Weekly Niue News http://www.niuenews.nu/ [2004-09-11: list updated for new site] _______________________________________________ > We have 5 guests online > PUBLIC SERVICE REVIEW UNDERWAY > A specialist in state services administration has started a > review of the Niue Public Service. Mr Don Hunn a former > prominent state services commissioner in New Zealand is > carrying out the review at the request of the Niue and New > Zealand governments as part of the latest package aimed at > streamlining the island's administration and developing the > economy. > > Mr Hunn is talking with the private sector, community leaders > and public servants this week. He has stated he has no > pre-concieved ideas about the review and has assured > government employees the future of their jobs is secure. > Niue has a population of 1300 - 450 are employed by the > government. > > [date.gif] Friday, 03 December 2004 > LANGUAGE NEST FAILS THE TEST > > Promises made to improve > > standards of teaching. > > A language nest in Otara has been told by the Education Review > Office (ERO) to improve the levels of Niuean they teach. > > This follows in the wake of assurances from New Zealand Prime > Minister Helen Clark during a visit to Niue that there will be > a huge injection into efforts to retain the Niuean language > both in New Zealand and on Niue. > > She said during the islands 30^th Constitution celebrations > that a language strategy in New Zealand would be launched next > year. It would include the development of a Niue language > curriculum that would be ready for implementation in New > Zealand schools -- from preschool to year 13 -- by 2006. > "You can see that with a home population, of probably > realistically of about 1300 at the moment, and new generations > of Niuean Kiwis who've never lived here, this is a very > endangered language and culture," she told the Niue News. > Miss Clark said only about 12 per cent of New Zealand born > Niueans over five years old spoke the language regularly. > > A recent study at Auckland University named the Niuean, Maori > and Cook Island languages most at risk of dying in New > Zealand. > > The ERO report, critical of of a Maori language nest also > challenged the amount of Niuean spoken and taught at Niuean > pre-school, Kenese Aoga Niue. > > "The amount of Niuean language used in the centre is > disappointing ... unless staff have an expectation that > children will practise speaking Niuean they are unlikely to > become confident in using the language." > > There are eight licnesed pre school centres that teach Niuean > in New Zealand. > > Reverend Uea Tuleai of the Otara Pacific Islands Presbyterian > Church that runs the pre-school, said not all the children are > Niuean, so teachers sometimes have to speak English. > > But he says that doesn't mean they don't agree with the ERO's > findings. > > "We are trying harder this time to use the language whenever > we can and promote the language in speakings and teachings." > > Reverend Tuleai said the difficulty is that the centre only > has the children for so long during the day and when they go > home most of them will speak in English. > > Both centres say they are committed to improving the teaching > and application of the languages in their pre-schools before > their next ERO report. > > Pre-school education on Niue is closely monitored along with > primary and secondary education. > > Constant reviews are carried out by contracted New Zealand > colleges of education. The government has pledged to get have > more Niuean schoolteachers registered to New Zealand standards > especially those involved in NECA assessments. > > GET VIABLE, ISLAND STATES WARNED > > An outspoken Australian academic, Professor Helen Hughes, says > unless Pacific nations become economically viable it could > lead to a flood of illegal migrants into Australia. > > Professor Hughes has produced a report called The Pacific Is > Viable, for the Sydney based Centre for Independent Studies. > > She says Pacific Island nations would have high standards of > living within a generation if they adopted policies that > promote growth. > > Professor Hughes says to be viable Pacific nations need to > start to work and to earn an income and this could be done > through tourism and agriculture. > > She says if this is not achieved then residents will abandon > the failing island states and this could lead to mass illegal > immigration into countries like Australia. > > CHINAS SIGN TUNA CONSERVATION CONVENTION > > The Forum Fisheries Agency says the signing up of China and > Taiwan to the Tuna Convention took effect this week. Niue is a > party to the convention. > > The FFA website says China and Taiwan both acceded to the > Convention on the Conservation and Management of Highly > Migratory Fish Stocks in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean > in November. > They can now participate in the first meeting of the Western > and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission later this month. > Countries in the Pacific already party to the convention > include Niue, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, > Marshall Islands, Nauru, Tokelau, PNG, Samoa, Solomon Islands > and Tonga. > The signing up of Taiwan and China opens the door to > regulatory fishing in oceans around Pacific states with > licensing authorised by FFA. > Arrested: A New Zealand airforce Orion patrolling the Cook > Islands EEZ instigated the arrest of a US tuna long liner > fishing illegally inside the Cooks waters. > > The vessel has been identified as a long liner based in > American Samoa and under Cook Islands law the owner of the > vessel can be fined up to $US350,000. > > Airforce sweeps will take place over Niue waters when the new > fisheries licences are activiated and its understood patrol > boats from Tonga and the Cook Islands will be used