Teilweise neu: 2001-09-27
Contents of this issue:
1. Cut Up
2. Going Up
3. Chinese Base Denied
4. Rescue Plan
5. Action Abandoned
6. Pint Size Might
7. Heavy Duty
8. Travel Tip
9. Fiji Starters?
10. Pacific United
11. Wharfies Out
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Old contents were:
1. Chinese Base Denied
2. Rescue Plan
3. Action Abandoned
4. Pint Size Might
5. Heavy Duty
6. Travel Tip
7. Fiji Starters?
8. Pacific United
9. Wharfies Out
September 27th, 2001
1. Cut Up:
A $35,000 upgrade of a government house for the Premier of Niue in the
Fualahi compound had a sequel in the High Court today.
Niue Timber Products successfully sued the island's Administration
Department for a breach of contract and was awarded damages by Judge
Heta Hingston.
The action originated after the Administration Department ordered a
large amount of local timber from the island's privately run sawmill for
renovations to the Premier's government residence.
Part of the timber order was unilaterally cancelled after it was cut.
Evidence was given by the Crown that a lack of funding was the cause of
stopping the order.
Despite instructions from the Minister of Administration to pay the full
amount to Niue Timber Products the department refused to do so.
Timber Products co-owner Noga Bray told the Court government's failure
to pay for the ordered timber derived it of working capital and it "went
down the gurgler."
Judge Hingston criticised the way the administrative department handled
requests for payment of a government requisition saying: "The department
showed a total disregard of the timber company's rights and the
behaviour of the department was not what one would expect from the
Crown." The Judge ordered the government to pay Niue Timber Products 60%
of an account for $4445.00 and awarded the firm $1000 in damages.
2. Going Up:
The cost of goods on Niue rose 2.2% for the quarter ending September,
according to the government Statistics Department.
Noticeable increases were in food up by 4.5% and clothing by 6.6%
recorded in the Consumer Price Index.
Responsible for the increases were the increase of inward freight
charges and a fluctuation in the NZ$ dollar, said the Statistics Unit.
3. Chinese Base Denied:
Fiji's Fisheries Director, Maciu Lagibalavu, has rejected a report in
the New Zealand Herald that there are fears of a fleet of Chinese
fishing vessels setting up base in Fiji.
The report said that New Zealand Government fisheries officials
and local industry heads were worried that the Chinese Government
wants to use Fiji as a new base for catching highly prized
migratory fish species.
There are also suspicions that the new fleet is willing to undermine
recently agreed fishing conventions designed to protect the lucrative
tuna fishery, the New Zealand Herald said.
While Mr. Lagibalavu agreed that there were many Asian vessels in the
country, he said: "The Chinese are not taking over our fishing grounds
and neither are they coming in large numbers."
Mr. Lagibalavu said he did not know why New Zealand would be so
concerned about Fiji's fishing industry.
But Fiji Fish owner Grahame Southwick said: "It is very difficult to get
an honest, accurate response to what has been signed - what agreements
there are between Fiji and the Chinese Government.
" Niue issues around 25 fishing licences through the FFA to foreign
owned tuna vessels from Korea and China. (PINA NIUS Online).
1. Rescue Plan:
Air New Zealand is expected to announce a revised rescue package today
that is likely to mean it will return to majority Government ownership
reoports the Dominion newspaper in Wellington NZ.
The Government is expected to take a massive equity stake, either
directly or by underwriting an issue of new shares to existing
shareholders.
Air New Zealand has come under heavy pressure from its bankers after it
failed to repay a $70 million loan to ANZ Bank last Thursday. As a
result of the default, other banks which form part of a syndicate with
ANZ called in their secured loans, amounting to about $900 million.
The next day, the board demanded that major shareholders Singapore
Airlines and Brierley Investments commit immediately to an $850 million
rescue package, which included $300 million in cash from them, or Air
New Zealand would be put into statutory management.
Sources close to the negotiations said Singapore and Brierley told the
board they were not prepared to commit to the rescue plan before
completing their own due diligence. However, the collapse of the Air New
Zealand share price in recent weeks meant the rescue plan no longer
raised enough money.
It is understood that the Government was advised that a new plan needed
to be finalised quickly and that Air New Zealand did not have the luxury
of allowing up to six weeks for key shareholders to conduct due
diligence.(The Dominion)
2. Action Abandoned:
Striking Niuean teachers who resigned from Niue High School last year
under the threat of being sacked, have abandoned plans to take legal
action against the Niue Public Service Commission.
A spokesperson says the cost of legal action against the government's
employing agency the NPSC is out of the question because it would
involved specialised labour and constitutional lawyers from New Zealand.
"Most of the 10 teachers have been re-employed or have moved off
island," said the spokesperson.
The teachers went on strike for more pay following a promised increase
by the previous government in 1999.
During their bitter dispute many parents participated in a protest march
supporting the teachers which ended outside the island's Fale Fono.
The government claimed the NPSC told the teachers they did not have
enough money to pay a $NZ2000 skills allowance for teaching NZQA
cirriculum which would have taken their salaries to $16,000. Similar
graded teachers in other Pacific nations get up to $26,000 a year.
After the industrial dispute ended retired teachers and volunteers
filled the classroom gaps. This year the government hired expatriate
teachers from New Zealand, Samoa and Fiji on $30,000 salaries.
Allowances included free travel and free accommodation.
One expatriate teacher from New Zealand left the island early this year
after a contractual dispute with the NPSC and legal action is before the
High Court in Niue.
3. Pint Size Might:
Mangere Central School will become a mini-olympic stadium as hundreds
of children from Auckland Niuean preschools take part in a
traditional sports day on Saturday, writes Manukau Courier's reporter
Leonard Kumitau.
