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UN presentation completed
CISNOC money accounted for: Sir Geoffrey
12 more flu cases
Police await DNA results
PM secures Tahiti Nui
I had nothing to do with expulsion: Iaveta
Kiwis can fly for $1
Paddlers celebrate big win
ON THE STREET
Chinese kept on
Vavia attends China summit
Northern islanders heartened by news
Panel sits again
Government goes ‘overboard’ with numbers
Govt to review impact of proposed telecom changes
Just two burglaries reported
Resort land taken back
Pukapuka group refuse to board ferry
No departure tax for children
UN presentation completed
Thursday 27: The Cook Islands presentation to the United Nations to claim over 400,000 square kilometres of continental shelf has gone “very well” reports foreign affairs secretary Mike Mitchell from New York.
Deputy prime minister and minister of foreign affairs Sir Terepai Maoate made an opening speech to address the United Nations Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf on Tuesday this week in which he said “this is an historic time of tremendous significance for the Cook Islands”.
“We are here today, amongst far larger and wealthier countries to present our claim to extend our continental shelf. We are a country with limited resources, relatively isolated location, small size and population with narrow economic diversification and import dependence. This means that we are highly vulnerable environmentally and economically.”
Sir Terepai said those Pacific-wide vulnerabilities “mean that there is no guarantee that what we have today will still be here tomorrow.
“It only takes one major cyclone to wipe out a whole community, destroy critical links with the outside world and damage our most dynamic growth sectors, the first being tourism”.
“We are aware that on our seabed lie the richest deposits of polymetallic nodules, also known as manganese nodules. We are now in the process of finalising deep sea mining legislation as we are confident that deep sea mining of the polymetallic nodules is not only feasible now but will also soon become economically viable. Therefore, we fully appreciate the significance of our claim and what potential benefits it can bring our country and future generations of Cook Islanders.”
While in New York, Sir Terepai paid a courtesy call on new UNDP head Helen Clark and presented her with an invitation to open a Cook Islands art exhibition to be staged there in March next year by Cook Islands and other Pacific artists.
Sir Terepai and delegation were also hosted to a reception at the New Zealand embassy by ambassador Jim McLay.
The DPM and Mitchell are scheduled to leave New York today for London where a series of meetings with the Commonwealth Secretariat and International Maritime Organisation (IMO) to discuss further Commonwealth Secretariat assistance to the country and IMO membership.
Sir Terepai then departs for Korea where he will lead a Cook Islands delegation participating in the launch of the Cook Islands partnership with Korea Telecom QOOK, a new national telecommunications service. He and Tourism Cook Islands CEO John Dean are to also hold discussions with the Korea Airlines CEO about airline services.
Sir Terepai returns to Rarotonga on September 5. - DPM Office
CISNOC money accounted for: Sir Geoffrey
Thursday 27: The Cook Islands Sports & National Olympic Committee (CISNOC) has now accounted for most of the $32,456 unexplained expenditure found in its 2008 financial accounts.
Following its own internal investigation and an audit office investigation, CISNOC is now in the clear after discovering what the amount was spent on.
At the April 21 AGM the financial report for the organisation showed the amount as unexplained expenditure having no supporting documents.
The audit report completed this month was able to match the expenditure to records from sports codes who had received various amounts for travel expenses for overseas competitions and for officials travelling with teams.
CISNOC president Sir Geoffrey Henry says there is now only $843, issued in two cheques, remaining unaccounted for.
“This is an extremely pleasing conclusion and I’m sure that our national federations would applaud that fact. We are also pleased that audit concluded that its investigation has shown there was no evidence of fraud or theft on the part of the staff,” he says.
Sir Geoffrey says when faced with the unexplained expenditure in April, it was soon discovered that the financial system needed revamping and the financial procedures needed clear ‘spelling out’.
He says the fact that the finance manager had passed away just a month prior did not help the issue either.
“In some corners this unexplained expenditure may not seem a great amount, but for a charitable organisation such as this it is a time-stopping amount. It was a matter of real concern because we have to be properly accountable to our sponsors, our partners and to government,” says Sir Geoffrey.
“From our view, this unexplained amount fell outside the parameters of prudent financial management.”
