National
Parliament to resume soon
Monday 19 September 2011 | Published in National
Parliament may resume in October, finance minister Mark Brown says. Following a lengthy session in July, parliament adjourned sine die and then an impromptu sitting was scheduled in late August for the passing of an amendment bill to governments withholding tax legislation. Brown says the resumption of parliament has not been confirmed, but government wants […]
Vanilla in demand
Monday 19 September 2011 | Published in National
The Cook Islands could soon be exporting up to 100 tonnes of vanilla to French Polynesia every year, as international demand for the spice continues to grow. A delegation of Cook Islands agriculture industry professionals, growers and government officials recently travelled to Tahiti in an effort to better understand initiatives for product expansion. Finance minister […]
US pays $2m for fish rights
Monday 19 September 2011 | Published in National
Annual payment to the Cook Islands by the United States as part of a Pacific fishing treaty is set to increase from $250,000 to $2 million. Finance minister Mark Brown says the increase is a result of discussion at the recent Pacific Leaders Forum in New Zealand, involving marine resources minister Teina Bishop. Brown says […]
Travel savings voluntary
Monday 19 September 2011 | Published in National
Ministers and members of parliament have the opportunity to save taxpayers money on travel by opting for economy class seats on flights, using air points accrued from official travel and staying in cheaper accommodation. There is a level of entitlement to MPs and ministers for official travel and its associated costs, through the Remuneration Tribunal […]
$200,513 on travel in 2 months
Saturday 17 September 2011 | Published in National
Government ministers and members of parliament have spent $200,513 from the Civil List on international travel in the last two and a half months. The $200,000 taken from governments Civil List covers only a portion of the cost for that international travel, for which donor organisations and governments have also forked out. Government has not […]
Zumba hits Edgewater
Saturday 17 September 2011 | Published in National
The zumba craze has been sweeping through the Cooks in the last 12 months and The Edgewater Resort & Spa has been caught up in it. Mexican Maria Teresa Stone, who is one the few Zumba Education Specialists in the world, is being hosted by The Edgewater. She ran a free aqua Zumba session in […]
From spinning to grinning
Saturday 17 September 2011 | Published in Environment
Out in Rarotongas east, the trade winds blow a consistent breeze and are providing a steady rotation to Tamaiva Tuaveras wind turbine at Muri. It is now a year since the owner of Captain Tamas Lagoon Cruises installed the five-kilowatt turbine at his hillside house just up from the beaches at Muri lagoon, and Tuavera […]
Floating plans for offshore wind
Saturday 17 September 2011 | Published in Environment
Wind farm advocates are backing the technology with an increasing conviction with the belief that high-volume, Chinese-made parts and investment in offshore technology will reduce the price of wind energy. Chinese companies have stepped up their production of wind turbine parts to help meet the growing demand within its borders for the technology. Until recently, […]
Short stories on my favourite things
Saturday 17 September 2011 | Published in National
My home The nice breeze lets you hear the noise of the trees surrounding the house. The soft painted wall in the hallway of the house is just so soft that you would want to rub your cheeks on. You can hear the sounds of the ocean crashing against the rocks. When the sun sets […]
Dialling in a cover shot
Saturday 17 September 2011 | Published in National
Telecom Cook Islands is offering artists and photographers the chance to have their work reach every home, business place and hotel room in the country. The companys annual telephone and business directory cover competition is closing on Wednesday next week and organisers are seeking a photograph, painting, drawing or collage that reflects life in the […]
Caf culture lovers take over Jireh
Saturday 17 September 2011 | Published in National
Cafe Jireh has inherited two important things from Warkworths wildly popular Ginger Cafe its custard squares and its managers. The cafe, situated across from the airport, has come under the management of Brian and Rachael Aitken, a Kiwi couple with a passion for high-quality food and a love for the island of Rarotonga. They recently […]
Pacific Snapshots well received
Saturday 17 September 2011 | Published in National
Tereora College performers elicited a resounding applause from the crowd that filled Nikao Hall on Thursday night. They performed a number of skits adapted from scripts written by Pasifika writers and dance numbers in their home-grown production Pacific Snapshots. Performing arts teacher Claire Waldron has received a flood of positive feedback since Thursdays performance. Her […]
Rakahanga gets $1m for renewables
Saturday 17 September 2011 | Published in National
Rakahanga will receive more than US$1 million to pay for the islands conversion to renewable energy. The Cook Islands government announced this week that the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat had approved its funding allocation to help the northern group island move away from its reliance on diesel generators to solar power as the source of […]
Hot air and climates changing
Saturday 17 September 2011 | Published in National
Climate science is fascinating. Im taking it this semester on USP Moodle. No matter how much the opposition camp challenges the Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the panel has convincing figures that show that in the last 50 years the upward swing in global heating is true and urgent and predicts that by the […]
Break the stigma around asking for help
Saturday 17 September 2011 | Published in National
Another suicide prevention week has come and gone, but the community should continue to think about suicide, which is now as a pertinent and pressing an issue as ever. Te Kainga director Mereana Taikoko says the Cook Islands needs to change its perceptions of mental health in general in order to stem the rising tide […]
Harbour works using 0.2% of Rarotongas water
Saturday 17 September 2011 | Published in National
Concrete mixed for use in the $25 million harbour upgrades at Avatiu wharf is accounting for less than one percent of Rarotongas daily water use, but people in the town area will be feeling the impact more than people who live in other areas. Rarotongas water storage levels are at about 50 percent of capacity […]
Georges travel in public eye
Saturday 17 September 2011 | Published in National
On the heel of his comment this week that government travel is obscenely excessive, lawyer and independent member of parliament Norman George has departed the country. He is in New Zealand as a spectator of the Rugby World Cup and is expected back in Rarotonga by the end of the month. This trip is at […]
Brown says travel pays dividends
Saturday 17 September 2011 | Published in National
The cost to government from its Civil List for international travel pales in comparison to the value of benefits for the country as a result, finance minister Mark Brown says. In the two and a half months of this financial year, the Civil List budget of $330,000 has been reduced by $200,512. Civil List money […]
Crackdown on truancy
Saturday 17 September 2011 | Published in National
Rarotongas schools will team up with Cook Islands Police and government agencies to crack down on school absenteeism on the island. Members from all three groups committed to increasing their efforts in reducing truancy levels at Rarotonga during a meeting held on Thursday. Representatives from the ministries of internal affairs and education met with members […]
Millions for workforce training
Friday 16 September 2011 | Published in National
Millions of dollars in the pipeline to boost Cook Islands education will provide for further training of the local workforce, cabinet minister Teina Bishop says. The New Zealand and Australia governments have pledged $500 million over the next four years for education in 13 Pacific countries, including the Cook Islands. Bishop says he talked with […]
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