Weekly Niue News http://www.niuenews.nu/ [2004-09-11: list updated for new site] _______________________________________________ > Last Week's News > We have 3 guests online > Top Pacific avifauna conservationists and biologists have been > on Niue researching the status of fruit bats and birds > following Cyclone Heta. Dr. Anne Brooke of Guam, Ralph > Powlesland and David Butler of New Zealand were funded by the > UNDP after a request from Niue's environmental officials. It's > understood preliminary results indicate that most bird species > on the island were not adversely affected by the cyclone but > the fruit bats (peka) and wood pigeons (lupe) are under > threat... due to excessive shooting. Government may have to > consider imposing a shooting ban for several years to allow > bat and pigeon stocks to increase.About 430 people have > shooting licences. > [date.gif] Saturday, 18 September 2004 > Written by The Editors > NO SHORTAGE OF VOLUNTEERS TO ACCOMPANY PM CLARK TO NIUE > A call for new faces .. it won't be a junket for the "same old > people.." > > Dozens of New Zealand-based Niueans want to accompany Minister > Helen Clark to their island homeland late next month. Since > news of Helen Clark's mission broke earlier this week, Niueans > from many parts of the country have asked Niue's high > commission in Wellington if they can be among up to 70 > selected to travel on her RNZAF 757 passenger jet. > > Their interest was prompted by news reports in Wellington's > The Dominion Post, the Niue Weekly News and the New Zealand > Herald's website that the New Zealand leader was expected to > visit the struggling island to help cement relationships > between the two countries. > > Pacific affairs correspondent John Andrews writes that while > official word of her planned trip has not yet been forthcoming > from by the Prime Minister' s office, Niue sources say she > will arrive at Niue's Hanan International Airport on October > 28 for a two-day visit. > > The idea is for Niueans in New Zealand to witness how the > tiny, isolated island has coped since January's devastating > Cyclone Heta and to join their island kinfolk in a 'Taoga > Niue' where Niue's language, culture and future are discussed. > > Hima Takelesi, Niue's high commissioner, said: "People are > saying 'Don't send the usual people'. Young Vivian [the > premier] has said he wants a cross section." > > By that, said Mr Takelesi, the Premier wants a range of people > from professionals, to carpenters, to office workers. > > "All those people who made inquiries are good people," said > the high commissioner. "There's been a lot of interest from > people who want to be part of the process. > > "We want to make sure it is not only the people who are good > at projecting themselves, but ordinary people must be given a > chance to speak. > > "We think we will thrash out the usual ideas and come up with > some other ideas, the preservation of Niue as a race through > language, culture and lifestyle." > > A HINT OF WHAT'S IN THE MOU > > New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark and Niue Premier Young > Vivian are expected to deliver keynote addresses at the 'Taoga > Niue' in the Niue High School hall and to sign a memorandum of > understanding [MOU] about the island 's future. > > As a preliminary to the MOU signing, Marian Hobbs, Associate > Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Jim Anderton, Minister for > Economic Development, will spend next weekend on Niue ironing > out details with senior Niue politicians. > > Niue's High Commissioner to New Zealand Hima Takelesi told > Pacific affairs correspondent John Andrews yesterday, the > ministers will discuss with their Niue counterparts issues > such as administration and economic support for the island and > its public service. > > Mr Takelesi believes Ms Clark is concerned with Niue's > continually dwindling population and "there does not seem to > be anything happening where you can say things are on track." > > While fishing, nonu and vanilla enterprises appear promising, > Niue was still waiting to see what would eventuate from such > ventures. > > "I think the Prime Minister realises some of the policies in > the past have not been to Niue's advantage," he said. > > "I get the feeling of 'We have given this assistance and > people are still leaving the island. Is there something we can > do to make sure the island is viable?' > > "As people leave the island and, for the public service, it > has been difficult to fill the positions of those people who > have left." > > Mr Takelesi said well-educated and qualified people were going > into middle-management jobs but there was a lack of necessary > experience. > > MEMORIAL PARK NEARS REALITY > > Niueans in New Zealand have collected enough money to build a > children's playground on the Cyclone Heta-devastated > waterfront south of Alofi. > > About 300 people attending a Tagata Niue Group-organised > dinner at Eden Park raised