Weekly Niue News http://www.niuenews.nu/ _______________________________________________ > June 25, 2004 > Assessment Plea: Niue conservationists are appealing for > donor support from the region, to research the full extent > of damage to the environment following Cyclone Heta earlier > this year. Effects of the hurricane force winds on fruit > bats, birds, coconut crabs and the forests have not been > properly investigated by skilled personnel, according to a > government spokesperson. > > "It's due to finances and also the lack of personnel and > technical know-how as to how to do the actual assessment," > said the Niue director for the environment department and > former director of agriculture, Sauni Tongatule, addressing > donors at a Pacific Islands Roundtable for Nature > Conservation meeting in Fiji. > > "And also you can't get into some of these areas to do > proper assessments, he added. > > He said the Niue government has more pressing priorities > such as housing and relocation of essential services such > as the island's hospital. > > "We're just hoping some people might commit to some > financial assistance to enable us to lobby some of our > NGO's back home to do some of the work back home. I don't > think government is in a position to do some of this work," > said Mr Tongatule. > > Action Imperative: Transparency International say there is > systemic corruption throughout the Pacific and that leaders > must do more than pay lip service to efforts to stamp it > out. In a report to TI it was revealed that 12 small > countries in the South Pacific, which included Niue, were > "tainted by corruption." > > Pacific representatives of the anti-corruption body met in > Wellington recently and called for action to combat the > problem. > > The Executive Officer of TI, New Zealand, Shane Cave, says > there is concern that over the years, signatures have been > put on paper, but they have not been followed up by action. > He said the problems of corruption were in many forms - the > misuse of funds and power for personal or family > enrichment. Mr Cave said corruption was still prevalent in > many forms and despite many people and groups expressing > concern about it there has been no action to stop it. > > Invitation Extended: Niuean voters in New Zealand are being > wooed by the new Maori Party. Polynesian leaders in Mangere > recently saw Tariana Turia founder of the party along with > co-founder Dr Peter Sharples inviting Pacific Islanders to > nominate candidates to contest the next general election in > constituencies which include Porirua, Mangere and West > Auckland. > > Cook Island leaders are believed to be backing the Maori > Party but Samoan, Tongan and Niuean leaders have yet to > publicly offer support for the party. Niuean voters have > been long-time supporters of the Labour Party with many > serving on local party constituency committees. Ms Turia > quit the Labour Party at the height of the seabed and > foreshore debate and will face five challengers for her > Maori seat in a by election on July 10. > > Role Model: If Niue follows the principals of the > established Tuvalu Trust Fund the scheme could prove a huge > success. Niue passed legislation last month setting up a > Trust Fund with a $5million contribution from New Zealand > in the hope that it will make the island state less > dependent on overseas aid. The fund has been talked about > on Niue for the past 15 years but was never established > because of on-going financial troubles on the island. The > Trust Fund operated by Tuvalu is being promoted as a model > for other nations to use to improve the transparency of > their financial activities. > > The Pacific chapters of the anti corruption group, > Transparency International, in a communique, said the > Tuvalu Trust Fund has been an outstanding success. > > The statement said a key part of this success has been the > involvement of the people of Tuvalu in the running of the > Trust, such as in the way the sub-fund for the eight outer > islands is managed. The people have set their own > priorities, they are responsible for deciding how the money > is spent, and each is able to comment on their own and peer > pressure is ultimately the key in making all governments > feel accountable. The people also have a say in the way in > which outer islands and the rest of Tuvalu has handled > those Trust Funds. TI spokesperson Shane Cave said Tuvalu > shows the way in which collective responsibility is the > crucial ingredient to having honest handling of finances. > > *The Niuean Community in Melbourne has donated $NZ6,706.45 > towards the new planned hospital. The site has yet to be > determined but will be funded by EU, AudsAid and NZAid. > Meanwhile the temporary hospital at the Niue Youth Centre > is