Sir Geoffrey says with the cooperation of staff, particularly secretary general Rosie Blake, newly appointed finance manager Helen O’Meara and newly appointed administration manager Maryanne Miller, the diligent work of CISNOC auditors Wood & Co, and the support of audit, they were able to get to the bottom of the problem.
Now CISNOC has introduced ‘rigorous’ financial procedures in an attempt to prevent any future issues with expenditure.
Vouchers are now prepared to show who certified, authorised and received monies. Cheques are signed by two signatories not involved in the voucher process, and the new financial procedures and policy will soon go to the board to be adopted.
“This will become the subject of an in-house workshop to ensure all staff is familiar with what they must or must not do,” says Sir Geoffrey. - HG
12 more flu cases
Thursday 27: One of the World Youth Netball Championship officials from the Trinidad and Tobago team tested positive for swine flu this month.
Director of community health services Dr Josephine Aumea Herman says the person was isolated after falling ill shortly after arriving in Rarotonga.
As of Monday there have been 50 confirmed cases of swine flu (pandemic influenza A H1N1) over the past two months.
This number is an increase of 12 cases since August 14 when the last update was issued by public health.
The collaborative national health response between the ministry of health and Cook Islands Red Cross was successfully implemented during the WYNC. The next major event for planning and preparations is the Pacific Mini Games in September.
Herman says the ministry is well engaged with the organisers of the PMG with a focus on delivering the best health services within the resources available to it.
Engagement with the public health doctors and officials of the Pacific countries travelling to the PMG has begun and communication will be strengthened with time. - HG
Police await DNA results
Thursday 27: Police say DNA results are needed as part of an Aitutaki rape investigation involving a girl under the age of 12.
Inspector Tere Patia says three suspects have been interviewed with each one denying the allegation. The matter was reported to police on April 11.
DNA was taken from some of the suspects and from the victim when she was medically examined at the time it came to police attention.
However Patia says they are still waiting for the results from New Zealand.
Police say despite the lack of evidence so far they were still working on the complaint.
“We will never drop the case until the case is solved,” Patia says. - Dana Kinita
PM secures Tahiti Nui
Friday 28: The French Polynesian ship Tahiti Nui set sail for Penrhyn yesterday to transport people from the northern group to Te Maeva Nui.
The good news for the northern teams comes after prime minister Jim Marurai met with French Polynesia president Oscar Temaru on Wednesday to negotiate the charter of the vessel.
Tahiti Nui, with a crew of 29, is due to arrive in Penrhyn tomorrow.
Government has agreed to pay $200,000 for the charter, the same price quoted for the charter of the ship last year.
An initial quote for a month’s charter of the ship for $1.3 million was deemed too costly by government.
Marurai made the last ditch mission to Tahiti on Tuesday to negotiate the better deal with Temaru.
The charter has been sealed with an official letter from Temaru advising that the ship will transport the northern group people to Te Maeva Nui which begins September 11.
Tahiti Nui will return to Papeete on September 6 with stops in the northern group islands on its way back.
It is understood the transport of the northern teams back to their islands will be finalised soon, but they will most likely return on Air Rarotonga flights.
Temaru hosted prime minister Marurai and his delegation to dinner at ‘La Presidence’ after the successful meeting.
The PM has extended an invitation to Temaru and
his wife to join government for Te Maeva Nui celebrations next in September.
Marurai is due to pay a courtesy call on the French high commissioner in Tahiti today before returning to Rarotonga tomorrow. - Helen Greig
I had nothing to do with expulsion: Iaveta
Friday 28: Demo Party member Iaveta Short has had the finger pointed at him over the party’s decision to expel Penrhyn MP Wilkie Rasmussen last week.
Opposition MP Norman George and his Atiu tag team colleague Nandi Glassie allege that Short manipulated and masterminded Rasmussen’s removal.
In a statement issued on Monday the two MPs did not name Short, but called him ‘an ambitious former member of parliament/diplomat who has been for years biding his time to take over leadership of the Democratic Party.’
Cook Islands News asked George to name Short and he admits this is who he was talking about.
Short says a number of people have contacted him about George’s insinuation that he was the one manipulating the Demo Party to get rid of Rasmussen and prepare the way for himself to take over leadership.
“That is a laugh and clearly Norman seems to have nightmares about me. Sorry I have nothing to do with either Wilkie’s moves to oust the prime minister or with the Democratic Party’s decision to remove him from the party,” says Short.
