WHILE the people of Mau, the mataqali of Navugayago celebrate the opening of the new quarry company that will bring development to their villages, the developers also took out time to pay tribute to a man who had made all things possible for the launch yesterday.
About 12 years ago, the late George Niumataiwalu suggested that there was an opportunity for a new hard rock quarry on the site.
He was at that time in Papua New Guinea where he managed a number of important projects including the feasibility study and early commissioning of the Hidden Valley gold project and then up in the western highlands at the Mt Kare gold project.
George’s sisters were present yesterday and said that if George had been at the opening yesterday, everyone would have given him a great deal of satisfaction.
Tears streamed down the sisters eyes as they remembered a great man, their late brother, who put his vision into what the province of Namosi witnessed yesterday.
Island Quarries Ltd managing director David Johnson said he had known George since 1984 when they had both worked at the Vatukoula Gold Mine.
“There were some dry periods when George and I were away overseas working in Australia and PNG but we both stayed in touch with the intension of progressing this opportunity,” Mr Johnson said.
“In 2011, I told George that I was ready to tackle this assignment. We knew from the presence of the old quarry at Mau that the material was suitable quarry rock but there were no records of rock testing.
“The old site also posed geotechnical issues and we considered that it was too close to the footprint of the existing village.”
He said the first few months were made difficult by the wet weather conditions whilst building access roads and haul roads.
By October 2015, he said, the company had completed its roads and was preparing production benches when their colleague George passed away.
With many people who have contributed their effort and hard work in planning and commissioning of the new quarry but foremost among them was George.