being refurbished with air conditioning, a pharmacy and > x-ray rooms. > > *A new perimeter fence is to be constructed around the > Hanan International Airport. Its part of a security > requirement for certification of the airport. Tenders will > be called before the end of the financial year. Overseas > funding has been provided for the project as part of a > Pacific security and anti-terrorism promotion. New Zealand > has pledged $3 million annually to the region for > strengthening security in the Pacific." > > The fund will provide advice, training and technical > assistance to Pacific Islands on security issues and > support projects in aviation, port and shipping security, > customs processes, immigration, counter-terrorism and > legislative drafting. > > *The government backed philatelic and numismatic company > which wound up last year has arranged for the > Inter-Government Philatelic Corporation of New York to > print and market Niue stamps. The corporation now has a > two year contract. A third stamp issue under the agreement > is likely to nett Niue $US8000. > > * Niueans in Auckland Wellington and Christchurch were told > by the Premier Young Vivian that if they were serious about > staking a claim in a nation that is going places they have > to return home. "Otherwise leave the rest of us who are > here to get on with the job of rebuilding Niue," he said. > Upon his return home the Premier said it was a worthwhile > trip, and judging by the numbers that attended, New Zealand > Niueans appeared to be genuinely interested in what the > government was doing. > > "I delivered some hard words much to the surprise of our > people. I told them bluntly that if they are serious about > making a claim in a nation that is going places, there is > only one way to do it, other wise leave the rest of us who > are here to get on with the job of rebuilding Niue." > > *A paid day off for public servants last Monday to allow > them help with village clean-ups. No such luck for those in > the private sector. > > Extra Flights: Budget airline Pacific Blue is planning a > service between Australia and the Cook Islands, via > Christchurch. > > The airline intends to start its services before the end of > the year, subject to the outcome of commercial negotiations > and regulatory approvals, Cook Islands News reported today. > > The airline will review using rights that will also allow > passengers to join or leave the flight during its planned > en route stop in Christchurch. > > The public announcement follows Pacific Blue's commencement > of sales this week for services from Australia to Vanuatu > and Fiji that will start in September. > > David Huttner, head of strategy and communications for > Virgin Blue/Pacific Blue has been to Rarotonga to meet with > the Prime Minister and Minister for tourism, Dr Robert > Woonton, Cook Islands Tourism Corporation chief executive > Chris Wong, and other key government officials and tourism > industry leaders. > > "In the past the Cook Islands has had the chance to > experience the benefits of airline competition and the > positive impact it had on the economy," Mr Huttner said. > > "Since that competition disappeared, it has become clear > that a monopoly is certainly not in the best interests of > the tourism industry which is so vital to the economy of > the Cook Islands." > > Pacific Blue has no intention of flying into Niue. > Polynesian Airlines has a five year contract with the Niue > government which makes it the island's designated carrier > for services in and out of New Zealand. > > Costly Fuel: Neighbouring Rarotongans are now paying $1.64 > a litre for unleaded petrol at the local service station > and $1.51 for diesel. But owning a vehicle in the outer is > proving more expensive. In the northern group petrol is > $2.63 a litre and diesel $2.48. > The rise was the first since October 2002. Niue motorists > are now paying a flat $2 a litre for petrol and diesel. But > despite the hefty increase in deisel used mainly to fuel > the generators on Niue, the secretary of government Sisilia > Talagi said there are no plans to increase the price of > electricity. But she said government will continue to > monitor the situation. Householders pay 32 cents a unit for > power which now costs around 70 cents to produce. > > Services Resumed: It didn't take long for privately owned > airlines to take over the domestic void left by the > liquidated Royal Tongan Airlines. FlyNiu the second airline > to service domestic routes had its leased Dash 8 aircraft > in the air last week. Its maiden flight was to Vava`u from > Tongatapu. > > The CEO of FlyNiu, `Atu Finau, said that it is a great > relief for them to finally get their license. He said they > had been expecting to be issued with a license since