Weekly Niue News http://www.niuenews.nu/ _______________________________________________ > March 13, 2004 > Damage Figures: Niue's Cyclone Recovery Assessment > Committee has estimated the damage caused by Cyclone Heta > in January at $NZ37.7 million. That figure does not provide > for damage to the environment. The initial assessment > pinpoints $7m for civil society; $5m for the private sector > and $27.7m for the government and public sector. That > translates to $29,000 per capita among the island's > population of 1300. New Zealand has already donated $5m > with further aid provided by Australia, China, France, > French Polynesia, Cook Islands and the European Union. The > US and the Forum Secretariat is at present considering > assistance for re-development projects. At present 40 new > homes donated by French Polynesia have been built or > allocated to those families whose houses were demolished > during the hurricane force winds. Another 20 homes will be > built by tender which is at present being advertised in New > Zealand. NZAid in Wellington is expected to provide massive > on-going financial assistance in a bid to retain the > community on Niue which over the past 40 years has been > dogged by depopulation. > > Clean- Up Appointment: New Zealand will fund a cyclone > recovery co-ordinator for Niue. Aid Minister Marian Hobbs > has been in Niue to discuss the government's plans for > recovering from the devastation. She re-affirmed New > Zealand's commitment to maintaining a living community > there. Ms Hobbs said the recovery plan drawn up by the > island government is "excellent." She was presented with > the plan during a tour of the storm wrecked island at the > weekend and said the document is very detailed. "It goes > through what we need to do immediately, what do we need to > do in terms of housing, what do we do with each sector be > it health, be it fishing, be it whatever..about education > and training, about government capital assets, what do we > do with water and land and energy all sorts of structure > things, earning money things ...tourism and forestry and > agriculture and the economic development of the governance > issues," she said. While on Niue Ms Hobbs met with > politicians and private sector representatives. > > Release Irks MP: Two prisoners on Niue, both serving long > term sentences for manslaughter, who were allowed to go > home unsupervised after the island jail was damaged by > Cyclone Heta will be returned when the jailhouse is > repaired, said Justice Minister Fisa Pihigia. The pair, he > said, were allowed back into the tiny community because > conditions at the jail were unsanitary after the roof was > ripped off and the toilet and shower area was damaged. The > New Zealand Herald newspaper reports the prisoners untimely > freedom has fired up by Opposition MP Veve Jacobsen, who > sees them out and about shopping and driving around in > cars. Mrs Jacobsen has long been concerned about the > "cushy" conditions at the prison, which she calls The > Hilton, and is annoyed the prisoners are now out in the > community. "The Hilton" is located next to the golf course > and prisoners are only locked up at night anyway, she says. > By day they are virtually free and can farm the land, grow > vegetables and sell them. "They keep the money themselves > because it goes towards helping their families. But that's > a load of shit because I mean now it's okay to go walk into > someone's home, shoot them, kill them, and then go to > prison because you'll be treated leniently and get away > with it." She worries that the lax control on the prisoners > sets a worrying precedent on the raised atoll. The last > murder was in 1953 - that of Resident Commissioner Hector > Larsen - and the offenders were put away for life and the > people of Niue learned the consequences, she says. "You can > see a very long period of time when there was obedience in > the land and people complied with the law and people did > the right thing." Minister Pihigia said the men - one > serving 11 years the other nine years - were not released, > but were let out because of the condition of the prison. It > was a concern, he said, but the prisoners were supposed to > be under supervision. He does not think the men are > dangerous even though they both shot and killed someone. > "Well, they're mixing with the community now so I don't see > any problem, they are not considered dangerous." They were > convicted of manslaughter and he did not think they would > do it again. "No, I don't think so, it's the circumstances > that caused people to react like that." He said materials > to fix the prison had been ordered and work should be > completed soon. When that happened the prisoners would be > returned. > > Home For Critic: Opposition MP Terry Coe who berated New > Zealand for not providing enough assistance to Niue after > the cyclone and praised the actions of a French Polynesian > Disaster Intervention team has been allocated a new home > donated by French Polynesia. The former Cabinet minister > paid tribute to the Tahiti based team that turned up on the > island shortly after the cyclone and erected new houses for > the homeless and cleared away massive piles of rubble and > debris in Alofi South. Coe's comments irked New Zealand > Foreign Affairs Minister Phil Goff who told the Niue > businessman to stop "whingeing." Coe lost his village store > and