Weekly Niue News http://www.niuenews.nu/ [2004-09-11: list updated for new site] _______________________________________________ > February 27 2005 Keeping You In Touch > Percy Puts Niue On Blue Alert > A new cyclone has formed in the South-west Pacific and is > threatening the New Zealand territory of Tokelau. At 6pm > February 26 NZ time Niue went on Blue Alert as Cyclone Percy > intensified. It's the lowest form of alert but will be > upgraded to yellow and red if the cyclone track changes. The > US Naval Pacific Met and Oceanographic Centre predicts the > cyclone will move about 220kms to the east of American Samoa > and Niue over the next few days. > > The cyclone the fourth this month is gaining speed with winds > up to 140 kmph and is moving south east to Tokelau.The Fiji > weather office said Cyclone Percy is moving south-east towards > the populated atolls of Nukunono, Fakafu and Atafu. > > On its present track it is heading for Swains Island to the > north of American Samoa. Tokelau has been warned to expect > destructive storm winds and damaging heavy ocean swells. > > Tokelau leaders are confident the island is prepared for the > cyclone which is the third in the region in the past three > weeks. > > Cyclone Meena caused damage to the Cook Islands, and was > followed by Olaf which battered Samoa and the Manua Islands in > American Samoa and Nancy that moved through Rarotonga and > Aitutaki. > Niue is likely to feel the effects of Percy Monday morning if > the convergence zone passes to the east of the island. > [date.gif] Saturday, 26 February 2005 > Conflict of Interest Needs Addressing As Private Investors > Move In > By A Contributing Editor > With the proposed advent of greater private sector > participation in the islands economy, political commentators > consider now is the time to examine the need for safeguards to > ensure Niues Cabinet Ministers and Associate Ministers reveal > their business interests a move designed to prevent conflict > of interests and corruption. > > The joint ventures with Reef Group which involve government > funding in fishing, nonu gorwing, juice processing and air > services- plus businesses involving necessary government > regulation for them to function, highlights the necessity for > Ministers to place on record their personal interests. > > Ministers have a public duty to disclose their private > interests and assets to ensure no conflict of interest exists > or appears to exist between their public duties and private > interests. > > It is no longer acceptable for politicians to to claim family > non- pecuniary interests in business affairs. > > A conflict of interest may be pecuniary (that is, arising from > the Minister's direct financial interests) or non-pecuniary > (concerning, for example, a member of the Minister's family). > It may be direct or indirect. > > A conflict will not generally arise from a generic interest > held as one of a class of persons or held in common with the > public, for example: > > An interest in education issues where the > Minister has school age children; > > An interest in agricultural issues where the > Minister has a farm; > > Taxation issues. > > Conflicts of interest can arise because of the influence and > power Ministers wield - both in the individual performance of > their portfolio responsibilities and as members of Cabinet. > > The island electorate has a right to expect Ministers to > conduct themselves at all times in the knowledge that > their role is a public one; appearances and propriety > can be as important as actual conflict of interest in > establishing what is acceptable behaviour. It is no > longer acceptable to rely on community support based on > the premise that "its a small country and we all wear > many hats." > > A good example of a major safeguard against conflict of > interest and corruption is New Zealands Registry of > Ministers Interests. Niue could easily adopt the > Cabinet regulation. > > The New Zealand guidelines on the public duty and private > interests are to protect the integrity of the decision > making process of executive government by: > > placing on record those personal interests that > might be seen to influence decision making > by Ministers and Parliamentary > Under-Secretaries; > > requiring Ministers and Parliamentary > Under-Secretaries to avoid situations in > which they gain remuneration or other > advantage from information acquired only by > reason of their office; > > reinforcing the premise that holding office as a > Minister or Parliamentary Under-Secretary > is expected to be a full-time occupation. > > New Zealand Ministers of the Crown are expected to devote > their time and talent to carrying out their official business, > both as members of the executive and as Members of Parliament > representing their constituents. > Holding office in the New Zealand Parliament is regarded as a > full-time occupation and is remunerated as such. > Accepting additional payment for doing anything that could be > regarded as part of a Minister's normal portfolio > responsibility is not permissible. Accepting payment for any > other activities requires the prior approval of the Prime > Minister, and any payment received must be declared in the > Register of Ministers' to identify the personal interests that > might potentially influence decision making. > All New Zealand Ministers and Parliamentary Under-Secretaries > must lodge with the Registrar of Ministers' Interests an > annual declaration of remunerated directorships or employment > with a description of the business activity unless the > business