Organised by Mangere preschool Nukutukulea Farwin Aoga Niue, the event
includes 15 different activities.
Most will be traditional Niuean sports and with games such as sekeka
gasiniu ("stilts" made from coconut shells), toho-toume (land skiing
using the outer layer of a coconut), oko sipolo (picking up limes) and
sika fua sipolo where sticks are poked into a lime to resemble a javelin
and thrown like one. Teacher Moka Cameron says the event promotes Niuean
culture and gives parents quality time with their children.
The sports day is the idea of early childhood education development
officer Tapuaki Vaha who wanted to see children continue the traditions
of their parents and grandparents, Ms Cameron says.
She says busy lives mean the events are in danger of becoming a thing of
the past. She hopes many families will be there on Saturday to see the
children taking part.
Ms Cameron says some of the activities have been slightly altered for
New Zealand, such as lemons replacing more expensive limes in the oko
sipolo. The sports day begins like many other Niuean functions with a
flag raising ceremony and an opening prayer from a church
minister.(Manukau Courier).
4. Heavy Duty:
Niue wants to put in a bid to host the 2003 Oceania junior weightlifting
championships.
This was announced today following the departure of Paul Coffa MBE the
Oceania Nauru and former Australia weightlifting coach who has been
talent spotting on Niue.
The bid will be the first of its kind to host a regional sporting meet
and officials say it could cost Niue up to $25,000 but there would be
enormous spin offs for the island. Its understood the event would be
televised live on SPN.
A decision on Niue's bid will be made after this year's tournament
in Kiribati.
5. Travel Tip:
Pacific Islands countries wanting to attract more Japanese tourists have
been urged to further develop shopping, tourist attractions, training of
workers, hygiene and security.
Advice from the principal researcher in the research and development
department of Japan Airlines, Yasuyuki Nakahara, during the
Japan/Pacific Islands States Human Resource Development symposium in
Fiji this week.
While outlining the need to develop shopping, he said:
"The Japanese purchase of souvenirs for those back home is a deep rooted
tradition that can be traced back to old times.
"A German example of a souvenir for office colleagues might be a simple
picture postcard . . . Japanese tourist expenses amount to a total five
times greater than that of German tourists."
Among points made by Mr. Nakahara from research relevant to the
Pacific Islands:
*Middle aged and elderly Japanese are traveling more, have more money
than the young and if there is suitable affordable accommodation they
will make long stays to avoid Japan's winter;
*Japanese backpackers spend less than normal tourists but stay longer
and their expenses usually accumulate into a larger amount;
*Japanese like to have their rooms brighter, especially for reading;
Further education and training for those working in tourism is needed,
including Japanese language services, education of Japanese market
experts, and souvenir development;
*Security and hygiene should be guaranteed;
Ecotourism is not yet popular among Japanese tourists, and South Pacific
countries should concentrate on developing this for the Western market.
(PINA Online).
6. Fiji Starters?:
While Niue's South Pacific Mini Games team is training for the big
event,organisers of this December's Games on Norfolk Island are hoping
to find out this week whether Fiji will be able to attend.
Norfolk Island is administered by Australia, which is yet to repeal a
series of sanctions imposed on Fiji following last year's coup.
Tom Lloyd of the Mini South Pacific Games Organising Committee says Fiji
has entered 121 athletes, but says their attendance will ultimately be
decided by Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs.
"Our government here has written to foreign affairs asking them to give
us a waiver to allow the Fijian athletes to come," Mr. Lloyd said. "Our
latest information was that the sports bans were still in place, but
that we had the option as the organisers of the event to appeal direct
to the Minister for a waiver of that."
7. Pacific United:
Dreams of a unified Pacific Islands team to face international sides are
close to reality after the secretary-general of the Federation of
Oceania Rugby Unions briefed the International Rugby Board.
Oceania's Bill Wallace told them of the plight facing island nations and
the need to help them rise through the ranks of professionalism.
Wallace made a 15-minute presentation in Dublin, Ireland, with special
mention of a plan to create a combined Pacific team to be called the
"Pacific Islanders."
Talks have started for the team to make its debut against England when
it tours the South Pacific next year.
England plays Tonga, Samoa and Fiji and will be asked to stay an extra
week for a game against the "Pacific Islanders".
The match is likely to be held in New Zealand to generate television and
broadcast revenues for the unions.
"It's unrealistic for island teams to play the All Blacks, Wallabies or
the Springboks in the name of the exposure and development," Wallace
said. "They end up being humiliated in the process."
Fiji was beaten 70-0 by the All Blacks in 1987 World Cup and nothing
changed in the 71-5 defeat at Albany Stadium in North Harbour in 1996.
The argument is that the Tri-Nations competition has a better chance of
beating the rugby superpowers and earn the spin-offs if they play as a
combined team, similar to the Breitish Lions. - (PINA Nius Online.)
8. Wharfies Out:
A waterfront strike that is expected to delay cargo worth about $150
million will take effect at the Ports of Auckland from 6.30am today but
its not expected to affect cargo for Niue.
About 225 members of the Waterfront Workers' Union will strike for 48
hours until 6.30am on Saturday over a breakdown in collective contract
negotiations.
The strike would affect seven ships due in Auckland over the next two
days, Ports of Auckland chief executive Geoff Vazey said.
One ship had been diverted to another port but ships would continue to
work at the port's general wharves, which were worked mostly by
independent stevedoring companies.
Ports of Auckland's 315 non-union staff would continue to work through
the strike.(NZPA)
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