He says on Tuesday he was contacted via email by a Demo executive seeking advice on the interpretation of ‘one or two provisions’ of the Demo Party constitution, which he wrote about five years ago.
“I have yet to respond. The reality is that I don’t do things as Norman and his tag mate alleges and I am too busy with my own business and projects in Vaimaanga and Avarua to have time to do things like that. I am not consumed by politics like Norman and others.”
Short says if he returns to politics it will be because he believes that he has a sufficiently worthwhile contribution to make to justify cancelling the long term overseas holidays he has planned for the next few years.
“Politics is hard slog, costly and unrewarding except to those who deliberately set out to milk the system – and one has to suffer fools like Norman all the time.
“Let’s face it, the only show in town right now is that of Norman’s long-running slush fund saga which I must admit is becoming tedious, tiring and sad.” - Helen Greig
Kiwis can fly for $1
Friday 28: Flying to the Cook Islands paradise of Aitutaki just became that much easier now that New Zealand travellers can add airfares for only $1.
Cook Islands Tourism in conjunction with Air New Zealand Holidays have engaged in a national promotion in New Zealand until September 3 where if you book an Aitutaki package with a minimum three nights accommodation, you get your domestic airfares for $1 one way per person for travel between January to May 2010.
The Aitutaki campaign coincides with Air New Zealand’s Pacific Paradise campaign for national and regional press insertions.
This also includes online presence within the Air New Zealand website and key
traffic sites including the NZ Herald, TradeMe, Stuff and Yahoo Xtra.
This campaign follows on from the very competitive $99 Aitutaki transfer offered by Air New Zealand Holidays to drive sales to the island oasis as an alternative to just visiting Rarotonga.
Aitutaki, considered to be “the jewel” in the Cook Islands crown is a 50 minute flight from Rarotonga via Air Rarotonga.
Reputed to be one of the most beautiful in the world, One Foot Island (Tapuaetai atoll) in Aitutaki won Australasia’s leading beach award at the 2008 World Tourism Awards with a further nomination this year.
Aitutaki is becoming equally popular for film locations having been the prime location in a number of shows including Survivor Cook Islands and most recently Island Wars which is screening in New Zealand.
Cook Islands Tourism is still running their Suzuki promotion until the end of September which is proving to be a very popular incentive for the New Zealand traveller.
For more details go to www.airnewzealand.co.nz/airfares_offers/hotdeals/hot_deals_fares/one-dollaraitutaki-transfer.htm and www.CookIslands Experience.com - Cook Island Tourism
Paddlers celebrate big win
Saturday 29: Tears of joy flowed at Ngatipa yesterday as Cook Islands oe vaka paddlers Vaea Melvin and Tupuna Amo received their New Zealand citizenship certificates – making them eligible to compete in next month’s Pacific Mini Games.
In front of their paddling family and the New Zealand High Commissioner Tia Barrett, Vaea and Tupuna recited their pledge of allegiance to the Queen as part of the formalities of the intimate ceremony.
“Because of this, you can now compete in the mini games,” Barrett told the two paddlers.
“Not only for that, but also so you may play a full part in this country and New Zealand.”
“This is a privilege that comes with responsibilities to the Cook Islands and New Zealand.”
Both Vaea and Tupuna will also retain their French Tahitian citizenship.
Barrett explained that the main reason the pair received their New Zealand citizenship quickly, and others haven’t, was because they were eligible under a special provision for sports events.
“This does not apply to people who are not Cook Islanders by descent, and you two are,” says Barrett.
Vaea has Cook Islands lineage linking her to the island of Atiu while Tupuna has blood links to the island of Mauke.
Together, all gathered heartily sang the New Zealand national anthem in Maori and English before bubbles were popped and the joy of the occasion came to the fore.
Vaea and Tupuna were very grateful to the canoeing association and to the New Zealand High Commission for their dedication and determination in getting the paperwork done for their citizenship.
Tupuna thanked Vaea and husband Fletcher and the paddling community for their help in getting his New Zealand citizenship.
He also thanked his grandparents Peta Tura and Paia Tauira, who were present at the ceremony, for their support.
For Vaea, it has been a roller coaster of emotions over the past few months.
In 2007, Vaea was among the seven athletes who received permanent status to be eligible for the Pacific Games that year in Samoa.