concerned is listed as a public company. > A substantial minority or controlling interest in a business > enterprise or professional practice with a description of the > business activity unless the business concerned is listed as a > public company must also be declared. > Ministers in New Zealand have an obligation to reveal minority > ownership of company shares or beneficial interest in a trust > and must provide a description of the business activity unless > the business concerned is listed as a public company; > ownership of all real property; holding of mortgage or debt > instruments. > Ministers must also lodge an annual record of overseas travel > or accommodation (unless the overseas travel or accommodation > was paid for personally, or by immediate family members, or > from New Zealand public funds, or by other governments). The > countries visited must be listed, together with the purpose of > the visit, a note of who met the costs and confirmation of the > Prime Minister's prior approval. > Politicians must also publicly list gifts received as a > Minister or Parliamentary Under-Secretary during the year that > have an estimated value of over NZ$500 and payments received > for any outside activities (receipt of the Prime Minister's > prior approval must be confirmed). > Former Niue Public Service and New Zealand State Services > Commissioner Don Hunn recently raised the issue of Cabinet > responsibilities in his Whole Of Government Report and > suggested using the New Zealand Parliamentary Cabinet > Secretariat to assist discussing Niues issues of concern. With > greater emphasis being planned on private sector investment > the bar is raised on outside influences creating conflicts of > interest and bribery. The new legislature, after the April > election, may well consider adopting New Zealands Register of > Ministers Interests regulations to prevent any > misunderstandings when dealing with overseas corporate > interests and the local allocations of contracts using > international funding. > > Renewed Efforts To Start New Air Services > > Plans are being finalized for a regular air service between > Niue, Tonga and Fiji. The TaimiO Tonga newspaper reports that > a representative of the Reef Group from Niue, Peleni Talagi, > was invited to a meeting at Vava'u with Brian Pentecost, the > CEO of the controversial domestic airline, 'Ea Peau 'o Vava'u, > which is owned by Crown Prince Tupouto'a. > The meeting was to discuss ways in which the airline can > improve cargo and passenger services to neighbouring > countries. Domestic airline 'Ea Peau 'o Vava'u is going to > lease a bigger and newer aircraft this year and has expressed > interest in providing special flights to other Pacific Islands > including Niue, Samoa and Fiji.Meanwhile, the Reef Group is > planning to introduce regularly services from Niue to Fiji > return using a Chathams Air leased Convair freighter > configured to take seven tonnes of cargo and 36 > passengers.Fish will be the main freight from Niue and to > boost income from the service the Reef Group plans to offer > visitor packages in and out of Fiji. Two cabin crew have been > hired for the flights and will be trained in New Zealand. > > Niue has a chequered history in aviation. Niue Airlines > running a leased 737-200 went belly up in the 1990s after > attempting to run an Auckland Niue/ Rarotonga return service. > A proposed national airline Coral Air never got off the > ground. Royal Tongan airlines which provided regular services > from Nukualofa to Niue return financially collapsed last year > leaving a mountain of debt for the Tongan government to clear. > > New Era For TV Viewers > > The 80 m television and radio repeater tower built at Makefu > has been officially opened. It was built by a crew from the > Beijing Urban Construction Company of China and will provide > improved island-wide tv signals and fm radio reception. > Finance for the project came from the People Republic of > China. > > Foundations for the free-standing tower are six metres square > and four metres deep. The structural base 15m square. > > With a new replacement satellite dish, island viewers now have > access to the ABC Asia Pacific programmes and CBS news.A > one-kilowatt transmitter has been installed with microwave > connections from Kaimiti to Makefu. The system can also be > adapted to receive digital signals. > > General manager of the Broadcasting Corporation of Niue > Patrick Lino said on Radio Sunshine that signal tests had been > conducted in villages who previously had difficulty getting > acceptable tv and radio reception and they now have excellent > signals. " Some people have reported problems but they have > been rectified by tuning their tv sets." > > Campaigning Kicks Off On Radio > > Hot political favourite in the race to win a seat in the > Legislative Assembly, Hima Takelesi, now hosts a new Friday > morning show on Radio Sunshine. Mr Takelesi was the first Niue > High Commissioner to Wellington a post he took up after > resigning his common roll seat in the previous government. Mr > Takelesi is a former general manager of the BCN. > > This week the topic was Don Hunns Whole of Government draft > report for the Niue and New Zealand governments which was > published in a three part exclusive series by the Niue News On > Line. > > The hosts commentators included Terry Chapman a former > secretary to government with former Finance Minister and > Organic Growers leader Aokuso Pavihi. > > Mr Takelesi also reviewed the political career of the > controversial former Premier Sani Lakatani saying he changed > the