This is according to Deputy Prime Minister Sir Terepai Maoate who said the manganese nodule resource committee will be responsible for releasing the bill’s contents.
The announcement last month that the legal team from the Commonwealth Secretariat completed the first draft of the bill has already generated interest from the public.
Many now want to see an overview of the bill and what it will mean for the country.
Legal advice has been sought on the draft from Crown Law as well as independent legal sources.
Sir Terepai said consultations are expected to be wide ranging from the general public to the chamber of commerce and the House of Ariki.
“Every sector of the community needs to be part of this. The idea of this legislation and future mining is that everyone benefits including the generations to come. We need to get on with it as soon as possible,” he told Cook Islands News.
Passing the legislation this year will first serve to protect the sea bed resource and allow mining companies and others to start bidding for exploration and mining licenses.