to arrest > offending vessels. > > China: Members of the regional tourism body are heading to > China for the first time since it joined the South Pacific > Tourism Organisation. > > Theyll meet at a travel fair this weekend, ahead of their > annual council of ministers meeting next week, which was to > have been held in French Polynesia but was moved to Fiji owing > to political unrest. > > The ousted French Polynesian president, Oscar Temaru, has been > pushing to get China to approve the territory as a tourist > destination. > > The technical manager of the South Pacific Tourism > Organisation, Russ Hopkins, says this weeks meeting might make > it easier to forge a link between French Polynesia and China. > > Display: The Whangarei Art Museum is currently exhibiting Mark > Crosss photograph images of the damages that Cyclone Heta > inflicted on Niue in January this year. > > This is the second photographic exhibition for the artist, > [the first in the Reef Group Gallery in Auckland earlier his > year] who normally works with oils on board, and whose > paintings now belongs to major private and public collections > in New Zealand as well as internationally. > > The exhibition, entitled Heta: Power and Fragility will open > in the Whangarei Art Museum this week and is dedicated to the > post-cyclone disaster zone in Niue, following a fundraising > evening with the artist on Friday night where the public will > have the opportunity to meet Mark Cross. > > The proceeds from this fundraising event, a gold coin entry, > will go towards rebuilding the Museum of Niue. > > Caution:Christmas is almost upon us and Polynesian Airlines > reports heavy bookings for Niue and Samoa. As visitors and > friends pack to renew friendships with families on Niue they > are being warned to stick to their booked travel plans. The > airline wants ticket holders to confirm their bookings on Niue > at least a week in advance and they say dont expect to change > departure dates bookings are so heavy that its unlikely there > will be any spare seats on the flight you want. > > In previous years some visitors have been stranded on Niue > after failing to change travel plans or reconfirm tickets. > > Poll: Dont bury asbestos on the island. Thats the word from > 88.9% of readers who participated in last weeks poll. 11.1% > said it was ok to get rid of the asbestos roofing on Niue. > > TRI-NATIONS PLAN PACIFIC DISASTER RELIEF > > French, Australian and New Zealand government and military > officials have met at the weekend in French Polynesias capital > Papeete to review their joint action as part of a so-called > "FRANZ" tripartite agreement designed to coordinate relief to > disaster-stricken neighbouring Pacific island countries. It > was under this agreement that French Polynesian rapid response > teams were sent to Niue to clear up debris and erect new homes > after the hurricane force winds of Cyclone Heta damaged the > island. > > The "FRANZ" agreement was signed in 1993 between the Pacifics > three main powers, France, Australia and New Zealand. > The pact was designed to increase response capabilities and > relief in a joint approach between the three partners, when > Pacific island state is hit by a natural disaster. > The weekend meeting is said to have reviewed past > interventions during the 2003-2004 cyclone season in the > Pacific. > For the past 12 months, several major natural disasters have > occurred in the region, including severely destructive > cyclones in Niue, Samoa (January 2004), Vanuatu and Fijis > floods earlier this year. > > Another focus of the meeting was, according to the release, to > prepare this years cyclone season and "maintain a flexible > alert and coordination system", but also to "improve emergency > relief, alert and risk prevention mechanisms". > "Disasters can only be anticipated, not predicted, so > preparedness and response capability is everything and > Australia values our regional partnerships as a means to > rapidly respond to help disaster victims", Australias > Parliamentary Secretary for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Mr > Bruce Billson, said in a separate statement. > > "Over the past two years, the Australian Government in > partnership with France and New Zealand have responded to four > major cyclones that caused loss of life and widespread damage > in South Pacific nations. There is a high probability of more > natural disasters over the next few months", he said, adding > that under the FRANZ agreement, "there are regular meetings by > the three partners to review disaster relief cooperation to > respond to cyclones and other natural disasters". > > FORWARD MOVE FOR ISLAND TELECENTRES > > The Foundation for Development Cooperation based in Brisbane > has this week hosted a major regional workshop on the > "telecentres" phenomenon. This is where information technology > provides connectivity for purposes as diverse as news and > views by email to health promotion and improved agricultural > pest management practices to e-governance and participation. > > Drawing on international and local experience, participants > looked for practical ways to connect Pacific Island > communities which include Niue. > > Participants were from Cook Islands, Federated States of > Micronesia, Fiji, Guam, Niue, Papua New Guinea, Palau, Samoa, > Solomon Islands, and Vanuatu and from regional organizations > and countries outside the region including Malaysia and Japan > and put words into action, leveraging modest resources to > support cutting edge thinking and creative partnerships > between governments, business and communities in a major > regional workshop. > > With funds from UNESCO New Zealand, the Global Knowledge > Partnership and the Sasakawa Pacific Island Nations Fund, the > telecentres workshop was a response to suggestions put forward > by Pacific participants