who were enrolled andtrained under the Adult Literacy& Numeracy program.

Locals complete induction training

The illiterate population in the Wafi-Golpuregion in Morobe Province will now havethe chance to learn to read and write.

Fifteen locals from the area completeda three-week course in June on Adult

Literacy & Numeracy Teacher Training atTimini Village. These locals now have skillsnecessary to pass on the vital knowledge totheir communities; many who have missedout on an education due to remoteness.

This was the first Teacher Trainingunder Morobe Minings Adult Literacy &Numeracy Program. The trainees camefrom Timini, Dengea, Hekeng, Venembeli,Pekumbe, Pokwaluma, Pokwana, Zilani andMazim villages.

Participant Joseph Yanis thanked MorobeMining for funding the training. He saidthey learnt a lot of new skills apart fromreading and writing.

Were very grateful for the training and onbehalf of the rest of the teachers, we lookforward to teaching our communities onhow to read and write. It is a challenge butlets take it up and educate our people, hesaid.

Trainer Meggie Kua Dingi said the coursealso taught the trainees how to bringchanges in attitudes, knowledge andskills. For example; appreciating the valueof reading, having the ability to analyseand solve problems, and recording and

communicating information correctly.

Mrs Dingi said outside infl

uence hasinfiltrated our traditional society thateducation is the main tool in keeping abreast

with these changes.

Knowledge is power. When you know howto read and write, it will help you make

better decisions for development. I nowchallenge the community to support thesetrainees so they can impart what theyvelearnt to you, she said.

Regional & Economic DevelopmentManager, Reuben Aila challenged theteachers to push on with the trainingprograms in their communities.

Were here to support you but you have

to take the lead. Our overall goal is haveeveryone in the communities knowing howto read and write in preparation for furtherdevelopments to take place in Wafi-Golpu.Its important to prepare, Mr Aila said.

The teachers are expected to plan and runtheir training programs with the support ofthe Provincial Education Office, Local LevelGovernment and Morobe Mining.

Teachers take a group photo with their certificatesafter the graduation (above) and Mrs Dingi (right)assisting the trainees.

The trainees with the Bulolo District Education team and Morobe Mining staff.



Wafi-Golpu Project Manager, Shane Richards, cutsthe ribbon with Elizabeth.

The Hekeng Women Business Group openedthe Wafi Canteen in May, setting the wayforward for women groups and locals in the

region.

The canteen project was implemented bythe Business Development team and funded

by Morobe Mining under the CommunityParticipation Agreement (CPA) initiative.

The canteen is about an hours walk fromWafi Camp. It will be operated by mothersfrom Hekeng Village through their registered

business Hekeng Women Business Group.

Director Elizabeth Gibungsung thankedMorobe Mining on behalf of the women forthe business opportunity.

Its a dream come true; something wevebeen looking to establish for almost twoyears, she said.

Business Development Officer Rodger Maranthanked the women for their patience.

Well continue to assist you in maintaining

the canteen. We want to work with people inthe region and see that they participate inbusiness opportunities, Rodger said.

Community Affairs Superintendent DollieKumgi said the CPA was a great intiative

benefiting the communities.

Women open new business

Work on the Hikenangowe water

supply system has been completed.

Senior Water Supply Engineer KeiBasinauro said it was the first time theteam constructed the project withoutengaging an external contractor.

It gave us the chance to involve thelocal people so that there is ownershipof the resource from the start to finish,he said.

Water Supply Officer Tuki Gelam ledthe team of locals to carry out theground work.

We completed all the concrete workfor the tank, the taps and shower, as

well as where the water source is. Weconstructed ten water taps and oneshower. Once we did the final pipeconnections to the tanks. We turnedon the taps and the water pressure wasexcellent. The locals were pleased, hesaid.

A 9,000 litre water tank was given tothe village to distribute water to eachoutlet. The water is sourced from astream across the section of the WatutRiver that runs past the village. Water

pipes were suspended across a 100metre gully to transport the wateracross.

Mr Basinauro said the project wouldbenefit close to 200 people.

Locals inspecting the water sourceconstruction (above) and a tap constructed inthe village.

Waterprojectcompleted

Road awarenessrolls outPolice and Morobe Mining have successfullycompleted a road infrastructure awareness to21 villages along the Lae-Bulolo highway.

The joint awareness was conducted byMumeng LLG Police and Morobe MiningsCommunity Affairs team.

