Weekly Niue News http://www.niuenews.nu/ _______________________________________________ > > [newsban.gif] > > [bewsline.gif] > > Pacific Island Report > Top News > Radio New Zealand > Niue Island Updates > > Niue Weather Forecast > > [bewsline.gif] > > [ad_left.gif] [ad_right.gif] > www. ______________ Go! > > [bewsline.gif] > > Weekly Niue News > > [bewsline.gif] > > February 19, 2004 > > Looking Good: Niue's village of Alofi south has been given > a facelift. A French Polynesian Disaster Intervention Team > with heavy lifting gear and dump-trucks have already > cleared the wrecked Lord Liverpool Hospital. The medical > centre of the island - recently refurbished at a cost of > $1.6m - sustained major damage during Cyclone Heta. The > property now has a park-like look after the Tahitian team > worked around the clock to tidy-up the area. The 60 workers > with equipment and materials arrived on the vessel Tahiti > Nui soon after the cyclone and are reported to have > injected about $10m worth of assistance into the island. > The Tahiti Niu is on its way back to Niue with more > materials and workers. Clearing the debris from government > owned houses, units and the 29 year old Hotel Niue on the > half kilometre of main road at Alofi south now has > priority. Government officials say there are no plans to > locate any new buildings on the seaward side of the road. > Many of the new buildings will be relocated at Fonuakula > and Huihui. Another French Polynesian team has been > constructing kitset homes for Niueans left homeless by the > cyclone. Four new houses are believed to be earmarked for > Makefu village where the church was destroyed by massive > waves. Niue residents still face petrol rationing because > bulk fuel tanks at the wharf were damaged. One tank was > moved from its foundations and was severely dented. Limited > petrol supplies are being shipped to Niue on cargo vessels > but officials consider the rationing could last for several > months while repairs to the bulk depot are completed. > Tenders are being called in New Zealand to build additional > new homes and some residents have been offered interest > free no deposit deals for the erection of houses on their > own land. Weekend discussions have also been held with > government officials and Alofi South villagers about the > relocation of the village which was annihilated in the > cyclone. > > New Host: Samoa will host this year's Pacific Islands Forum > summit in place of cyclone-ravaged Niue. The decision to > switch the venue --- a move flagged in the Niue Weekly News > last month - was confirmed this week by Samoan Prime > Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi. He told Pacific > affairs correspondent John Andrews that his country had > accepted the invitation of Prime Minister Helen Clark, the > current forum chairwoman, to substitute for isolated Niue > which was so hard hit by Cyclone Heta six weeks ago. While > Mr Malielegaoi informed the New Zealand leader of his > preference to play Forum host next year after his own > islands had fully recovered from damage inflicted by the > same cyclone, he was delighted to be in a position to take > over from Niue this year. Forum venues were usually held by > alphabetical rotation, he said, but of the two ahead of > Samoa, Palau hosted the event a few years ago and Papua New > Guinea preferred to stage it next year to coincide with its > 30th year of independence. The annual meeting for the > forum's 16 leaders will be staged in Apia from August 5 to > 7. Samoa has set up a task force to organise the summit in > conjunction with the forum secretariat based in Fiji. A > highlight of the summit has often been the secluded retreat > where leaders meet privately to discuss issues of mutual > interest. Organisers have not yet finalised Samoa's retreat > venue but Mr Malielegaoi has a liking for the picturesque > southern coast of Upolu, Samoa's main island. He suggested > the revamped Sinalei Reef Resort in its idyllic tropical > setting might get the nod. > > Nonu Interest: A Rarotonga-based nonu operation is keen to > develop a commercial relationship with the fledgling > industry on Niue, despite the damage caused by Cyclone > Heta. "I don't believe that the nonu industry has been > completely destroyed," says Kiki Koteka of the Bio-Medic > Cook Islands company which exports noni juice overseas. > According to Koteka, the nonu plantations on Niue are > inland and should be relatively unscathed. The company > fostered a relationship with the late Rauru Vakaafi's > family in Niue in terms of developing the operation on the > island. Unfortunately, Rauru, a Cook Islander, died last > year and Koteka says they have taken on trying to establish > the business there until the Vakaafi family can run the > operation. Koteka says currently the water processors are > already in Niue. The next stage of development will be to > construct a building for processing. "I am hoping to go > there in March, when everything will be there...but we will > have to see, it depends on how things are going in Niue." > Koteka's wife, Ngatia, who helps out with the nonu > business, says they found out that the Vakaafi family were > vegetable growers like themselves, and the interest in > their nonu operation developed from there. "We want to > help, give knowledge because with nonu there is money, > money for the community and hopefully people will return to > Niue," she said. > > Aftermath Bewilderment: Additional claims this week that > Niue residents opinion of New Zealand is at rock bottom > following the alleged lack of practical support following > Cyclone Heta has left Foreign Affairs officials in > Wellington disappointed and bewildered. Foreign Minister > Phil Goff answering claims levelled by former Niue Cabinet > Minister Terry Coe said the island MP seems to have > forgotten that his country is self governing - the aid > programme is run by a recovery committee of > parliamentarians and ministers and New Zealand doesn't set > their priorities for them. "Mr Coe has to take some > responsibility for what he thinks has to be done rather > than just sitting back and whingeing about what he thinks > New Zealand hasn't done," said Mr Goff. Mr Coe compared New > Zealand's assistance to Niue with a French Polynesia > contribution that includes a disiaster intervention team of > 60 who are now constructing 40 kitset houses for the > homeless. In the latest revelations, Mr Coe admitted he had > written to Mr Goff pleading for New Zealand to act urgently > but had yet to receive a response. The Coe family lost a > village store and a mechanical workshop in the cyclone. He > claimed he has never seen so much anger directed towards > New Zealanders. "People keep complaining to me, 'Where is > New Zealand and what are they waiting for?'." The island, > which has a population of about 1300 people, was devastated > by Cyclone Heta on January 5, which killed a mother and her > baby son and left 200 homeless. It also destroyed the > island's hospital, fuel depot and wiped out 85 per cent of > tourist accommodation and basic infrastructure. Mr Goff > said Occupational Health and Safety, the New Zealand > police, Telecom and New Zealand trades-people had > volunteered their services to clean up and restore > infrastructure. Foreign Affairs officials worked around the > clock after the cyclone organising plane loads of relief > and volunteers. They also headed an immediate damage > assessment team and allocated $5m of assistance. The lack > of local labour on the island has hindered the massive > clean up. Major future work includes clearing rubble from > Alofi South, relocating housing for government employees, > the local hospital and the Hotel Niue. Consideration is > also being given to the erection of four kitset homes in > Makefu village, north of Alofi, which suffered extensive > damage to houses and demolition of the village church. > About 40 people live in Makefu. Meanwhile Foreign Minister > Goff has welcomed continuing efforts by New Zealanders to > raise funds for Niue. The latest fund-raising effort is the > most ambitious yet, aiming to raise $1 million by holding > Pacific Idol competitions in south and west Auckland > shopping malls over three days. The contests are being > organised by Sir Howard Morrison and will be hosted by > members of the Auckland Warriors rugby league side, several > TV personalities, Manukau Mayor Sir Barry Curtis and > Waitakere Mayor Bob Harvey. "I congratulate Sir Howard and > the Warriors for the commitment they have shown, and for > their energy and efforts to help. Niue is a small country > where some people lost everything in the absence of > insurance protection being available for cyclones," Mr Goff > said. "The New Zealand public has responded generously from > the moment the cyclone struck and public donations are > already in excess of $100,000. Ngati Porou set a generous > tone by raising $53,000 within a week of the cyclone, and > Niu FM and Radio 531 PI have both raised over $30,000 each. > There have also been countless other stories of generosity > up and down the country. "All five relief flights that the > government has sent to Niue also found room for