face of island politics by introducing the party system. > > Mr Lakatani now lives in Auckland and has announced he will > not be seeking re-election. > > School Assessment Scheme Suspect > > The first batch of high school students on Niue who completed > the New Zealand NCEA standards-based assessments have ended up > with thousands of other Kiwi pupils as unsuspecting, > "unfortunate guinea pigs." > > The island educationalists embraced the system with really no > option of choosing another method of assessing the > capabilities of students when the New Zealand School > Certificate system was fazed out. School Certificate was part > of Niues education for many years but was substituted with > NCEA because of the islands close links with its former > administrator. > > Each year from 2002, as incremental levels of the new > secondary school qualifications system have been introduced, > those born in 1986 have been the first to face them. > Proponents of the standards-based assessment call them the > bold frontline of the biggest change in education in half a > century. Critics call them unfortunate guinea pigs. > Previous generations may remember their examination results > day with joy or misery. Whatever it was, it was concrete. Last > year's school-leavers have the uncertainty of the first entire > record of learning documented by unit standards, achieveds and > merits. > Their secondary education has been plagued. In 2002, the first > year, teachers threatened to strike over "shoddy > implementation" of level one. The results in New Zealand > showed huge numbers failed. The following year criticism > flared again over the non-reporting of "not achieved" results. > But this year's rows have been more embarrassing. A top New > Zealand scientist for her age failed scholarship, a student > passed geography without a single lesson, and a class of > graphics students aced all internal tests but failed external > assessment. > The generation of 1986 have seen their school lives culminate > in NCEA level three and scholarship exams with wildly varying > results. It is an inauspicious end to the maiden voyage of > NCEA. > Labour has tried to draw a firm line between levels one to > three and the scholarship exam fiasco but the two are linked > by the standards-based assessment philosophy. > NCEA has hit enough catastrophic icebergs to have sunk a > lesser ship but the investment in time and money spent on it > make a cumbersome beast to change course. > Some say it is already fatally flawed. Others argue it merely > needs tweaking. Either way, once the political finger pointing > dies, the children of 1986 will still be left with a > qualification that is blighted, says president of the Auckland > Secondary Principals Association, Brent Lewis. > "The arguments in Parliament are about holding people > accountable for political damage, but they are not solving the > problem. If we leave things as they are Cabinet will be > meeting next year, and the year after, and the year after, and > so on." > Like hundreds of other principals and teachers, Lewis has bent > over backwards to introduce NCEA. He insists an entirely > independent, preferably overseas, education team, should be > brought in to review the system. He says that is the only way > to restore some measure of faith in secondary qualifications. > It does not necessarily mean a return to the > "norm-referencing" of School Certificate and Bursary, but is > the only way out of the quagmire, Lewis says. "You can never > go back, but nothing is here forever. If you have landed in a > situation where it's a disaster you have to continue forward, > but make changes." > That view is supported by many employers who insist a > realistic workforce environment involves consistent comparison > against other candidates. Kevin Eder, managing director of > Tradestaff, a leading employment agency, said he received > hundreds of calls over the past six months from employers > struggling with the new qualifications. > "The NCEA system just doesn't prepare students for the > realities of working life," says Eder. "It doesn't create an > environment which supports the pursuit of excellence. It > encourages a culture of mediocrity." > Eder says employers see the system as a failure that needs to > be "addressed immediately before it does serious long-term > damage to the country's workforce and economy". > But equally vociferous advocates think the problem is one of > communication. Bali Haque, principal at Pakuranga College, > says he is "sick of employers complaining. If they can't > understand the standards, what's wrong with them? It's fairly > simple and all the necessary information is readily > available." > > Pacific Rugby Resuscitated > > Troubled Pacific Island rugby alliance PIRA has a pulse again > and appears destined to fulfil its IRB match obligations next > year, including a test against the All Blacks. > > But it remains unclear whether its stars, who were left out of > pocket after last year's tour, will agree to play. > > Fiji rugby officials expressed grave fears over its future > involvement in the so far unprofitable alliance for financial > and rugby development reasons last week. > > However a PIRA statement to the Sunday Star-Times painted a > much different picture. > > All three nations - Fiji, Samoa and Tonga - pledged their > allegiance to next year's test schedule, which includes a > match against the All Blacks and Italy in June, plus > internationals against Scotland and Wales in November. > > PIRA has also established an International Advisory Board > consisting of former