Local
18 new Aitutakians honoured
Friday 10 February 2012 | Published in Local
Yesterday was a special day, not just for 18 people at Aitutaki but for the island as a whole, according to mayor John Baxter. Aitutaki officially took in 18 new permanent residents at a special ceremony held on the island yesterday, all spouses of Cook Islanders or permanent residents of the Cook Islands. Some of […]
Ballet babes
Friday 10 February 2012 | Published in Local
Pirouettes, pointed toes, tutus and big cheesy grins were all the rage at the Celebration on the Rock church where a group of youngsters gathered for the Xpression Dance Studio ballet class this week. Even the boys were having a ball at the class tutored by Georgia Miles – a Royal Academy of Dance ballet […]
'We are not in a crisis'
Friday 10 February 2012 | Published in Local
Public Service Commissioner Navy Epati yesterday officially released a copy of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) Functional Review Report on the Public Sector. “The exercise to re-examine how we do business in the public sector should never come as a surprise to anyone, including the public service itself. This has to be the norm if […]
Parliament to sit on February 20
Thursday 9 February 2012 | Published in Local
Parliament has confirmed it will be sitting on Monday, February 20, at 10am. Notices are currently being issued to Members of Parliament. Parliament’s priority agenda item is the supplementary budget, which is expected to be finalised before the sitting begins. The Office of the Prime Minister says parliament will sit for as long as it […]
Heroes and heroines greeted warmly
Thursday 9 February 2012 | Published in Local
Christchurch volunteers enjoying island hospitality as part of the Heroes and Heroines initiative were told yesterday that because Cook Islanders are New Zealand citizens – the Cooks was their country too. The first group of Christchurch Heroes and Heroines volunteers arrived on the island at the weekend and met with Prime Minister Henry Puna yesterday […]
Ambitious $15.5m plan for Aitutaki
Thursday 9 February 2012 | Published in Local
Aitutaki Island Council is confident it will be able to find funding for an ambitious redevelopment project that is expected to cost about $15.5 million. The project is being planned to help beautify the main town area surrounding the wharf while also improving facilities in the area. The wharf, too, will benefit under the plan […]
'He deserves a bravery award'
Wednesday 8 February 2012 | Published in Local
Two builders are being praised for their quick thinking and selfless actions after they saved an American tourist who was at risk of drowning in rough seas. Joe Kaveao and Daniel Maoate came to the aid of a man who got himself into trouble while swimming in the lagoon at Crown Beach Resort and Spa. […]
ADB jobs 'an insult' to CIWA
Wednesday 8 February 2012 | Published in Local
The Cook Islands Workers Association (CIWA) is calling advertised vacancies for consultancy positions at the Office of the Public Service Commissioner “an insult” and a “total waste of resources”. The positions are for five technical assistants, who will be employed by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and on its payroll. They will be based at […]
PM to greet 'heroes'
Wednesday 8 February 2012 | Published in Local
Prime Minister Henry Puna will personally welcome in the first of 100 Christchurch heroes at a morning tea to be held at his office today. Minister of Tourism Teina Bishop will also be joining Puna at the morning tea to welcome the small group, who are the first to reach the Cook Islands under the […]
4 new Kiwis naturalised
Tuesday 7 February 2012 | Published in Local
Four people in the Cook Islands were granted New Zealand citizenship yesterday, becoming perhaps the last people in the world to undergo the naturalisation ceremony on Waitangi Day. Three Samoans and a French Polynesian were the lucky four to receive their citizenship at New Zealand High Commissioner John Carter’s Ngatipa residence. In a short ceremony, […]
5 new consultancy jobs at PSC
Tuesday 7 February 2012 | Published in Local
Five new consultancy positions have been created at the Office of the Public Service Commissioner, in keeping with a report put together by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) reviewing the functionality of the public service. They are for technical assistants whose job it will be to oversee implementation of recommendations outlined in the functional review […]
Hangi party in Raro
Monday 6 February 2012 | Published in Local
The Cook Islands Aotearoa Society gathered at their Marae in Tupapa to celebrate Waitangi Day with a hangi and chats over a cuppa tea. While today, February 6, is officially Waitangi Day – the society members decided to celebrate the day yesterday in line with New Zealand. To celebrate the day, which commemorates the the […]
Quake heroes take time out in the Cooks
Monday 6 February 2012 | Published in Local
The first group of Christchurch heroes and heroines arrived on the island over the weekend for a break from the ongoing recovery and rebuilding of Christchurch city after the devastating February 2011 earthquakes. Close to 100 heroes, heroines and their partners will retreat to Rarotonga over the next few months in small groups of 6 […]
Online laws need overhaul: advocate
Monday 6 February 2012 | Published in Local
The recent spate of emails from a man who is intent on bringing down the Cook Islands tourism industry though an insidious online campaign has sparked an internet advocate to call for more comprehensive laws governing the use and abuse of the web. Maureen Hilyard, the Rarotonga-based chair of the Pacific Islands Chapter of the […]
'It's time to talk about it'
Saturday 4 February 2012 | Published in Local
It’s time to talk about the issue of suicide, says minister of youth Mark Brown. Brown, like the community at large, was devastated to hear of another Cook Islands youth who had committed suicide at the weekend. “It was just devastating to hear the news,” says Brown who had personally known the young man who […]
Rain and high seas forecast
Saturday 4 February 2012 | Published in Local
A series of low-pressure systems developing around the Cook Islands means a probable continuation of rain and rough seas through the weekend. Unusually large surf drew crowds to Avatiu and the Avarau waterfront yesterday morning and Thursday evening. Waves were even crashing over the sea wall at Nikao and rising above the Boiler in front […]
Yacht owner talks
Friday 3 February 2012 | Published in Local
The owner of the yacht Bonny says he reacted in disbelief when he found out about the fate of his boat, which had gone missing from New Zealand with an accused sex offender late last year. Six weeks later, it turned up in the Cook Islands unannounced with its skipper, who is wanted on 26 […]
MMR looking for Pago Pago office
Friday 3 February 2012 | Published in Local
The Ministry of Marine Resources (MMR) is currently searching for office space in American Samoa with plans to establish a long-term presence there. A team of workers from the ministry has been in the US territory’s capital Pago Pago since last week. They were due to return to the Cook Islands yesterday. There they have […]
'Nothing severe'
Thursday 2 February 2012 | Published in Local
The newest storm brewing near New Caledonia and Vanuatu does not pose a threat to the Cook Islands, says Meteorological Services operations manager Maara Vaiimene. This week a few new weather systems have developed within the region – a tropical depression near Vanuatu and New Caledonia (which actually falls under Fiji’s area of responsibility), a […]
Major road works underway
Thursday 2 February 2012 | Published in Local
A $2.9 million roads project has begun in Rarotonga after more than four years of planning and waiting. The job, officially known as the Rarotonga Road Network Improvement project, is bringing three parties together for its completion, coupling the Ministry of Infrastructure and Planning (MOIP) with contractors T&M Heather and Triad Petroleum. MOIP secretary Donye […]
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