Weekly Niue News http://www.niuenews.nu/ _______________________________________________ > May 29, 2004 > Television Blues: No TV One News, no Shortland Street > soapies and no live rugby! It's tough going for avid tv > watchers on Niue used to a good all-round mix of nightly > programs.The Broadcasting Corporation of Niue, which > controls the island's radio and tv services, lost its main > antennae, mast and satellite dish during the January > hurricane-force winds and it's been a challenge to try and > replace the expensive equipment. Niueans have been a bit > scratchy at the menu of repeats dished up nightly on their > screens. Commented BCN general manager Patrick Lino: "A lot > of people are showing withdrawal sysmptoms." > > The top rated TVOne news ( minus advertisements) and the > fasting moving drama Shortland Street (starring Niuean > Stephanie Tauevihi) were top favourite programs on the > island as were the Super 12 rugby games beamed in live. But > TVNZ has dropped its Pacific service to Niue, the Cooks and > Samoa because its biggest player Fiji TV pulled out of the > system preferring to purchase the rights and re-sell them > to its neighbours. > > " Some of the programs we previously bought from TVNZ at a > good fee are now too expensive for us to buy but we are > negotiating with Fiji TV to try and get a more reasonable > deal," said Mr Lino. > > Meanwhile, the Peoples Republic of China is to erect a 76 m > free-standing mast for tv transmission and $144,000 from a > Cook Islands Relief Fund is paying for a 40 m tower and a > new 7.5 meshed satellite dish which will hopefully arrive > from the US in August, said Mr Lino. > > Then it will be services as normal. > > The Australia Broadcasting Corporation TV Pacific service > will be ressurected, the rugby tests will be live and with > a bit of luck the viewers hot favourite Shortland Street > will be back in the living rooms of the nation. And the > reward for having to endure the re-runs of the re-runs and > vintage tapes of Super 12 rounds? The BCN has waived the > $65 a quarter licence fee. For the time being. > > Doomed Deal: The proposed sale of New Zealand passports > through Niue to South Koreans fearful of an invasion was > doomed before it hit the negotiating table. Suggestions > that Niue could pass legislation to sell the passports were > also fanciful. Niue is self governing in free association > with New Zealand and Niueans are New Zealand citizens. But > the Government of Niue does not issue passports - for > Niueans and non-Niueans that is done through the vigilant > New Zealand High Commission office in Alofi and requires > proof birth in Niue or citizenship following five years > permanent residency on the island and approval by the Niue > Cabinet. > > The scheme's promoter, Bruce Porteous, a twice-discharged > bankrupt, approached Niue last month seeking the right to > sell Niuean passports and permanent residency visas to > security-conscious Koreans. Niue officials were reported to > have been told they would stand to make $75 million through > the deal under which passports would sell for $39,000 a > person, or $79,000 a family. Mr Porteous said Koreans would > obtain the documents in case they needed a temporary > bolthole should North Korea invade. There was no intention > to migrate to Niue. > > Niue, a self-governing island in free association with New > Zealand, has no right to issue its own passports because > residents are citizens of New Zealand and carry New Zealand > passports. After discovering this, Mr Porteous suggested to > Niue's High Commissioner in Wellington, Hima Takelesi, that > special legislation be passed. > > "Niue does not want to be associated with anything that is > a bit dodgy.It took us long enough to get off the OECD > blacklist for offshore banking," said Niue's High > Commissioner in New Zealand Mr Hima Takelesi. > > Niue learned a salutory lesson from previous dubious > international investor proposals which fell flat, including > a cyber city, a holy city, the purchase of a satellite, a > proposed five star resort with international golf course > and a private Chinese jeans manufacturing venture. > > Staying Afloat: An Australian government think-tank has > called for Canberra to ask tough questions about the > long-term viability of some South Pacific states. Niue is > understood to be one of the states under the spotlight. The > tiny island self governing country has a population of 1300 > and is battling to overcome extensive damage caused by > Cyclone Heta in January. Australia has provided restoration > funding and has pledged support for a new Trust Fund to > help Niue become less reliant on overseas assistance. > > A new annual assessment by the Australian Strategic Policy > Institute finds growing support in the South Pacific for > the idea that island governments should share and integrate > their resources. One example is the assistance given to > Niue by French Polynesia. > > The author of the assessment, Peter Jennings, says after > last year's intervention in the Solomon Islands, Australia > has decided to take a stronger approach in dealing with > South Pacific governments. > > "It's