PORT MORESBY 9/9/02
THE operator of Papua New Guinea's giant Porgera gold mine says its 850 workers have been stood down and all mining and processing stopped due to continued sabotage of power supplies.
Placer New Guinea says the mine is losing $A1.1 million a day in lost output and has lost a total of $A66 million since July 16 when power poles were cut down by highlanders.
The highlanders are disgruntled over being unrepresented in parliament after electoral unrest.
Six of the nine seats in Papua New Guinea's Southern Highlands were declared null and void because of widespread violence and the destruction of thousands of ballots in June's national election.
Placer New Guinea managing director EVERT VAN DEN BRAND says people have been stood down until the power supply is restored.
Placer owns 50 per cent of Porgera, while Australian miner AurionGold Ltd owns 25 per cent and the rest is held by Oil Search Ltd and PNG government agencies.
Post Courier