June > 10, after another domestic air service operator, Vava`u > Airwave was issued a license on June 9. > > FlyNiu was delayed because it did not have a liferaft on > the Dash 8 which can fly from Tongatapu to Vava'u in 40 > minutes. The airline claims it is booked out for the next > month. > > Royal Tongan Airlines provided weekly services from New > Zealand through Tonga return using its Shorts and a leased > HS748 out of Tongatapu. > > Independence Plea: The newly installed President of French > Polynesia, Oscar Temaru, says his Government wants the > Pacific Islands Forum to take the lead in helping the > territory decolonize. > > He says since 1978 they have been trying to enlist the help > of agencies around the world, including the Forum, to get > back on the United Nations list of non-autonomous nations. > > Mr Temaru says the Forum helped New Caledonia onto this > list in 1988. > > He hopes to be granted observer status at the Forum meeting > in Apia in August. It is understood Niue will back French > Polynesia's application. A Tahiti based Disaster Recovery > team has been active on Niue since February heading a clean > up project after Cyclone Heta. > > Unfair Treatment: Polynesian Airlines is carrying out an > internal investigation into allegations of preferential > treatment given by Polynesian ground staff to certain > passengers, reports Radio New Zealand international News. > > It says it's received a considerable number of complaints > from customers that some staff at airports queue jump their > relatives and friends, and their luggage and freight. > > There are also allegations of unauthorized excess baggage > waivers and baggage shuffling to spread luggage loads. > > Polynesian's chief executive officer, John Fitzgerald, says > the company has found, in at least some of the cases, that > the claims involving a few employees appear justified. > > At the conclusion of its internal investigations, > Polynesian says if the complaints are substantiated, > appropriate disciplinary action will be taken. > > Mr Fitzgerald has apologized to passengers who may have > been victims of staff actions. Polynesian Airlines flies to > Niue from Auckland on a diverted Apia flight and from Niue > /Auckland weekly. > > Pacific Focus: Improving opportunities and skills for > information and communication technology (ICT) > professionals in the Pacific is the driving goal behind a > new collaborative initiative joining New Zealand and > international organizations. The Pacific Internet Partners > will work to improve the skill levels of ICT professionals > in the Cooks Islands, Niue, Samoa and Tokelau- countries > chosen for their strong links to New Zealand and the > organizations involved. > > The Pacific Internet Partners initiative has been > established by the New Zealand National Commission for the > United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural > Organization (UNESCO NZ), the United Nations Development > Programme's (UNDP) Apia Country Office and the Internet > Society of New Zealand (Internet NZ) through the signing of > a joint Memorandum of Understanding. > > Laurence Zwimpfer, Deputy Chair of the New Zealand National > Commission for UNESCO and Communications specialist says, > "The development of ICT skills in the Pacific is important > to the region, and this collaboration of New Zealand and > international forces will benefit the backbone of ICT > development- its professionals." > > In the coming year, planned activities include supporting > the annual PacInet Conference - supported by Niue's > Internet Users Society- being held in Vanuatu in August, > fostering the establishment of national ICT professional > organisations, and establishing internship and mentoring > exchange programmes between New Zealand and the Pacific > nations involved. > > "InternetNZ has had a strong call from our membership to do > something in the Pacific," says Keith Davidson, President > of InternetNZ. "By combining forces with UNDP who are on > the ground in these countries, and UNESCO's influence we'll > be getting significantly more `bang for our buck'." > > Ms. Joyce Yu from UNDP's Apia office says "This is a great > initiative that will allow us to better leverage resources. > UNDP sees the development of ICT skills as critical to the > achievement of the UN's Millennium Goals." > > Don Hollander, a New Zealand technologist who has recently > returned from two-years in Samoa where he worked with UNDP > on a number of projects, has also been involved in > InternetNZ and works on a committee for UNESCO NZ. He says > "We've structured this agreement so that additional parties > who have aligned objectives can also join, providing even > more coordination and leverage."
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