going to mean, I think, Australian civil servants in > line positions in public services through the region," Mr > Jennings said. "It's going to mean a much more demanding > and expectant Australian government rather than one which > will say: 'Well things must be resolved by the Pacific way, > and we can leave it to the islands to essentially manage > their own affairs'." > > The report also says Canberra will have to boost its > commitment to Papua New Guinea and other South Pacific > countries to prevent a series of failed states. > > Jennings, says rhetoric from some Pacific countries about > Australian interference in their affairs, has masked the > incompetence of their own governments. > * Dr Mata Strickland, a relative of Cook Islander Arumaki > Strickland a trader who settled on Niue in the 1950's, has > been appointed a medical officer on Niue for the next 12 > months. Dr Strickland offered his services to the island's > health department after Cyclone Heta. > > * Two climate change workshops clashed this week. One was > sponsored by the local churches the other by the Met > Office. The Met Office postponed its workshop. > > * Niue officials are hoping the change of government in > French Polynesia which sees President Gaston Flosse's > leadership in the balance will not result in any reversal > of the decision to keep the FP disaster recovery task force > on the island. The Tahiti-based group has been the main > thrust behind cleaning up and rehousing the homeless on > Niue. Flosse sent the group to Niue weeks after Cyclone > Heta and it has built 20 new kitset homes, cleared the > debris of Alofi South and plans to construct another 20 > homes. > > * Happy gardeners on Niue have been receiving free plants > to help replace flora affected by Cyclone Heta. The plants > were nutured at the Vaipapahi Research Station. > > *Private sector demands for funds to restore businesses and > property after the cyclone has left the current aid > allocation stretched. Premier Young Vivian told local > business folk he's chasing additional NZAid to fill the > gaps. The proposed industrial park at Fonuakula is now > likely to open in June. Building on the $400,000 project > has yet to begin. > > * Growers on Niue are being advised that vanilla is a > commodity and that prices will constantly change due to > product availability, demand and quality. The Pacific > Islands Trade and Investment Commission in its latest > newsletter predicts the price of vanilla will rise this > year due to two cyclones in Madagascar, the world's leading > suppier of the beans. However growers, curers and exporters > are warned that the Madagascar vanilla industry will bounce > back quickly and high prices will not last indefinitely. > > *Participants in the 9th Festival of Pacific Arts in Palau > in July are being supplied with information about the > islands quarantine biosecurity. With thousands of > participants from the South Pacific and visitors world > wide, the SPC has produced a video and posters for Palau to > distribute to festival teams. They carry a precautionary > message to inform travellers not to pack a pest while > getting ready to go to Palau. > > *Niue's community newspaper the Niue Star is being printed > in New Zealand following the destruction of the paper's > office in Alofi during the cyclone. The paper is being > air-freighted to the island each week and still sells for > $2 a copy. It has wide distribution in south and west > Auckland. > > Up and Away: A newly formed Tongan company, known as the > Air Waves ofVava' u, says it will use a DC-3 plane for > domestic air services after the collapse of Royal Tongan > Airlines. > > The plane, bought from New Zealand company Pion Air, is due > in Tonga on June 5 in time to facilitate travel to the Free > Wesleyan Church's Annual Conference on Vava'u. > > Radio Tonga says Pion Air will operate the aircraft and > provide technical expertise. > > It says Crown Prince Tupoutoa is one of the owners of the > new service. > > This comes as the Government is calling for interested > parties to meet next month in Nuku'alofa to look at > domestic air service options. > > Meanwhile many workers in the tourism industry in Vava'u > and Nuku'alofa have been laid-off due to a sharp decline in > the number of tourist arrivals since Royal Tongan Airlines > suspended its domestic services. > > Radio Tonga reports affected employees, tour operators and > tourism businesses will present a petition to the > Legislative Assembly and the Government, highlighting their > plight. > > The petition is being distributed for signatures and calls > on government to make urgent redress of their plight. > > It also outlines the encouraging trend in the number of > tourist arrivals in recent years when 5,000 were recorded > in 2002 and 8,000 the following year. > > The Vava'u Tourist Association targeted between 10,000 and > 20,000 tourists would arrive in the island region this > year. > > The petition is expected to be sent to Nuku'alofa on > Wednesday where businessman Samiu Vaipulu will forward it > to the Legislative Assembly and the Government.
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