And finding out a month ago that she was once again not eligible to represent the Cook Islands, she decided to pull out of the women’s paddling team in order to allow her team mates to continue their training without stress.
“I’m so glad my team mates didn’t let me pull out,” says Vaea.
“I’m just so overwhelmed and humbled by this occasion and I feel very spoiled.”
And on the topic of winning the gold medal at the mini games, both Vaea and Tupuna agree they don’t feel any extra pressure to win gold.
“We know that we have worked hard and we will always try our best,” says Vaea.
The pair now await their New Zealand passports and while Barrett admits they are cutting it fine, he was very confident that the necessary paper work would be completed.
On a lighter note, the citizen’s ceremony was originally scheduled for Thursday 27th but when copies of the certificates were received from New Zealand they were signed and dated for Friday 28th and the ceremony had to be moved to yesterday to match the date on the certificates. - Matariki Wilson
ON THE STREET
Saturday 29: What three sports will win gold for Team Cook Islands at the Pacific Mini Games?
Tere Fearon Anthony Turua Theresa Manarangi
Touch,Golf,Squash Netball,Lawn Bowls,Rugby 7s Netball,Lawn bowls,Oe vaka
Davey Sila Uriau Teaurere Mary Teaurere
Netball,Weightlifting,Touch Weughtlifting,rugby 7s, touch Tennis,Netball,Triathlon
Mata Nooroa Meti Noovao
Oe Vaka,Rugby 7s,Touch Netball,Rugby 7s,Rugby League
Chinese kept on
Monday 31: Chinese workers who helped out on the multi-sports complex have been kept on for the Pacific Mini Games next month.
Work on the complex finished in early July and Cook Islands Investment Corporation chairman Tapi Taio said that some of the workers are helping out with the technical aspects involved in running the Telecom Sports Arena. Some, Taio said, will help with catering at the mini games.
The CIIC was responsible for bringing in the workers, and games chief executive Mac Mokoroa said at least 10 workers will be used in catering.
Immigration head Kave Ringi confirmed that 20 Chinese workers brought in for the multi-sports complex have been permitted to remain in the Cook Islands to help out with the mini games next month.
“Until the mini games, the Chinese workers have in the interim been permitted to work for local employers,” said Ringi.
Taio denies that he has used the Chinese workers for private work, and says he has privately brought in three Chinese workers.
Taio added that he has around 30 foreign workers – working on his inter-island and fishing boats and doing construction work.
One person contacted Cook Islands News to say that he had seen Chinese workers last week doing work on CICC chief executive John Tini’s private residence in Titikaveka. Tini is currently overseas. - MM
Vavia attends China summit
Monday 31: Cabinet minister Tangata Vavia left last week to attend the 5th International Cooperation Summit and the 3rd Global Outsourcing Summit in Changchun City, China.
In his delegation are local businessmen Tata Crocombe and James Beer.
The international cooperation is for CEOs, governers, mayors and political figures of the world.
The Association of the Asia-Pacific CEO is sponsoring the event. It is the only conference of its kind devoted to setting up an effective long term cooperation mechanism between outstanding business leaders and governments.
Every year, honoured guests are invited to attend the summit, including regional government officials, Fortune 500 companies, Forbes 2000 companies and other listed companies, international political figures and economists. The summit has been held four times and about 600 guests are attending this year. The 3rd Global Outsourcing Summit (GOS) will be held at the same time on September 3-5.
It is understood that the minister, Crocombe and Beer will hold talks with private sector companies in relation to tourism and airline connections to the Cooks as well as on renewable energies such as solar power. - HG
Northern islanders heartened by news
Monday 31: Northern group residents have been heartened by the news that the French Polynesia ship Tahiti Nui will transport them to Te Maeva Nui celebrations.
The ship was due to arrive in Penrhyn on Saturday, Rakahanga on Sunday morning and then on to Mahihiki, Pukapuka and Nassau before arriving in Rarotonga this Friday.
Rakahanga MP Piho Rua and Penrhyn MP Wilkie Rasmussen both agree it’s good news that government has solved the transport dilemma for their Maeva Nui teams.
However, they are still concerned that the quota of 49 passengers per island is not the 60 per island government committed to bringing to Rarotonga.
The MPs say the suggestion now is for Air Rarotonga to do two flights per island to pick up the remaining number left behind.