in the lead up to the World Summit on > the Information Society, held in Geneva in December 2003. With > another Information society summit scheduled for 2005, the > telecentres workshop is designed to turn good intentions into > partnerships that deliver development outcomes for Pacific > communities. > > LURKING CYCLONES LINKED TO EL NINO > > As Niue remains on standby for another tropical cyclone this > season, the regional weather office in Fiji says the current > El Nino phenomenon is already impacting several countries > including Fiji, Vanuatu, Tonga and New Caledonia. > > El Nino is an abnormal warming of water in the Pacific Ocean > every four to five years which can wreak havoc with global > weather patterns, causing severe droughts in some countries > and massive flooding in others. > > Last week an international conference in Peru was told El Nino > would not cause major problems till early next year. But the > regional weather office in Fiji says the country has not had > any rain for the past couple of months causing some rivers and > wells to dry up, and it's blaming it on El Nino. > TALKING POINT > No Frills Competition Worries Airlines > With the entry of low-cost airlines into the Pacific region > the issue of their impact on smaller regional airlines has > emerged. There have been many claims that the bigger low fare > no frills airlines such as Pacific Blue will push smaller > national carriers to the wall. > > Niues designated carrier Polynesian Airlines, guaranteed > financial support from New Zealand for its Niue service for a > five year period, is one such airline and is reacting to the > current competitive situation by seeking a shares sale to a > larger international airline. Its a bit like the Air Pacific / > Qantas deal. > > Niues service is unlikely to be increased by the entry of low > fare airlines into the region. The main market for Niue is out > of Auckland and that is protected for Polynesian. There has > been little or no interest in using neighbouring airlines with > turbo prop aircraft to connect Niue with the Cook Islands, > Tonga or Fiji. > > The latest entrant into the Pacific's aviation industry, has > rejected claims that it is pushing smaller regional operators > to the wall. British-owned Pacific Blue, a subsidiary of > Australian domestic airline, Virgin Blue - already flies to > Fiji, New Zealand and Vanuatu and has flagged interest in > flying to Solomon Islands, Tonga, Samoa and New Caledonia. > Established regional carriers say the new no-frills airline is > cutting in on their most profitable routes, which could see > some operators forced out of the market. Smaller operators say > they can only continue to fly unprofitable but necessary > smaller sectors like domestic inter-island services if they > can maintain more profitable international routes. Air > Pacific, Fiji's national carrier, half owned by Australia's > Qantas is the shining light of the Pacific operators > consistently turning profit, enlarging its fleet and > increasing its sectors. > > Air Pacific's chief executive officer John Campbell says while > his airline can compete, he is concerned about the impact on > the region's small airlines. > " They serve flights between the Pacific Island nations, for > example between Vanuatu and Fiji or Vanuatu and Honiara and > those routes are very, very small and have limited number of > people travelling. They typically lose money, so they have to > be cross-subsidized from the routes on which money can be > made. If they're driven into a loss on their normally > profitable routes of Australia and New Zealand then I could > potentially see flights between island nations reducing or > ceasing altogether," said Mr Campbell. > However Pacific Blue denies that it's appearance on the > aviation scene in the region is hurting smaller carriers. > Airline spokesman David Hupner says many of them were allready > struggling. > David Hupner a Pacific Blue spokesperson said there were > certain carriers that might not be economicaly sustainable and > that's been shown in the past. > > "These carriers will have to address their issues in one way > or another and that would have happened whether we showed up > on the scene or not," he said. > But Air Pacific's John Campbell maintains that the majority of > routes being flown by the no-frills airline were profitable > sectors already established by regional carriers. > " If as new market was genuinely being developed then one > would have expected that perhaps a new set of flights would > start on routes that are not currently served. But when we see > cherry-picking behaviour going on which is to start a service > only where its been developed by another airline, and then > under -cut that airline's business by price, it becomes hard > to accept an argument that it's generating a whole new version > of visitors, said Mr Campbell. > > David Huttner says Pacific Blue will offer passengers a wider > choice at a lower price that means in the long term a boost in > tourist numbers. > > " We are looking at further expansion across the Pacific and > we think a lot of the governments we've spoken to have > recognized that the low-fare model whether its with us or > other carriers even with their own national carrier may be the > better way to go. Because the interest is not about running > the airline for a huge profit, the interest is about making > sure there's the most input in the national economy. And if we > can bring in more passengers and more people and the national > airlines can do that as well that's going to be good for the > entire economy, which is what really matters" said Mr Huttner. > Last Updated ( Friday, 03 December 2004 ) > Is Niue's customary land tenure preventing overseas > investment? > (_) Yes > (_) No > (_) Don't know > 14979 Visitors
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