ASIA Pacific Investment Development has exported 71,200 metric tonnes of bauxite from Rennell Island, Renbel province.

The export was made last Friday via MV Shun Feng 9 to China after a month of loading in the Island.

In an interview with the Director of Mines yesterday, acting Director Mr Thomas Toba told this paper that the loading of the bauxite was made possible after the High Court Order lifted the banned on APID’s suspension on its operation in Rennell.

He said that the lifting of the ban had meant that APID was allowed to conduct operations as authorised by the law.

Mr Toba added that regarding the loading of these bauxites, it was safeguarded by the law and that it was also made upon the request of the landowners and Renbel provincial government to clear all the bauxite from Rennell.

He made it clear on APID’s mining licence that the High Court order made to restrain APID from its operation last year affected only the operations and not the licence.

“So the licence is still there only for the operation that was restrained.

“Thus, with the reinstatement of APID to conduct clearing of the bauxite it was made possible after the High Court order made it possible for APID to carry the activity,” Mr Toba said.

However, he said there are issues between APID and Bintang Borneo on their mining operation in the island where some are still outstanding.

Mr Toba said one is their dispute over the “Area B” under the mining tenement over which the two companies ended in High Court.

“That case is there although BT Bintang Borneo lost some of its cases, but the call by the landowner and the provincial government to sort out this bauxite is important to happen.

“It came to a common understanding that the court decide that despite the cases are there, let’s put them aside and address the issue of the landowners for the clearing of the bauxite.

“So they look at the two rival mining companies and finally terminated BT Bintang Borneo for not fulfilling the requirements under the mines and minerals acts.

“We drop their mining lease and their prospecting licence as their appealed against the High Court Order showed that the court has cancelled the Bintang Borneo and ruled in favour of the APID.

“Perhaps, upon the landowners request to sell the bauxites, it left only upon APID as they have the mining licence to conduct the work,” he said.

Mr Toba said the status of APID before appealing the High Court decision also showed that they did not even have fulfilled the mining agreement.

He added that it is after that that the ministry pursued them to meet all these legal documents that they did.

Mr Toba said the price negotiated for the payment of this ship bauxite is $14 per metric tonne.