Weekly Niue News http://www.niuenews.nu/ _______________________________________________ > 11th March 2004 > Self Sufficiency Hope: Niue's High Commissioner to New > Zealand Hima Takelesi is hoping a new irrigation project > for the island will be the beginning of the island becoming > self sufficient in food production. The United Nations Food > and Agriculture Organisation has agreed to provide funding > and advisors to get the system running. Mr Takelesi, said > almost all agriculture on the island needs to be irrigated > but this is made more difficult by the absence of surface > water. He said for some time the government has wanted to > look at a scheme to help Niue's production of fruit and > vegetables. "I think this is just the beginning but we hope > we will, in time, be able to supply most of the vegetables > that are required for the island," said Mr Takelesi. Niue > imports hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of fresh and > frozen vegetables from New Zealand each year. Growers in > the past have been frustrated by the lack of irrigation and > harvest deterioration caused by long spells of hot, dry > weather. In the 1970's UNDP funded a food processing > factory for pulping passionfruit, producing lime oil and > coconut cream. Niue's depopulation caused a supply crisis > and the factory closed. > > Aftermath Discussions: New Zealand's Associate Minister of > Foreign Affairs, Marian Hobbs, will visit Niue on Saturday > to talk to government officials and Niue residents. It is > understood the minister will attend a series of discussions > at the Matavai Resort on how the island is coping with the > aftermath of Cyclone Heta. Premier Young Vivian announced > last week in Auckland that the $5m donated to Niue by New > Zealand had all been allocated. Earlier Mr Vivian met with > Sir Barry Curtis, Mayor of Manukau, and told of his > excitement about what Sir Barry and Sir Howard Morrison > want to do with funds raised by a Niue appeal fund they're > supporting. "They're hoping to raise $1million for a new > library," said Mr Vivian. "They are having concerts and > stalls in shopping centres and looking at providing > expertise for town planning, having people from the council > having a look at town planning, sewage and water." The > premier said timing of the aid injection depended on Niue > deciding when it was required. > > Tidying Up: A shareholders sub-committee is reported to be > investigating the accounts their Niue Investment Company > Ltd after Cyclone Heta destroyed the leased Hotel Niue in > Alofi South. The 32-room accommodation blocks were > destroyed and the central amenities bar kitchen and > restaurant wwas badly damaged. The hotel, owned by the > government, was leased to the company about two years ago. > There are 31 shareholders. Efforts are now underway to try > and establish a list of the hotel creditors and debtors but > the lack of accounting records has made it a difficult task > for the sub committee. Sources say it appears a substantial > amount of money is owed to the company by the government > for post Heta functions held at the hotel and personal bar > accounts. It has been reported there is a proposal to > upgrade the central amenities block and convert it into a > nightclub. The privately owned clifftop Clayton's nightclub > at Tagavaka was swept away by high seas during the cyclone. > > Festival Features: Auckland based Niuean groups feature in > this year's Western Springs Pasifika Festival that opens on > Friday night ( March 12 New Zealand time). At the opening > ceremony Tau Fuata Niue and Malcolm Lakatani will entertain > on the main stage alongside Paulini the Australian idol > star. On Saturday there will be feasting, song and dance in > what is believed to be the biggest Polynesian festival in > the world. Tau Fuata Niue will perform with the youth group > Fuata Uluola Inc. Officials report there will be a large > number of Niuean handicraft and food stalls and they're > preparing for the biggest festival ever. > > Number Crunching: Aid officials in Niue are carefully > scrutinizing applications for cyclone assistance. A number > of claims for damage to homes and businesses have already > been processed by the island government which has also > allocated new homes to those who lost property in the > hurricane force Cyclone Heta.. New Zealand has given $5m > emergency assistance to cover some of the damage and get > the island up and running. Cabinet is still allocating new > homes. People who were renting government accommodation are > reported to have been offered rent-to-buy homes while > others qualify for interest free loans. The French > Polynesian government has donated 20 kitset homes and 60 > volunteers are on Niue erecting them and clearing up the > debris in the main village. Tenders are being called in New > Zealand for the supply and construction of 20 additional > homes. Makefu village was also badly hit with at least four > homes being devastated and the village church demolished > by massive waves. There have been allegations of grossly > inflated claims for property damage and business losses but > a private sector task force has been set up to monitor > repair pay outs which are substantial because insurance > cover on cyclone damage is not available on Niue. Meanwhile > telephone services on the island are still being repaired > but internet users in Alofi can access the free WiFi > service which has been installed and is maintained by the > Internet Users Society -Niue. In neighbouring American > Samoa which was also struck by the cyclone FBI agent > William Denson, has warned locals not to lie on their > applications for federal cyclone assistance. Since Cyclone > Heta hit American Samoa in January more than 6000 people > have registered for federal assistance with around 5000 > applications approved. The Federal Emergency Management > Office says misleading applications slow down the process > to assist genuine victims. Agent Denson says those lying on > their applications are committing fraud. > > Greater Independence :French Polynesia which provided > emergency services to Niue after Cyclone Heta has greater > autonomy from France. The territory sent a shipload of > materials and heavy lifting equipment with a Disaster > Recovery team of 60 within days of Niue's devastation. In > the past two months the team has cleared debris from the > main village of Alofi and erected 20 kitset houses for > those left homeless. French Polynesia's assistance to other > islands in the Pacific region during natural disasters has > won them praise from regional organisations and has led to > France creating what is now called an overseas country > within the French republic. The Pacific Islands Forum > secretariat says discussions are now planned with French > Polynesia on possible dates for a fact-finding mission. The > administration in Papeete has more authority in the field > of labour laws and aviation but France retains control in > the area of law and order, defence and diplomatic > relations. French Polynesia sought Forum observer status in > 1999 and last year the French President, Jacques Chirac, > used a visit to Tahiti to appeal for the territory's > integration as a member of regional bodies, such as the > Forum. French Polynesia has been removed from the UN list > of territories to be decolonised. > > Test Date: The All Blacks will play the Pacific Islanders > on July 10 and have added two more matches to their > end-of-year tour. The New Zealand Rugby Union (NZRU) said > the match against the Islanders, a composite team from > Fiji, Samoa and Tonga, is likely to be staged at the North > Harbour stadium. And the two additional matches during the > All Blacks' tour to Wales and France in November-December > are part of the NZRU's intention to further capitalise on > the All Blacks' popularity. The NZRU and the host nations, > yet to be finalised, will share the profit from those > additional games, at least one to be a test. > > Forum Boss Visits: Forum Secretary General, Greg Urwin, > will visit Samoa and Niue next week for talks on > arrangements for the 2004 Forum in Samoa and possible > assistance for Niue following damage from Cyclone Heta in > January. > > "I shall be working to ensure the most effective > communication possible between Leaders and the Secretariat, > so that we, in our turn are as responsive as possible to > their real priorities," Mr Urwin said. > > Consultations are continuing with members on the exact > dates for the annual Pacific Islands Forum in August in > Apia. The original host - Niue - deferred its offer to host > following severe cyclone damage. > > In Niue, Mr Urwin will discuss possible areas for future > assistance from the Secretariat and other regional > organizations. > > The visits by Mr Urwin are part of a series of visits to > Forum member states early in his term to discuss Forum and > regional issues. > > Forum Leaders are expected to meet in the next few weeks to > discuss the outcomes of a wide-ranging Review of the Forum, > and its Secretariat.
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