“The people are generally happy, but not about the numbers – it’s not enough,” says Rasmussen.
He says despite this concern, he is pleased that the people from his island will be able to travel in comfort aboard Tahiti Nui.
Rua says government has honoured its commitment by transporting the teams, but he too is concerned at the smaller number. He says some of the Rakahanga team already flew to Rarotonga last week and he is pleased 49 more will make it to Rarotonga this week.
“I’m very happy with the fact we can’t ask for more – government heard our call.”
Rasmussen said culture minister Robert Wigmore may have announced the charter on radio but did not explain that only . 49 would be coming from each island.
The MP says he believes the quota came from the French Polynesian government. - Helen Greig
Panel sits again
Monday 31: The panel that oversaw the selection of heads of ministries and island secretaries has sat again to consider cabinet’s feedback on some of the positions.
Public service commissioner Navy Epati says they are looking at the posts of foreign affairs and health, and island secretaries on Manihiki, Rakahanga and Penrhyn.
“We have met and we are giving consideration to cabinet’s feedback on the posts that they did not agree with.”
Epati says the panel can re-submit its original list, add new recommendations, or re-advertise the post – as both parties have agreed to do in the case of the island secretary position on Palmerston.
Those in the six posts are signed up as acting heads.
Epati hopes that the issues surrounding these posts can be dealt with at the next sitting of cabinet, as contracts also need to be sorted out for the incoming HoMs and SIAs [secretary of island administrations].
Conditions and salary bands must be approved by cabinet, he says. - MM
Government goes ‘overboard’ with numbers
Tuesday 1: Rakahanga MP Piho Rua says he will lodge a complaint with government over the transport of the Te Maeva Nui teams from the north after finding out the Tahiti Nui picked up more people from the other islands.
“Its grossly unfair – government’s gone overboard on the numbers. The team numbers were settled before, when the ship was chartered. I blame the prime minister for this mess.”
Rua and the other MPs of the northern group were told last week that they were allowed 49, possibly 50 people from each island aboard the chartered ship.
With restricted numbers, Rua and Penrhyn MP Wilkie Rasmussen expressed concern that government would not meet its commitment to bring 60 people from each island to Rarotonga for the Constitution celebrations.
At its first stop in Penrhyn over the weekend, the ship picked up 61 people, then went onto Rakahanga to pick up 50. On Sunday 73 people from Manihiki went aboard Tahiti Nui and yesterday just 20 people from Pukapuka.
In total 210 passengers are being ferried to Rarotonga on the ship, exceeding its reported regulation passenger capacity of 198.
“Our team’s deputy leader and his family – six others stayed behind because they would not allow more than 50 from our island,” says Rua.
Now Rua says he’s confused because he can’t work out how Manihiki managed to get more people on the ship than the other islands.
“I think this problem may have been created by officials. If government has misled me then this needs to be looked into,” he says.
Rua said a team of 80 from Pukapuka had been waiting for the ship.
Rasmussen is more circumspect about the issue of numbers, saying government can’t please everyone.
“I understand it was at the captain’s discretion to increase the numbers.”
Rasmussen says it was concerning to learn later on that the leader of the Penrhyn team and 20 other team members were turned away. He claims others, who won’t be competing at Te Maeva Nui, boarded the ship simply as a free ride to Rarotonga.
The ship chartered for the second year for Maeva Nui from the government of French Polynesia for $200,000 will deliver the teams, but government still has to find a way to return the people to their islands in October.
The ministry of cultural development (Tauranga Vananga) has had $250,000 appropriated to it as a payment on behalf of the crown (POBOC) in the 2009-10 budget. Most of this money is used to transport people from the outer islands to Rarotonga, for the Constitution celebrations, which is held at the end of July/beginning of August.
The Tahiti Nui is now a day ahead of schedule on its voyage and is due to arrive in Rarotonga either tomorrow night or early Thursday morning. - HG
Govt to review impact of proposed telecom changes
Tuesday 1: An amendment to the telecommunications act that would end Telecom Cook Islands monopoly is on the horizon.
But government first wants to consider the economic impact of such a move.
Deputy prime minister and finance minister Sir Terepai Maoate presented a paper to cabinet on July 29 to ask that government fast-track an amendment to the act that would open the market to other telecommunications companies.
