Articles by Utopia Support

Champ praises Rarotonga

Tuesday 25 September 2012 | Published in National

Lesley Turner-Hall has confirmed she will be back to defend her 2012 Round Raro Road Race (RRRR) title next year after a strong performance saw her claim top honours in the women’s division. The Kiwi finished in fifth place overall and was the first woman home in a time of two hours, 15 minutes and […]

Youth 'sidelined'

Tuesday 25 September 2012 | Published in National

Young people aged between 15 and 29 years old make up 60 percent of the population in the Pacific but are sidelined in decision making, participants at the Commonwealth Pacific Youth Leadership and Integrity Conference agreed this week. As the Duke of Cambridge said in his speech to the conference organised by the Commonwealth Youth […]

Combating drug-resistant gonorrhoea in the Pacific

Tuesday 25 September 2012 | Published in National

Sexually-transmitted disease gonorrhoea will soon be detected more easily in the Pacific region. The Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) will hold two workshops for laboratory technicians in the Pacific later this year to help them identify and report gonorrhoea strains and their susceptibility to anti-microbial agents. They come at a time when the World […]

Better communication a key during cyclones

Tuesday 25 September 2012 | Published in National

More effective communication between the meteorological services and those who depend on their information was the key message behind the Severe Weather Forecasting and Disaster risk reduction Demonstration Project (SWFDDP) held last week. Hosted by the Rarotonga Met Service and funded by New Zealand’s environment and foreign affairs and trade ministries, New Zealand meteorological experts […]

Discover holiday home rental potential

Tuesday 25 September 2012 | Published in National

Owners of the estimated 180 holiday homes on Rarotonga are invited to attend a market update tonight on the increasingly popular tourist accommodation option. The Tourism Corporation is coordinating the meeting, which will be held at the New Hope Church from 5.30pm to 7pm. Tourism’s director of destination development Metua Vaiimene says there is a […]

US congratulates Cooks on Forum

Tuesday 25 September 2012 | Published in National

The prime minister has started his New York trip with a series of meetings to aid his participation throughout the rest of the annual United Nations General Assembly session. Shortly after arriving in New York at the weekend, Prime Minister Henry Puna met with the secretary-general of the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat, Tuiloma Neroni Slade, […]

Plenty of local advisors know fisheries

Tuesday 25 September 2012 | Published in National

Dear Editor, The TIS executive has followed with much interest the recent coverage of the foreign fishing licences, the recent trips by the Minister and Secretary of Marine Resources to China, and the worrisome fish processing factory planned for Avarua. We would like to thank you for keeping this very important topic on the minds […]

Watching where the tax dollars go

Tuesday 25 September 2012 | Published in Smoke Signals

“We must all be thankful to CITV for screening the compelling feature on Sunday evening of the Forum Leaders partners’ activities,” a smoke signaller writes. “Although initially thinking it would be a waste of time to watch, rather it was enlightening to hear the dreadful speeches – if you could even call them that – […]

Water upgrades to employ an 'awful lot' of locals

Monday 24 September 2012 | Published in Local

Rarotonga’s current water network loses about 70 percent of water through aging pipes before it even reaches people’s taps, according to the Ministry of Infrastructure and Planning. But the future water infrastructure upgrades, confirmed as part of a tri-lateral agreement signed by the Cooks, New Zealand and China recently, will bring potable water to all […]

'Rise above criticism'

Monday 24 September 2012 | Published in Local

Pride and passion was the key message at Friday’s police parade for the blessing of the department’s new fleet of vehicles. While the purpose of the early morning parade was to officially bless two new Mitsubishi double cab trucks and two motorbikes – the focus of the speeches was on motivating and encouraging local officers […]

Mother of 8 dies in crash

Monday 24 September 2012 | Published in Local

A 40-year-old single mother of eight died in a fatal head-on motorbike crash at the weekend – bringing Rarotonga’s road death to five so far this year. Maniu Jack of Pue died from serious injuries received in the accident which occured around 11.30 on Friday night in front of the Farm Direct Pearls store in […]

Kata - September 24, 2012

Monday 24 September 2012 | Published in Kata

Long wet slog took 16hrs 21mins

Monday 24 September 2012 | Published in National

While most people were taking hot showers, putting their feet up and contemplating what was a soggy start to their weekend, there was one man who refused to give up. Martin Parnell, who a night earlier had run two laps of Rarotonga in the rain, was back at it again on Saturday to finish what […]

3rd RRRR to Warick Brenan

Monday 24 September 2012 | Published in National

Despite non-stop rain, Kiwi runner Warick Brenan set a blistering pace on Saturday clocking a time of 1.59.56 to win the Round Rarotonga Road Race for the third time. Brenan won in 2007 in 2.01.33 before chopping over six minutes off that time in 2008 when he took out the race in 1.55.21. The 44-year-old […]

Cabinet inspects new Arorangi jetty site

Monday 24 September 2012 | Published in National

November 2 has been set down as the day the $2 million alternative cruise liner landing platform and jetty at Arorangi School in Puaikura will be officially opened. Cabinet ministers including Prime Minister Henry Puna visited the site of the alternative cruise liner landing platform and jetty where Ministry of Infrastructure and Planning (MOIP) minister […]

NZ donation to support 100 students of tourism

Monday 24 September 2012 | Published in National

NZ High Commissioner John Carter has emphasised the importance of the decisions facing high school students after Tereora College received their share of $18,000 towards new tourism equipment. The New Zealand Aid Programme donated the money to be spread between two Rarotonga colleges, Tereora and Nukutere, as well as the outer islands of Aitutaki, Atiu, […]

Lost Tribe disappointed, not surprised

Monday 24 September 2012 | Published in National

Dear Editor, I was dismayed to read of Bill Framhein’s unsuccessful bid to collect the NZ veteran’s pension (CINews Sept 22), and although I’m very disappointed for him, I’m not surprised, since it’s patently obvious that NZ politicians appear to be brain dead to the fact that Cook Islanders are NZ citizens. The outcome is […]

Tetava takes on another regional role

Monday 24 September 2012 | Published in National

Police commissioner Maara Tetava recently travelled to the Solomon Islands to attend the 41st Pacific Islands Chiefs of Police Conference. The conference was hosted by the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force in Honiara bringing together representatives from across the Pacific. At this conference, Tetava was elected as chairman of the Pacific Transnational Crime Network (PTCN) […]

No official list of threatened species

Saturday 22 September 2012 | Published in Environment

The Cook Islands does not have an official list of threatened species, which means there is a “marked absence” of detailed management plans, says the country’s National Heritage Trust’s director Gerald McCormack. In comparison, New Zealand is helping a record number of native species thrive, through the Department of Conservation (DOC) using an active management […]

October sitting

Saturday 22 September 2012 | Published in Local

Parliament will sit next in October. Before leaving for New York on Thursday, Prime Minister Henry Puna confirmed that Parliament will be sitting next month. His motivation for convening Parliament as a matter of priority is the “urgent” need to push two bills in particular through the house. “We have a couple of urgent bills […]