Weekly Niue News http://www.niuenews.nu/ [2004-09-11: list updated for new site] _______________________________________________ > We have 13 guests online > Bridge Building: Niueans living in New Zealand outnumber those > on Niue itself by more than 10 to one. And now, a prominent > community leader says expatriate Niueans want to have more of > a say in what happens on the island. > > Granby Siakamotu an education specialist is just one New > Zealand-based Niuean leader who is flying to the island at the > end of this month, accompanying New Zealand Prime Minister > Helen Clark. > > Ms Clark will be on the island to sign a memorandum on a new > economic development package. Niue's population has been > dropping for several years,and Mr Siakamotu wants the much > larger Niuean community in New Zealand to build bridges with > the islands government. > > However it's not the first time such suggestions have been > made by Niueans living overseas. The last time was at a > bio-diversity conference six years ago when a select group of > expatriate Niueans visited the island at government's expense > to make an input into the talkfest. > > "Returning home and participating in the island's economic > development is the only realistic way of helping Niue," said > one island leader last week. > > Economy Booster: Two businesses tipped to be the economic > salvation of Niue were opened at the weekend. Both are > predicted to inject millions of dollars into the tiny island's > struggling economy when they are up and running. A > multi-million dollar fish factory - a joint venture between > Reef Group and the Government of Niue- and a nonu medicinal > juice processing plant financed by Reef were at the centre of > a gala day celebration. The fish factory at Amanau will > process fish caught in Niue waters and will be air freighted > and shipped to Fiji and New Zealand markets. The factory has > its own generator, ice tower and desalination plant. About 20 > people will be employed in the venture. If successful the > government will be looking at constructing an all weather > wharf to speed up the unloading of fish from long liners. The > nonu plant Niu-Grow with 50% shareholding by Reef and the > Vakaafi -Motufoou family is expected to produce tonnes of the > juice each month in season and most of it will be marketed > through supermarkets in New Zealand. Reef has leased the > former Government farm and alpaca quarantine station at Vaiea > where it is planting a nonu orchard. About 40 people are > reported to be working on the 130-hectare project. > > Reef Shipping provides a monthly cargo service to Niue and its > owner Philip McNicol has investments in many countries in the > South Pacific. He has recently funded an art gallery in > Auckland to display works of Pacific artists. > [date.gif] Monday, 18 October 2004 > 6082 Visitors
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