Weekly Niue News http://www.niuenews.nu/ _______________________________________________ > Niue Weather Conditions > May 1, 2004 > The Premier of Niue Young Vivian said this week he is > confident that aid donors will come up with most of the > $NZ37.7 million asked for in the island 's Cyclone Heta > recovery plan. A Niue contingent of politicians and private > sector representatives met with aid donors in Wellington to > present the plan, dubbed New Niue or Niue Foou, which > outlines how they want to restore the island. The meeting > was organised by UNDP. Mr Vivian said the plan has been > well received by potential donors and he thinks they will > give close to the amount of money required. > > Donor negotiators are reported to have said they will have > to discuss Niue's plans with their governments and > organisations before making a final decision on the amount > of financial assistance offered to the tiny nation of 1300 > residents. Mr Vivian said New Zealand has promised $5 > million to establish the island's trust fund and another > $2.6 million in aid to be paid in July. Meanwhile it has > been announced priority is being given to the construction > of a new 12 bed cottage hospital to replace the devastated > the Lord Liverpool Hospital at Tufukia. The new hospital is > estimated to cost about $4 million. > > The World Health Organisation and the European Union have > pledged support for that project. The new hospital has yet > to be designed and its likely to be built several > kilometres inland from the original hospital site.Officials > said most the initial aid funds have been allocated for > housing those left > homeless after the hurricane force winds and high seas hit > Niue and assisting private businesses get up and running. > Phase two of the recovery plan is now being considered. > French Polynesian disaster response teams return to the > island next month to continue clean up work in badly hit > coastal villages.The response team has carried out major > clearing of debris and the construction of new houses. > > Kind Donation: New Zealand has promised $5 million to kick > start a Trust Fund to help the tiny nation become more > financially independent. The trust fund was mooted about 15 > years ago and is likely to be based on the successful > Tuvalu Fund. The government of Niue will now have to > introduce > legislation to appoint trustees and a professional > management group. A New Zealand government official said in > about 10-15 years if the fund is properly managed it could > provide enough interest to pay for Niue's annual recurrent > budget. "That," he said," would make Niue less reliant on > aid and that would be good for Niue and good for New > Zealand." > > Essentials Shortage: Niue has been facing a fuel shortage. > Residents have been asked to conserve electricity as the > island's diesel fuelled powerhouse runs low. Niue's bulk > fuel storage depot at the Alofi wharf was badly damaged by > Cyclone Heta in January and has yet to be repaired. Diesel > and petrol is now shipped onto the island by the regular > cargo vessel MV Southern Express.Delays with shipping has > caused the crisis. When the vessel unloaded this week the > power corporation had three days fuel in reserve.The > government were caught unawares. One Cabinet Minister > admitted they did not know of the shortage and would have > to make arrangements to ensure it did not happen again in > the future. He attributed the problem to shipping > delays.There are still good supplies of petrol. LPG > supplies have been running low along with several brands of > beer sold by the Government Bond Store. > > Log Jam: Thousands of valuable hardwood logs are lying in > the forests of Niue and urgent recovery is needed to gain > maximum returns from the cyclone felled timber. Experts say > if the trees are not milled in the near future they will be > unsuitable for gaining maximum returns. The island has one > sawmill which is privately owned but has a limited cutting > capacity. The government is planning to purchase two > portable sawmills to speed up the process. Investigations > are underway to try and estimate the number of trees felled > by the January hurricane force winds. At present the milled > timber is being used for local construction. > > Staying Secure: The New Zealand government has announced > plans to host a meeting of officials from small, Pacific > island-states next month.Niue delegates will attend. The > purpose of the gathering is to examine the implementation > of new international anti-terrorism rules. The > counterterrorism conference, scheduled for May in > Wellington, is aimed at helping small island-states meet > their obligations and discuss the implications of the > upsurge in terrorism worldwide. > > All United Nations member states are required to implement > 12 new counter-terrorism conventions, prohibiting any > support for terrorism. The conventions include controls > from both the International Maritime Organisation and the > International Civil Aviation Organisation. Last year's > Auckland Pacific Forum leaders' meeting identified regional > security as one of four major issues for its island > nations. > > Airline Crisis: Tonga is facing an economic crisis after > the nation's airline had its only large airliner > repossessed. It has also been reported that creditors are > threatening legal action to recover millions owed due to > the leasing of the 757 from Brunei two years ago. Fuel > suppliers and other aviation creditors are said to be > insisting on cash payment as the crisis hits.The decision > by Royal Tongan Airlines, the former designated carrier for > Niue, to enter into major international travel using the > large aircraft hasn't panned out and bookings have been > low, enough to incur huge losses in operating the aircraft. > Leasing of the aircraft also have been an item of major > political argument in Tonga services stopped Friday when > the aircraft was in Auckland, where it remains on the > tarmac outside an Air New Zealand hangar. Some passengers > were stranded and other airlines in the region have been > offering special fares to 500 holidaymakers affected by the > recent events. Those major strandings were in Rarotonga and > Tonga. > > Heta Booklet: A 24 page booklet with photographs of the > aftermath of cyclone Heta has been published and is on sale > for $10 a copy. Titled Heta Disaster and Resilience the > booklet was published by the Niue government in conjunction > with Mark and Ahi Cross. Mark is a well known New Zealand > artist and his wife Ahi is a renowed Niueans weaver. The > booklet contains dramatic photos of the damage caused by > the January cyclone - the worst in recorded history - and > the recovery efforts by locals and the French Polynesia > disaster reactionary group. Premier Young Vivian said in > the introduction to Heta that the booklet "will serve as a > sombre reminder to all the residents of Niue who witnessed > the cyclone first hand." While Heta serves to be an > immediate record of the devastation it is to be hoped that > a more comprehensive booklet with photographs of the > hurricane in full force and the efforts of Niueans to > rebuild their tiny nation will eventually be published and > play an important role in the record of the island's > history.
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