more than $3000 for the $11,500 > project. > > John Kumitau, the group's co-ordinator, said the radio station > NiuFM had undertaken to make the $8500 shortfall available > from the cyclone appeal fund it ran earlier this year. > > The playground complex would be a memorial to Daniel Alec, the > 19-month-old toddler who, like his mother Cathy Alec, died > from injuries suffered in the cyclone. > > Mr Kumitau said he hoped the playground, which would form part > of the beautification of the area near the old museum, would > be ready about Easter next year. > > He said the group was also hoping a walkway, a barbecue and a > mini-golf course --- including holes named after Niue's 13 > villages --- would ultimately form part of programme. > > Niue Premier Young Vivian said the area being set aside for > the playground was about an acre. > > "We will make cycling and walking tracks and picnic places, > maybe places where they set up picnic activity." > > New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark revealed to guests at > the dinner that she had accepted an invitation from Mr Vivian > to visit Niue next month. > > Others at the dinner included Auckland mayoral hopeful Dick > Hubbard and his wife Diana, both of whom spent time working on > Niue, the Associate Minister of Pacific Island Affairs, Taito > Phillip Field, and Hima Takelesi, Niue's high commissioner to > New Zealand. > > KNOCK KNOCK... ANYONE THERE? > > It appears counting the number of people - around 1300 - on > Niue is proving to be a major problem. An attempt to collect > population data as part of the reconstruction effort has been > hampered by no-one being at home when the collators call...and > the weather. Last week, the Statistics Department carried out > a village head count, the first since Cyclone Heta hit in > January. The government says it is important to maintain > accurate population counts for planning education, health and > social policies. > > However, Kim-Ray Vaha from the Statistics Department said > information had been hard to collate."It's just a matter of > getting people in their houses because during the day there's > hardly anyone in their houses during the day so we had to > collect the forms in the evening. As people saw last week, the > weather wasn't in our favour to do that type of work in the > field so we are going to try again this week and collect > whatever is left," he said. > > Accurate population figures for the tiny island have been > difficult to establish with estimates ranging from 2200 to > 1200 during the past two years. > Contribution: A $150,000 government contribution to the > Ekalesia Niue Church complex planned for Alofi has drawn sharp > criticism. Many consider the money, allocated in this year's > budget, should have been given to re-building a new hospital > at Kaimiti urgently needed by community. > > Expensive: Government has allocated another $40,000 to its > Commission of Inquiry into e mail and internet services on > Niue. The Commission headed by NZ District Court Judge David > Ongley is likely to hold its final hearing in Wellington early > next year. It has been estimated that both parties in the > hearing, the government and the delegated manager of the top > level country code domain .nu - the Internet Users Society - > Niue, have spent around $NZ150,000 on legal expenses. > > Tower: Three members of the Beijing Urban Construction team > are supervising the erection of a 76 metre stand alone > transmission broadcast tower at Makefu. The tower and a 1 kw > transmitter have been given to the Broadcasting Corporation by > the People Republic of China to improve tv reception. A 7 > metre satellite dish is also being installed next month at BCN > offices which will provide better coverage of overseas > programs including sport and news. > > Damaging: The annual meeting of the regional environmental > organisation SPREP, being held in French Polynesia has been > told that the very existence of Pacific societies is at risk. > A Niue delegation is at the conference.The territory's > vice-president and environment minister, Jacqui Drollet, says > the aggressive behaviour of rich countries and their > exploitation of the resources of the developing countries > cause serious damage to the environment.According to the news > agency AFP, Mr Drollet says sustainable development applies > not only to the environment but also has a cultural and social > dimension. > > ShowDay: Tuapa Village displays its best handicrafts, seafood > and plantation produce at its annual showday Saturday. Food > stalls will be popular as ever with breakfasts top of the > menu. > > Special: Polynesian Airlines is offering a special > Niue/Auckland/ Niue airfare of $937.00 from September 20 to > November 1. The fare is valid for two weeks with no > extensions. Special conditions apply. > > Tipplers: Residents on island spent $414,000 on beer purchases > last year, $45,000 on wine and$264,000 on spirits, according > to this