mechanical workshop during the cyclone and his home at > Alofi South was badly damaged. New Zealand donated $5m to > Niue and is likely to fund a recovery program estimated to > cost around $37m. > > Farm Gifted: The privately leased Vaiea farm, first used in > 1996 as an international quarantine station for South > American alpaca, has been gifted back to the Niue > government. The facilities built by an Australian company, > Hamilton and Bridges include a house, laboratory and barn > are reported to be worth $NZ1.5 million. The government > said last week the farm will now be used as a commercial > nonu plantation. The alpaca farm proved a huge success for > the Australian firm which imported the animals from Peru > and then auctioned them to buyers from New Zealand and > Australia. The station has not been used for several years > because Peru prohibited the export of alpacas and stocks on > New Zealand and Australian farms were sufficient to sustain > the species within those countries. > > Teachers Wanted: The Education Department on Niue is > seeking an information technology teacher and an economics > teacher. For the Niue High School. Applicants are expected > to have a degree in education majoring in economics and IT > and must also possess a Diploma in Teaching (secondary) and > also have the New Zealand's National Certificate of > Education Achievements (NCEA) in teaching and > administrative experiences for Level 1, 2 and 3. A shortage > of local staff began several years ago when 10 high school > teachers resigned after being involved in a long running > pay dispute. Government refused to provide improved wages > and recruited New Zealand teachers at twice the local > salaries with free accommodation and moving expenses. > > Cyclone Record: Niue's Internet Users Society, delegated > manager of the top level domain .nu, has produced a full > colour brochure on Cyclone Heta which outlines damage done > by the hurricane force winds. It highlights how the > technical crew reacted quickly to secure its wi-fi > equipment and re-installed it immediately after the cyclone > passed. The brochure was distributed at the global meeting > of ICANN in Rome, Italy this month. The wi-fi system - > installed and maintained free by IUS-N- allowed internet > and e mail users immediate on-line access by avoiding > reliance on dial up services which have been restricted by > severe damage to the local telephone lines. > > Back In Business: Niue's government tourism office in its > latest on-line newsletter is telling travel agents and > holiday makers that the situation on the island following > Cyclone Heta is "not as bad as you may think." There are 33 > rooms available and the island remains a highly attractive > place to visit, says the report. Debris and rubble which > covered Alofi South has been removed by a French Polynesia > disaster action team and the ground has been leveled > providing cliff-top views of the ocean. The report states > that plans are being made to turn the area into a golf > course or park. Scenic sites, swimming holes and tracks > have all been cleared and all public roads are useable, > according to the tourist office.Restaurants/bars and cafes > are functioning as normal and according to the report there > is plenty of food available on island.. Fishing charters > are up and running and diving operations, although not > fully functional are being re-located and are hoping to be > back in business in the near future, according to the > report. > > Daylight Saving: New Zealand daylight saving ends at 3am > Sunday ( New Zealand time). Niue will be a day and one hour > behind New Zealand time. Proposed legislation five years > ago to change the international dateline to allow Niue to > be on the same day and time as New Zealand failed to gain > any support from the island's legislators. > > Niue At Festival: Thousands of Auckland resident Niueans > visited the Pasifika Festival at Western Springs stadium > and lakeside Auckland during the weekend. They were part of > a record breaking 200,000 crowd at the two day showcase for > Pacific talent and culture. The festival provides an > opportunity for people to see, smell, taste, feel and hear > the uniqueness of Auckland's Pacific Islands community with > everything from arts and music to traditional food, > handicrafts and cultural performances. Niueans also > displayed their wares among the 400 stalls - at least 100 > of which are dedicated to food - with everything from > handmade bedspreads, pillowcases,woven mats, baskets and > carvings. Cultural villages were set up representing the > Cook Islands, Niue, Samoa, Tokelau, Tonga, Kiribati, Fiji > and Tuvalu. > > Cheap Packages: Polynesian Airlines has announced reduced > airfares between Samoa, New Zealand and Australia in > response to Air New Zealand's Pacific Express fares.The > airline's low fares will come into effect from May > 1.Polynesian has also announced that it's introducing a > special two week fare of $USD366 dollars for a round-trip > from Apia to Auckland for the month of April. Polynesian's > commercial general manager, Sala Petelo Vaioulu, says a > feature of their package is that travellers will have seven > days to pay for their tickets. Polynesian has been offering > cheap fares from Auckland to Niue for Niueans returning > home to help with cyclone recovery plans.
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