clothing > and food donated by New Zealanders, as well as skilled > tradesmen who have volunteered their time to help restore > the island's shattered infrastructure. "Niue's Premier, > Young Vivian, has passed on to me his personal gratitude > and that of his people for the support they have been shown > by ordinary New Zealanders," Mr Goff said. > > Aid Tally challenged: New Zealand's emergency aid to Niue > has come under fire again in New Zealand this week. > Questions are being asked by politicians and community > leaders about the availability of cash assistance to Niue > when residents in the devastated flood areas in the south > of the North Island look set to face hefty losses. > Opposition politicians wanted to know why Niue was > allocated $5m for its community of 1300 when thousands of > homeless farmers and town dwellers were allocated $20m for > emergency assistance. Niue's total assistance is likely to > reach $35m - the damage to properties and farmland in the > south of the North Island is likely to reach hundreds of > millions of dollars. National's Rangitikei MP, Simon Power, > said the initial $20,000 grants to his region and Manawatu > were "pathetic". But Civil Defence Minister George Hawkins > said more money would be given once it was known what was > needed. The flood-affected areas would get help once civil > emergencies were over. "Obviously, those areas will need > help," Mr Hawkins said. "They will get help." About 5000 > homes in the lower North Island are still without full > phone services. Telecom said yesterday staff were working > to restore services in Manawatu, Rangitikei and Horowhenua. > Progress was being hampered by continued flooding, which > was creating difficulty for staff in gaining access to > repair sites in Taranaki Manawatu, Wanganui and Wairarapa. > > Good Deal: Polynesian Airlines is offering special fares > from New Zealand to Niue return but tickets have to be > purchased before February 20. In a bid to get Niueans > resident in New Zealand to return home and assist with the > island's clean-up fares are as low as $694 but have to be > used before June 30. There are no refunds on tickets. > > Kids Gift: Niue Primary School has a new set of wheels. New > Zealander Don Hedges of Whangarei has come to the aid of > primary school students by donating a van to the island. Mr > Hedges visited the island in 1960 and when he heard that > the island had been hit by Cyclone Heta last month he > decided to donate his 1989 Toyota Hiace van. He bought the > 11-seater van after it had been written-off in the hope of > restoring it and using it as a taxi. However, after working > on it to a standard that passes a vehicle inspection test > the van is still unable to be registered in New Zealand. Mr > Hedges says vehicles don't need to be registered in Niue > and it will be used by a primary school on the island. > > Caring and Sharing: People of the Cook Islands have raised > $127,612.53 for Niue reconstruction in the wake of Cyclone > Heta reports Pacific Affairs correspondent John Andrews. > Cooks' police minister Peri Vaevae Pare presented a cheque > for that amount to Niue's high commissioner to New Zealand, > Hima Takelesi, at a special ceremony in the Cook Islands > Auckland consulate last Monday. Norman George, a Cook > Islands politician who chaired the appeal fund, said the > entire Cooks community became involved in the fund raising > effort. Unable to have their live pigs transported to > Rarotonga for the designated Niue relief day, some outer > islands residents cooked them instead for local consumption > then sent the resulting proceeds to the fund organisers. > Cook islanders raised a total of $105,000 that day. With > $10,000 the Cook Islands Government kicked in, the final > total topped the $127,000. Bearing in mind the Cooks' > population of about 12,000, said Mr George, it had been > estimated New Zealand would need to raise $400 million to > match the donation on a per capita basis. Mr Pare said the > Cooks had also sent Niue two containers of clothing and > food. Mr Takelesi said Niue could have been in far more > serious trouble if Cyclone Heta had struck at night. By > hitting during daylight hours, Niueans were fortunate to be > able to see what to hang on to..and survive. > > Niue Pictures after Cyclone Heta > > [bewsline.gif] > > [EMBED] > [EMBED] > > [EMBED] > > [bewsline.gif] > > Send mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with questions or comments about > this web site. > Copyright © 2002 Company Administrative Services
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