year's budget figures. Cigarette purchases totalled > $51,000. > > Nutrition: A regional workshop staged in Alofi for private > sector food producers has been concentrating on the many uses > of processed fish. Participants from the Solomon Islands, > Kiribati, Tonga and the Cook Islands joined caterers from > Niue. Fish dip, fish sausages, fish loaf and tips on smoking > fish featured in receipes and demonstrations by Forum > Secretariat consultants. The aim was to give value added > incentives to caterers and to display in practical ways how to > eliminate waste by processing and preserving fish. > > PUTTING IT ON THE RECORD > > A new project to record personal experiences of Cyclone Heta > and other past historical events is underway. Iert has the > approval of the Niue government and will be led by part time > resident Ms Lyn Davies of Huihui. She is giving her time > voluntarily to record personal testimony of the January > hurricane force winds and other events for historical > purposes. "I want to preserve accurate data about significant > events in Niue's history," said Ms Davies. > > Oral testimony will strengthen reliability of the events. Ms > Davies will is encouraging local participation by using Niuean > interviewers and will be using digital video. Edted recordings > will be stored on cd's and archived. > > Ms Davies an educational specialist and lecturer at the > Auckland University college of education hopes to start > interviewing next year. > > A previous project of historical importance was carried out by > Margaret Pointer and Kalaisi Folau who produced Tagi Tote e > Loto Haaku ( My Heart is Crying a Little ) a book that traced > the fortunes of 150 young men from Niue who in 1915 went to > the First World War. > > NIUE IN TRADE DEAL > > New Zealand and Australia have signed up to a programme to > help Pacific Island countries benefit from international > trade. Niue is among those countries who will benefit from > regional and global trading. > > The Regional Trade Facilitation Programme will focus on > building regional capacity in quarantine, customs, and > standards and conformance. > > New Zealand has provided $1 million over three years for the > programme, which also involves the Cook Islands, Fiji, > Kiribati, Nauru, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, the Solomon Islands > and Tonga. > > The funding would help the countries trade with each other and > the rest of the world, NZ Trade Minister Jim Sutton said. > > "We are committed to working with our partners in the Pacific > Islands Forum family on lifting capacity to engage with the > international economy," he added. > > "New Zealand will continue actively to seek ways to strengthen > this relationship." > > NEW VOICE ADDED TO TUNA DECISIONS > > Tuna fishing operators have formed a new regional body to > provide a stronger voice on tuna issues in the region. The > move follows a meeting at the Forum Secretariat in Suva, Fiji > this week between tuna operators from the private sector.With > the advent of a fishing industry being developed Niue is > likely to benefit from the new group. > > "If we are to secure the future of our tuna fisheries for the > benefit of Pacific Islanders, we must take the initiative to > represent ourselves," said the Chairman of the new > association, James Movick, who is from the Federated States of > Micronesia. > > "Our focus will be to get the national and regional > organisations to include the private sector fishing industry > in any discussions on tuna policies and programmes. We will > also encourage our own members to work more closely on the > expressed needs of the commercial fishing sector.' > > Mr Movick said the tuna fishing industry wanted to benefit > from new management arrangements under the recently adopted > Pacific Tuna Convention, including a fair share of the catch > allocation. > > "We realise the importance of working with governments and > regional organisations to seek solutions to existing problems, > and open up opportunities for the future. It is important that > our voice is also heard on matters that will affect our > livelihoods," he said. > > The three-member steering committee for the association > includes Mr Movick as Chairman and two tuna fishing industry > representatives - Maurace Brownjohn from Papua New Guinea and > Robert Stone from Fiji. > > The committee will decide on a name for the organisation this > month. It will be based in Pohnpei, Federated States of > Micronesia, which is also the headquarters of the new regional > Tuna Commission. > Last Updated ( Friday, 17 September 2004 ) > Should the Government allocate $150,000 for the planned > Ekalesia Niue Church complex? > (_) Yes > (_) No > (_) Don't Care > 1332 Visitors > Go to top of page Home | Last Week's News | Contact Us | > Internet Niue | Register a .NU domain | Niue Weather | People > of Niue | Niuean Dot Com | Pacific Chapter ISOC |
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