It focused on the Protection of TransportInfrastructure Act, 2010. The team outlinedthe different sections of the Act includingprotection of road reserves and transportinfrastructures, obstruction and damage totransport infrastructure, other offences andtheir penalties.

The act aims to promote development andservice delivery that benefits all users oftransport infrastructures.

Community Engagement CoordinatorBenson Waninara said only a small numberof people along the highway are aware of thenew law and its importance.

The awareness targets all communities alongthe highway, including those who conduct

business along this road, Mr Waninara said.

GM Sustainability & External Relations,

David Wissink, said the companys everydayoperations depend on the highway.

Therefore its important that we assist thegovernment as our main partner, to make ourpeople aware of laws that are in place thatpromote road safety, Mr Wissink said.

Mumeng Police Station Commander SeniorSergeant Paul Dana cautioned locals not toconduct illegal activities such as roadblockson the highway.

If you are thinking of conducting roadblocksthen you have to think twice. The new lawgives police authority to arrest and charge

anyone involved in such activities, explainedSenior Sergeant Dana.

Members of the community also raisedconcerns of drivers exceeding speed limitsalong the highway and requested thatrelevant authorities address this issue.

Road awareness at Gabensis Vi llage



Wafi Urban Clinic received25 Health Centre kits fromthe National Department of

Health under Australian AIDfunding.

The medical supplies, worthover K60,000 were deliveredin July.

The kits consisted of basichealth centre level medicalsupplies ranging from bothinventory and non-inventoryconsumables.

Community HealthSupervisor Somatha Jabbasaid according to Laes Health

Logistics office, the supply isexpected to sustain the clinicfor the next six months, beforenew supplies are issued.

Supplies to the Wafi Urban

Clinic began in 2007 when thefacility was registered underthe National Department of

Health. The clinic was handedover to the government byMorobe Mining in December2013.

When the clinic wastransferred, Regional &Economic DevelopmentManager, Reuben Aila,said the company wascommitted to empowerand strengthen the public-private partnership to deliverhealth related initiatives andservices.

Morobe Mining has sinceassisted the clinic withthe delivery of the medicalsupplies.

Clinic receives meds

Morobe Mining and the NationalGovernment through the MineralResources Authority (MRA) are workingin partnership to bring development to thepeople of the Hidden Valley Mine project

area, through mutually agreed initiatives.On the part of the government, theseinitiatives fall directly under theGovernments scheme called the PublicInvestment Program (PIP).

Morobe Mining and MRA recently joinedhands to construct houses for CommunityHealth Workers (CHWs) in Nauti Village,and Kwembu Village.

In June, the two organisations and thepeople of Nauti and Kwembu celebrated thelaunching of the buildings. The governmentfunded the construction of the residential

houses with over K400,000 under theHidden Valley Project PIP, while MorobeMining funded the construction of the AidPosts and provided technical support andsupervision on the ground.

MRA Executive Manager DevelopmentCoordination Division, Sean Ngansia, toldthe people that the government was openand willing to work with all stakeholders in

bringing development to them. He urged thepeople to work closely with stakeholders.

Nauti Community leaders Naino Kwamioand Koi Ngamalo said the development willease the burden in that the people no longerhave to travel all the way to Bulolo to receivemedical treatment. Mr Ngamalo said theestablishment of the facilities will servearound 800 people in the area.

Bulolo District Administrator, TaeGwambelek, encouraged the people to be

health conscious, live healthy lifestyles andmake use of the new health facilities in their

villages.

Morobe Mining Community Affairs &Lands Manager, Stanley Komunt, said thecompany recognised that the people hadmore needs. There is funding under theHidden Valley Benefit Sharing Trust (BSA)and if you all work together in capturing theneeds of your people through the public-private partnership, your efforts will berecognised, Mr Komunt said.

Partnership delivers buildings

Mr Ngansia turns the key to the new CHW house at Nauti as Bulolo Distr ict Administrator Tae Gwambeleklooks on (top left), and the CHW house at Kwembu (above).

Morobe Mining installed twoweatherhavens to assist theMorobe Provincial Health

in addressing the measlesoutbreak.

The weatherhavens were put upby contractor Boheta Limitedat the ANGAU MemorialGeneral Hospital; next to thematernity ward wing. One ofthe weatherhavens will housesixteen beds and the other willact as an ablution block. The

weatherhaven units are on loanfrom Morobe Mining until thenew wards are constructed,

which will probably take six

monthsThe weatherhaven is a portableshelter system equipped with

basic necessit ies designed forremote site camps.