New Zealand rugby board members Craig > Norgate (Wrightson) and Kevin Roberts, worldwide chief > executive of Saatchi and Saatchi, plus former New Zealand > Rugby Union chief executive David Rutherford. > > Rutherford's experience at IRB level will be crucial. They are > poised to inject long-awaited resources into island rugby and > give their blessing to the Pira concept with further tests > being arranged for 2008, possibly against England. > > Niues international team plays in the IRB Oceania eastern pool > against teams such as the Cook Islands, Tahiti and Vanuatu. At > this stage of its development there is little chance of > Niueans players getting involved in a PIRA team. > > IN A NUTSHELL: > > Beauty: In Auckland for the past two weeks Niues Miss South > Pacific 2005 Sinahemana Hekau who has been displaying her > talents to the Niuean communities. She was accompanied on her > first public outing by the Niue 7s players who took the IRB > Shield at the Wellington tournament. Miss Hekau is the first > Niuean to have won the Miss South Pacific title since the > pageant began in 1986. She is a lawyer employed in the island > governments Crown Law office. > > > Provisions: Niues contribution of a container load of taro to > the Cook Islands in the wake of Cyclone Nancy is a reciprocal > gesture given in thanks for the cash donations given to > Niueans after the 2004 Cyclone Heta. The Cooks contributed to > the rebuilding of the broadcasting satellite dish and also > made cash large donations to the relief fund. Quick work by > Niues growers allowed the famous pink taro to be loaded on the > MV Southern Cross that called at Niue first before heading to > Rarotonga and Aitutaki. > > Coral: Divers in Hawaii have begun smearing cement on some of > the island's coral reefs, in an attempt to reattach them to > the seafloor. The corals were knocked over when tugboats were > used to free a ship that had run aground earlier this month. > Scientists estimate the damage to stretch some 9kms wide and > say it's nearly impossible to restore all the corals. > > Obituary: One of Niues oldest residents died on the island > last week. Fasa Togakilo from Mutalau Village was 93 and with > her late husband Isaako Togakilo raised a family of 10, many > of whom have played an important role in education on the > island. A memorial service was held in Avondale at the weekend > for family and friends living in Auckland. > > Revitalised: Pitcairn Island, wracked by community sex > scandals last year has been allocated $9m by the British > government to build a new slipway, jetty and breakwater at > Bounty Bay. The island has a population of 47 but Britain > hopes the aid will help double that number and raise it to > heyday numbers of 230 as it was before World War 11. > > Strategy: New Zealand is co-ordinating an effort with Niue to > hire a tourism consultant to start work on a new national > strategic plan for the industry. A number of papers have been > previously published but following the destruction of many > properties on Niue after Cyclone Heta, a new strategy for > local development of accommodation is being requested by aid > donors. New Zealand has allocated money to restore tourism but > wants a strategic plan before releasing further funds. > > Following the total destruction of the 32 room Hotel Niue the > island government is known to favor smaller village-based > self-contained motel type units. > > Fishing: One of the world's most successful regional fishery > organizations, the Pacific > Islands Forum Fisheries Agency of which Niue is a member, has > launched a new look website with new, easy to use features. > "Finding out about fisheries in the Pacific and what the FFA > does has never been easier", said agency director Feleti Teo. > He said the FFA was focusing on the internet as the key tool > for getting information to its members. "Where we once relied > on telex, fax and snail mail newsletters to keep members up to > date, we can now deliver current fisheries information at the > press of button," he added. > > Poll: Its a big yes by our pollsters to the question of > overseas residents being allowed to vote in local island > elections. In the Niue News poll this week 66.77% favoured > overseas voters while 33.3% supported the current constitution > which prevents non-residents from voting. > > Call For Inegrated Economies > The draft report on the Pacific Plan for closer regional > cooperation suggests Pacific Island countries economies should > eventually become fully integrated. > > A taskforce has completed the draft on the Plan and it is > being made available for member countries to seek domestic > views on the proposals. > > It sets out three categories for consideration - early > practical benefits and medium and longer term advantages. > > The task force is advocating full economic integration in the > longer term - meaning sometime after 2010. > > And the Pacific Forums secretary general, Greg Urwin, outlines > a number of changes that could bring immediate economic > benefits, such as uniformity in the rules governing trade and > customs. > > Cyclone Calamity Costly > > Niue tourist property owners know what its like to get smashed > by one Cyclone so they have sympathy with fellow investors in > the Cooks that have been bombarded by three cyclones in a > fornight. > > The manager of The Rarotonga Sunset Nick Reeves estimated this > week it will take at least five months to recover from the > impact. > > He said from Rarotonga that all three of the cyclones, Meena, > Nancy, and Olaf, battered the beachfront resort and nine > beachfront rooms were completely ruined, and will have to be > rebuilt. > > He said other resorts on the western side of Rarotonga also > suffered major damage to beachfront rooms and all the resorts > will have to replace the sand on their beaches. > > Mr Reeves said they were still waiting on insurance assessors, > but estimated losses at more than $US1 million. > > But he said they are still able to operate the remainder of > the resort. > > "Oh were quite resilient here, weve had these cyclones > before," said Mr Reeves. "The other rooms, weve got, weve got > our garden rooms, theyre operational, and the swimming pool is > fine. And we are also in the process of building another 23 > rooms which will be finished by the first of June," he said. > From Small Islands Voice > The need for communities to take the lead in planning their > own destiny was echoed in many of the responses to the article > 'Communities planning their future in a post-tsunami world'. > > As Kate Morioka from Australia put it, 'It is time to turn the > tables and place "people" at the forefront of land use > planning'. > > Kate Morioka's full response is as follows: Hello SIV Global! > I found this story fascinating. I work as a social planner for > a local government in Australia and community visioning is an > integral part of my work. Social planning is a way of ensuring > that land use is sustainable and meets the needs of > communities. > > Here in Australia, social planning is definitely becoming a > critical component of planning. In 1997, the Queensland State > Government adopted a new planning legislation, which aims to > provide for ecologically sustainable development. > > Until recently, little attention was given to the visions and > needs of people who were directly affected by the changes > enforced by so-called 'expert planners'. > > It is time to turn the tables and place 'people' at the > forefront of land use planning. It's definitely wonderful to > hear that small island developing states are using techniques > like community visioning to better manage natural hazards and > physical development. > > However, we must remember that community visioning requires > the support of governments and private sector to ensure that > proactive action will be taken to meet their visions for the > future > > More importantly, let the governments and businesses realize > that you don't have to look far to get the best solutions: > it's the knowledge and the experience of locals that make a > place a great place to live. > > And from Fiji (Pacific), Sunia Waqainabete adds: Thank you for > the information and sure we will try out some Community > Visioning in our community work in here. > > Seremaia Tuqiri, also from Fiji, responded to the issue of > post-tsunami rebuilding: Hi. This post-tsunami article > provided a lot of food for thought, particularly when you > consider coastal communities whose livelihoods have been > entirely destroyed and who have to start again from scratch. > > With respect to post-tsunami tourism coastal development, I > don't think tsunamis will discourage development. Of course > there will always be an element of fear, even if people don't > want to say so, but "ocean view villa" dreams I suspect will > override this fear. > > The element of risk is something that many people can or have > to live with, because they must be allowed to carry on with > their lives the best way they know. Should we just continue to > go on the same way as before? > > I'd say a qualified yes, knowing that as a result of the > tsunami, systems should be in place that will ensure that we > can get a fair bit of warning, and that infrastructure too are > in place to provide the evacuation services necessary to save > lives. > > This is not about just saving an industry like tourism, it's > also about coastal communities, many of whose members provide > the bulk of the services that make tourism a viable industry. > The impact of the tsunami was not 'localized' to just two or > three countries. > > It has become a global issue in terms of impacts. The world is > not such a big place anymore particularly when disasters of > such magnitude hit us. > > The impact of the tsunami showed how countries can come > together and in effect become one global community, rising > above differences in religion, race, and politics. It shows > what the human spirit is capable of without the baggage that > we carry daily. > > And finally Richard Wachter from Cook Islands (Pacific) thinks > that recent hurricanes in the Cook Islands should encourage > people to rebuild stronger and further inland. Here in the > Cook Islands we have just been visited by Hurricane Meena, > which hit the north side of Rarotonga our capital island and > caused damage right through the group as it passed between > islands. > > Fortunately no lives were lost; just a lot of mess to be > cleaned up. When this happens people pull together and help to > restore lost services. We are almost back to normal after one > week. I am sure it has made us all think hard about our > fragility in the face of global warming. A wake-up call to > build better and stronger and move inland away from danger! > Title: Time to turn the tables: Put people at the forefront of > Planning Author: K. Morioka, S. Tuqiri, R. Wachter, S. > Waqainabete Date: Tuesday, 22 February 2005 > Last Updated ( Saturday, 26 February 2005 ) > Read more... > Does Niue need guidelines for Ministers to help prevent > conflicts of interests > (_) Yes > (_) No > (_) Maybe > 30814 Visitors
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