Weekly Niue News http://www.niuenews.nu/ _______________________________________________ > March 4, 2004 > FAO Support: Niue agriculture stands to benefit > substantially from irrigation projects being sponsored by > the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organisation. The > FAO will cover the $US700,000 cost of irrigation equipment > and four advisers being sent to Niue in the coming months. > News of the FAO's contribution emerged in Bangkok last week > when Niue Premier Young Vivian and Niue's high commissioner > to New Zealand, Hima Takelesi, attended a regional > conference of the FAO, the Asian Development Bank and the > United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and > the Pacific. Back in Auckland, Mr Vivian told Pacific > affairs correspondent John Andrews that he was pleasantly > surprised at being invited to chair the joint conference > which, after being nominated by a Bangladesh delegate and > seconded by China, he accepted. "I couldn't believe it," he > said. "Here I was, someone from a little country." Mr > Vivian said there were about 50 representatives from the > region at was a high level, roundtable meeting dealing with > sustainability and development as well as the eradication > of poverty and hunger. Of the FAO-funded irrigation scheme > for Niue, the Premier said: "They're sending four people to > stay for two years. They'll set up irrigation projects for > farmers and fruit tree growers. "The four people will work > with growers. They will be advisers and hands-on people. > They can install it [irrigation equipment] and show farmers > what is required. "We've always had an irrigation problem. > The lack of water has always been a problem. "And they're > sending us a portable sawmill to cut up the trees that are > uprooted [following January's Cylone Heta] and are ready to > cut," said Mr Vivian. "It will happen as soon as things > [transport] can be arranged. They [FAO] want to start on > irrigation projects in May-June. Mobilising the equipment, > that is the problem." > The Niue leader said the FAO's aid was a post-cyclone > contribution to the tiny island --- not a loan --- aimed at > development and sustainability and against hunger. > > Leader Says Thanks: Niue Premier Young Vivian made a > special trip to Wellington last week to deliver a personal > message to Prime Minister Helen Clark. Mr Vivian told > Pacific affairs correspondent John Andrews: "I wanted to go > to Wellington to say thank you to Helen Clark for all the > assistance given to us, the $5 million, the Hercules and > other things and to brief her on progress and plans." > Pleased with their talks, Mr Vivian said he received an > assurance that if Niue spent post-Cyclone Heta aid wisely > and used good governance, the isolated island could expect > to be rewarded. Meanwhile Mr Vivian is predicting an influx > of expatriate Niueans. He believes the return will be a > positive spin off from the devastating effects of Cyclone > Heta, which hit the island nine weeks ago. He says a number > of overseas resident Niueans who have returned to the > island to help with clean up and the replanting of crops, > could stay. Mr Vivian says people have returned and > rediscovered their roots, and recognize the opportunities > presented by the redevelopment. He has publicly said many > Niueans are no prepared to make some hard decisions about > their future. He said when people go back to the island and > realise how much land and how many possibilities are going > to happen with the new kind of development, particularly > with housing and also in economic development, they're > going to see there are possibilities for them in Niue in > the future. Niue desperately needs more people in its tiny > country. About 1300 live on Niue and despite major efforts > in past years to entice people back home, none have been > successful. In the 1970's the government offered to sponsor > travel costs of families living overseas to return to their > village. Only a handful took up the incentive. > > Flight Schedules: Polynesian Airlines 737-800 which > services Niue is undergoing its annual maintenance check > from March 12 -15. Flights to and from Niue will be > undertaken in the Royal Tongan Airlines 757 jet and on > March 13 departs Auckland at 7.30 pm arriving Niue 10.40 pm > (March 12). The flight returns to Auckland via Apia. On > March 15 the flight arrives Niue via Apia at 6.40 pm then > continues to Auckland arriving 10.00 pm (March 16). > > Cheaper Fares Welcomed: Response has been positive within > the Pacific airline industry to Air New Zealand's launch of > lower fares to some regional destinations. The new Pacific > Express fares are available for trips between New Zealand > and Nuku'alofa, Apia, Nadi and Rarotonga. The managing > director of Air Rarotonga, Ewan Smith, says the Pacific > Express fares bring about changes in the market which > create exciting opportunities. His counterpart at Royal > Tongan Airlines, Logan Appu, agrees that it's a positive > thing that the market is becoming more competitive. And in > Samoa, the ceo of Polynesian Airlines, John Fitzgerald, > says Air New Zealand offers undoubted benefits to the > travelling public in terms of reduced prices but his > airline will continue to concentrate on quality of service. > > Quick Response: While France and its Pacific territories > rushed to the aid of Niue after January's Cyclone Heta, the > same urgency has been accorded to Vanuatu. That Melanesian > country was hit last week by Cyclone Ivy. About 15 tonnes > of relief supplies are aboard the French Navy patrol boat > La Glorieuse due in Port Vila this week. The aid effort was > coordinated by the French High Commission in New Caledonia > with logistical support from the French army based in the > Pacific territory. The shipment includes tarpaulins, > chainsaws and bush-cleaning equipment that is supposed to > help the Vanuatu authorities clean up. New Zealand, on its > part, has earmarked $NZ70,000 mainly to help the Red Cross > buy and distribute emergency kits for the worse-stricken > families. Meanwhile the French Polynesian Disaster Response > Team is still on Niue assisting with the massive clean up > and is constructing kitset homes for those who lost their > houses in the cyclone. > > Pacific Rugby: Former Auckland rugby coach Wayne Pivac has > been confirmed as the coach of the Pacific Islands rugby > side which will play tests against the All Blacks, > Australia and South Africa later this year. Pivac who is > now coach of the Fiji side will be assisted by former > Wallaby Willie Ofahengaue while former All Black Michael > Jones will manage the side. Ofahengaue is the new coach of > the Tonga national side. > > Damage Control: A private sector task force has been set up > on Niue to consider the allocation of New Zealand > assistance. Businesses damaged by Cyclone Heta have > submitted damage reports. Insurance is against cyclone > damage is not available on Niue. But some officials have > been concerned at exaggerated claims from businesses > requesting replacement value on plant and equipment. Many > businesses operating out of leased premises in the PWD > depot at Amanau suffered substantial losses along with > shops and offices in the Alofi South area. New Zealand > allocated about $1m of its $5m emergency package for > private sector rehabilitation.
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