Sir Terepai noted the growing pressure on government from the private sector to change the telecommunications act.
After cabinet considered the proposal, it was agreed to set up a committee to carry out a review on the impacts of ending the monopoly on the market. It is understood ex-Telecom CEO Stuart Davies will be asked to chair the committee.
Meanwhile, telecommunications minister, prime minister Jim Marurai, is also looking at how to implement the proposed change to the legislation. An independent regulatory body for the industry would have to be set up if TCI’s monopoly on the market comes to an end.
Government currently owns 40 percent of Telecom’s shares and had earlier this year received an offer to purchase the company from Digicel, one of the fastest growing mobile network companies in the Pacific.
There is now increasing pressure on government to change the Telecommunication Act to allow other companies to obtain licences to operate and to bring service prices down.
Local company KukiCel is once such company ready and waiting to begin offering a high quality, low cost mobile phone service.
KukiCel director William Framhein says the suggested review of the impacts of allowing his and other companies to compete with Telecom is ridiculous given that there have been several reports produced on the industry already. However, Framhein says he will support the new idea being floated that government simply employ a small advisory team rather than a large committee. - Helen Greig
Just two burglaries reported
Tuesday 1: Burglary numbers on Rarotonga dropped last week with only two reported to police in the week to Sunday.
Two hundred dvds were taken from a house in Arorangi on Friday and FBI in Parekura was broken into on Sunday. Thieves stole a cash register but nothing was inside the till. Police say the takeaway venue has been a target for burglary over the recent weeks. Fingerprints were being taken from the scene as part of the investigation.
Two thefts occurred which included a purple computer backpack stolen from a Ngatangiia café. A gold necklace with a pearl pendent valued at $400 was taken from a Takuvaine home on Saturday.
An 18-year-old male had to receive medical treatment after falling from his bike on the main road near Aramoana Fish and Chips. The accident occurred on early Sunday morning with a blood alcohol test taken from the driver at the hospital.
Another motorcyclist suffered minor injuries after falling from his bike near the Avatiu roundabout last Tuesday.
Police confiscated a sound system after noise complaints were made on an Arorangi home. In the early hours of Saturday morning, police issued an abatement notice before having to return after a second complaint was made. The system is to be held by police for 72 hours before the owner can pay $60 for its return. In total nine excessive noise complaints were made for the island.
Four juveniles were apprehended for theft of an Avarua warehouse last week. The youths are expected to appear before the Juvenile Crime Prevention committee. A male has been arrested and charged with burglary for breaking into a Vaimaanga villa. He is expected to appear in court on September 10. – DK
Resort land taken back
Wednesday 2: Pa Marie Ariki has terminated the lease on her Vaimaanga property, ending the Takitumu people’s hope that it would be redeveloped and open as the planned five star Hilton Rarotonga Resort.
On Monday Pa Ariki issued a notice that she has re-entered the property and terminated the 60-year lease.
Local developer Tepaki and his New Zealand business partner Dan McEwan leased Papua section 4 in February 2006.
But by last year Strategic Finance had taken over as mortgagee.
McEwan was declared bankrupt this year and Strategic Finance is reportedly on the verge of going into receivership after record losses.
Tepaki hasn’t fared much better - in recent years he has been plagued by financial troubles and court actions from disgruntled creditors.
But the businessman remains defiantly confident that his dream of redeveloping the ill-fated Sheraton site is not yet dead. His goal was to breathe new life into the derelict hotel to have a positive effect on the local economy and benefit the Takitumu people who would collect the rent on it.
“My (JVCI) partner’s gone, but I’m still standing. I know I can raise the money and develop it. I didn’t come here just to fail. I will come back to it when I have the funding sorted,” says Tepaki.
For now he will accept that his lease on the property has come to an end amid the financial troubles after impacts of the New Zealand property market collapse and global economic crisis that he claims has crippled his financiers and McEwan.
Tepaki says he will stick to his pledge to complete the hotel project in Rarotonga, but admits if someone beats him to the punch, all the better.
“The main thing is to get it done for the people of the Cook Islands,” he says.
Tepaki believes he can give it another shot at Vaimaanga once he has completed the refinancing of his businesses and when the three local accommodation properties he owns can be used to raise more funds.
Pa Ariki says Tepaki always had good intentions when he leased the property from her, but he just didn’t ‘play the game’ right when it came to achieving his goal.