ANGAU Memorial General

Hospital Acting CEO, Dr JimAbrahams, thanked MorobeMining for the assistance. Im

delighted that Morobe Miningin no time has erected theseunits. We are currently holdingthe disease at bay and havesuffered three deaths since theoutbreak began a few monthsago, Dr Abrahams said.

GM Sustainability & ExternalRelations, David Wissink (whois also the new Chairmanof ANGAU hospital), saidthe company is supportingthe governments efforts inminimising the spread of

measles in the province.We want to offer assistanceto the hospital for the purposeof containing the spread ofthis contagious disease, Mr

Wissink said.

Weatherhavens for ANGAU


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Their cocoa beans, the productfrom years of hard work, wererecently used to make darkflavoured chocolate by QueenEmma Chocolate Company, asubsidiary of Paradise Foods

based in Port Moresby.

Paradise Foods ManagingDirector, David Peate, presentedthe farmers with the chocolatein Wampan Village last month.

Mr Peate, accompanied byrepresentatives from CocoaBoard, Morobe Mining, NewGuinea Strategic Services andthe Provincial Government,

were given a tour of Wampanscocoa farm and fermentry.He encouraged the farmersto continue maintaining thequality of their cocoa.

Ferment your cocoa well andlook after your fermentries

because we buy cocoaaccording to the number onthe fermentries. If fermentriesproduce the same quality cocoa,

we know which number it isand we will continue buying thesame cocoa, he said.

Chairman of Lower WatutFarmers Cooperative Society,Nehem David, and his ViceChairman Tony Giowen, saidtheir hard work is starting topay off.

This is what we are working on.All of this wouldnt have been

possible without the supportand guidance from MorobeMining and I thank them fortheir support, Mr David said.

Mr Giowen, who is also qualifiedcocoa quality tester, said whenthey started planting the firstcocoa trees, they never thoughtthey would see their dream

become a reality.

Now that Paradise Foods hasmade this chocolate, I believethat we have the potential to tapinto the industry and produce achocolate brand for Watut. Weare excited and are motivated togo to the next level, he said.

Morobe Mining Regional& Economic DevelopmentManager, Reuben Aila, saidthis is a real testimony of keydevelopment partners effortsand commitment over the last

four years.

Were excited with thisprospect, and will work closely

with all partners, especially theCocoa Board of PNG and ourfarmers to ensure more work isdone on the fermentation anddrying processes to improve thequality and taste preferences torequired standards, Mr Ailasaid.

Lae Cocoa Board ManagerAnton Ningi said with theestablishment of the CocoaBoard in Morobe Province in

April this year, transport will bea priority.

We are ready to bring yourcargo from here to your market.There is a freight program planfor rural farmers who have noroad access, he said.

Cocoa farmer John Ben agreed.

Transport is a big concern.Apart from the travelingexpenses, there is the risk of uslosing our cocoa in the WatutRiver while trying to bring themto the market. I was pleasedto hear that there are plans toimprove the transporting ofour cocoa by the Cocoa Board.I feel challenged as now I haveto work extra hard to producemore quality cocoa.

There are over 900 farmers inthe Lower Watut grouped into

36 clusters and the farmers

have the potential to produceover a tonne of cocoa permonth.

The 20kg bags each from threeseparate fermentries sent toParadise Foods and QueenEmma Chocolate Factory wasfound to be of high quality

with an exceptional fru ityflavour that has also met thecocoa liqueur standards of thecompany.

It is anticipated that LowerWatut Farmers CooperativeSociety through NSS will besupplying Cocoa to QueenEmma Chocolate Companyfor Chocolate production andpossibly Cocoa Liqueur.

It is history in the making as Lower Watut cocoa farmers move a step closer to realising their dream of

producing their very own Watut Chocolate.

Visit to the Wampan cocoa farm (above left) and Mr Aila (above right) handsover the Watut chocolates to Mr Nehem as Mr Peate looks on.

Watut cocoa

makes history

Cocoa for the futureFarmers proudly showing their fermented

cocoa beans at Wampan Village

MorobeMiner 29 JunJulAug 2014

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Transcript of MorobeMiner 29 JunJulAug 2014