Written by: Sugar Ray Thomas

350 land titles have been issued to residents who were relocated due to bauxite mining carried out in some south coast communities by Alpart.

Mining Minister Floyd Green provided the update in the Houses of Representatives yesterday.

He said the issue of land titles continues to form part of discussions Jiuquan Iron and Steel Company (JISCO), the owners of Alpart.

The company advised that overall, approximately 1, 233 titles were required.

Green said another 50 land titles will be completed later this year, noting that the project will be accelerated through the systematic land titling initiative.

In response to the Minister’s statements, Opposition Spokesperson on Mining, Mikael Phillips, criticized the Government’s response to land titles as well as land reclamation.

Green disagreed with the Spokesman’s claims, arguing that the Government has addressed the issues.