It hasn’t been an easy path for Tepaki -- just six months after the lease was signed the lessee JVCI Ltd was in default.
The terms of the lease were renegotiated to allow the lessee further time to perform, and a deed of variation was confirmed by the court that year.
Under the deed it was agreed that JVCI Ltd would pay Pa Ariki the money she would have received had the hotel been open for business from 1 December 2007. She had been collecting at least $150,000 in rent annually on the property.
The rental payment was underwritten by Strategic Finance, but only until the end of May 2009.
Pa Ariki’s lawyer Tim Arnold says it was on that basis that she decided to wait and take no further action until now.
A notice of the breach of lease was served on JVCI Ltd several months ago and the time for compliance expired in mid-August.
The land and buildings once again belong to Pa Ariki and she will now turn her attention to identifying a further interested party.
Pa Ariki believes government remains committed to supporting completion of the hotel but admits it will be challenging in the current financial climate. - Helen Greig
Pukapuka group refuse to board ferry
Wednesday 2: Culture secretary Sonny Williams says that he won’t know who has got onto the Tahiti Nui ferry from Pukapuka, until it arrives in Rarotonga tomorrow morning.
Cook Islands News received three calls since Monday evening – all saying that those bound for the Te Maeva Nui celebrations in Rarotonga refused to get onto the ferry, as only 20 were permitted on board.
Williams says in fact 40 was the number given for the tere party from Pukapuka but the group did not want to go through the process of deciding who should be left behind.
“I said yesterday [Monday] if you don’t want to get on the boat, that is your call – we have done our bit.”
It is understood that up to 20 people boarded from Pukapuka and nearby Nassau – which included MP Vai Peua who is overseeing the harbour project on the island.
“I can’t say anything until the boat gets in on Thursday morning,” says Williams.
Criticism by Rakahanga MP Piho Rua against the prime minister Jim Marurai, who was in Tahiti last week to negotiate for the ferry charter, is unwarranted, says Williams.
“It is not the prime minister’s fault,” says Williams who travelled with Marurai to Tahiti. “We have done our part.”
The Cooks negotiated a $400,000 deal with French Polynesian officials for the charter -- $200,000 for what was owing from last year’s charter plus the same amount for 2009.
Williams says the figure agreed upon was a big help on the NZ$1.296 million quote which was given to the Cooks when enquiries were made about chartering the Tahiti Nui for this year’s Te Maeva Nui.
“The captain and his crew were given one day warning to drop everything, drop their schedule … and pick up the tere parties.”
Williams says going on the ferry’s maximum capacity of 198, it was calculated that each of the four islands would be permitted up to 49 passengers.
This figure, he says, was communicated to the islands of Penrhyn, Manihiki, Rakahanga and Pukapuka-Nassau.
“What has happened out there [at sea] is beyond us. Whether there was pressure put on the captain.
“I’m not sure and I won’t know what has happened until the boat arrives.”
According to figures supplied to Cook Islands News, 61 people were picked up from Penrhyn, 50 from Rakahanga, 73 from Manihiki and 20 got on from Pukapuka-Nassau – a total of 204 passengers.
Pukapuka-Nassau island secretary Lewu Katoa could not be contacted yesterday, and Pukapuka community president on Rarotonga, Makirere Poila said that he had no comment to make.
Josh Taio of Taio Shipping said yesterday that they had planned to travel up to Pukapuka, however they had delayed their plans upon hearing of the charter. Taio added that they also need sufficient cargo to make the trip viable. - Moana Moeka’a
No departure tax for children
Wednesday 2: Government will no longer charge departure tax for children.
Cook Islands Tourism sent out a reminder about the tax change for departing passengers on Monday.
Under government’s newly introduced departure tax, infants (0-2), children (2-11 years) and transiting passengers are exempt. Until Monday children’s departure tax was charged at $15. As of April government increased departure tax for adults from $30 to $55. After some tourism industry consultation earlier in the year, government scrapped its original plans to increase departure tax for children to $40.
Government has stated the increase in adult departure tax is essential and will be used mainly for the upgrade of the airport on Rarotonga as well as other government initiatives.
Plans are now underway for departure tax to be included in the cost of airline tickets. In the meantime it can be purchased from Westpac Bank in town or at the airport. - HG
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