Community conservation update

Public awareness and education meetings were conducted to explain the Project, its objectives and its implementation plan in the Tabar Group of Islands.

The communities that were part of the process are:

1. Big Tabar island (west coast at Tumundar)
2. Mapua (Tatau island)
3. Suambari (Tatau island)
4. Simberi island
5. Kaselok (mainland Tigak)
6. Kaplaman (mainland Tigak)
7. Panapai (mainland Tigak)
8. Omo (Tigak islands)
9. Kulangit (New Hanover island)
10. Sivasat (Tigak mainland)

The communities organised the meeting dates for the Infinity Blue team to meet with them. Highlights included inaugural public community awareness in all communities preceded by the launch of the project in the Tabar group of islands and traditional welcome by the people in the communities visited at Tumundar, Mapua, Simberi, Suambari villages and then Kaplaman and Panapai villages (Tigak).

People in all the villages prepared traditional welcome ceremonies and feasts which is custom hospitality in New Ireland province Communities were welcoming and voiced their support for the project and especially acknowledged the transparency afforded by Infinity Blue.

Infinity Blue will now wait for at least 6 months to enable the communities to fully consider the project and to comply with the Government Free Prior Informed Consent (FPIC) process. If the project is remains supported by the community consent forms for project participation will be completed and the project will go ahead.

The events gained good media traction. All events were covered by the PNG National Broadcasting Commission New Ireland journalist, Richard Watt and footage was broadcast nationwide on the NBC Kundu TV in PNG and radio broadcast on the New Ireland radio station.