Articles by Utopia Support

Water quality reports released

Tuesday 17 July 2012 | Published in Environment

The Ministry of Marine Resources (MMR) has this year produced three separate water quality reports. Two show the trends over five years for lagoons and streams respectively, whilst one is the usual annual report for year ending December 2011, but also has the first quarter of this year. The reports are part of a monitoring […]

Lagoon Day welcomed to Puaikura

Tuesday 17 July 2012 | Published in Environment

The Cook Islands isn’t that bad but we are at the tipping point and it’s very possible to turn things around. These were the words of Lagoon Day coordinator June Hosking at the opening of the two-day event yesterday as she urged everyone to make a change to slow down the negative impacts humans have […]

Boat accident investigation

Tuesday 17 July 2012 | Published in Local

The boating accident on Saturday that has left Captain Moko’s Charters without a fishing boat is being investigated by both Cook Islands Police and the Ministry of Transport. Stephen Simpson of the Ministry of Transport says the main focus of their investigation is to find out exactly what caused the early morning accident, why it […]

Just 1 Raro team in Te Maeva Nui

Tuesday 17 July 2012 | Published in Local

Vaka Puaikura will be the only team representing Rarotonga at this year’s annual Te Maeva Nui celebrations which run for 12 days from July 26 to August 6 But there is full outer islands representation at this year’s annual show of national pride and celebration of self governance. Southern group island team members from Atiu, […]

Wifi woes

Tuesday 17 July 2012 | Published in Local

People who had problems with Telecom’s wifi hotspots over the weekend will be pleased to know Telecom has upgraded to a ”faster, cleaner“ system. While Friday, Saturday and Sunday saw disgruntled tourists locked out of wifi hotspots at times, Telecom’s business solutions manager Brendon Welsh said there will be no more problems as they have […]

Lagoon Day discovery

Tuesday 17 July 2012 | Published in Local

These Arorangi School kids discovered at yesterday’s Lagoon Day that this massive pile of crushed and bailed plastic bottles will not be shipped off the island because of the high cost of the process. 12071619 Related article(s): Lagoon Day welcomed to Puaikura

Mistaken identity

Tuesday 17 July 2012 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, Like many avid readers of CINews I was pleased to see the photo of another batch of Permanent Residents being welcomed into the Cook Islands family. However, since then, I’ve had a range of comments either congratulating me on becoming PR, or noting they had always thought I was a local ‘all these […]

Political point scoring from situation

Tuesday 17 July 2012 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, I just wanted to respond to Wilkie Rasmussen’s comments regarding Kiki Matenga’s electoral petition. Wilkie of all people should know that the electoral process doesn’t end when the by-election results are confirmed. The electoral act outlines a process for an appeal if a candidate standing in an election is satisfied that further clarification […]

Windage and 'crabbing' a particular port problem

Tuesday 17 July 2012 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, Not being an importer of any consequence, I am not overly concerned as to who gets the second shipping licence or what the political ramifications are. Of more concern are the specifications of the ships that are to be used by the operators of these licences. As a former harbourmaster and pilot for […]

Kata - July 17, 2012

Tuesday 17 July 2012 | Published in Kata

'Enriched' by arts festival

Tuesday 17 July 2012 | Published in National

I have been thinking about what I can say about the arts festival and how I can best describe this event in one word if I had to. A word that would accurately depict the experiences we’ve had, and the feelings we have felt by being here… The best word that springs to mind when […]

DPM at parliamentary assembly

Tuesday 17 July 2012 | Published in National

Deputy Prime Minister Tom Marsters is in Apia this week at the twice-yearly joint parliamentary assembly between the Africa Caribbean Pacific group and the European Union. Marsters is representing the Cooks at the eighth Pacific regional meeting in his role as foreign affairs and immigration minister. At the meeting, held from Wednesday to Friday, there […]

Glassie at human rights conference

Tuesday 17 July 2012 | Published in National

Deputy Prime Minister Tom Marsters and minister Nandi Glassie will both be away from the Cooks this week on official duties. Glassie, whose ministerial portfolios are health and agriculture, is in Brisbane attending a five-day consultation for regional members of parliament on advancing human rights. He is returning to Rarotonga on Sunday. Mitiaro MP Tangata […]

Mitiaro beckons for journalist and schoolboy

Tuesday 17 July 2012 | Published in National

Twelve-year-old Oliver Orr of Denver, Colorado, won’t be spending his school holidays at Disneyland or the beach. Instead, he’ll be staying in a kikau hut, eating fresh fruit and fish, and exploring the craggy makatea of Mitiaro. Oliver is accompanying his aunt Pip, a freelance writer and photographer, to Mitiaro, where he will be one […]

Hawaiian stopover?

Tuesday 17 July 2012 | Published in Smoke Signals

”Hawaiian Airlines have just announced they will fly three times a week from Auckland to Honolulu come March next year,“ a smoke signaller writes. ”Wow! Here is an opportunity that must be taken very seriously by Cook Islands Tourism and could well mean dispensing with the expensive subsidy to Air New Zealand. If Hawaiian Airlines […]

Solar unit gifted

Monday 16 July 2012 | Published in Environment

The Cook Islands could be using more solar energy in the future if Kiwi entrepreneur Baskhar Sharma has anything to do about it. Sharma, of trading group Pacific New Zealand, presented Prime Minister Henry Puna with a state-of-the-art hybrid solar air conditioning unit. The solar panel, which goes by the name of Sol Air, is […]

O3B internet experts explain plan

Monday 16 July 2012 | Published in Local

A special industry forum is being held today in order to discuss the new O3B internet service being launched in the Cooks. Telecom Cook Islands has invited people from key businesses, state owned enterprises and government ministries to attend the evening presentation given by Telecom and O3B representatives. The people chosen to attend the conference […]

Busy week: Lagoon Day, Careers Expo, Rippa rugby

Monday 16 July 2012 | Published in Local

Learning to improve lagoon health, picking the right path for a future career and lacing up rugby boots are all on the agenda for Rarotonga school students this week. Today the postponed Lagoon Day event will go ahead from the Ministry of Infrastructure and Planning office in Arorangi. Rarotonga schools would have received their revived […]

4 men survive boating mishap

Monday 16 July 2012 | Published in Local

For now, fishing has stopped at Captain Moko’s charters after the Avana fishing operator’s seven-metre fishing boat ‘Tangaroa-Jillymae’ sunk in Avana harbour on Saturday morning. An emotional Steven Kavana, known to everyone as Captain Moko, blames himself for the accident which resulted in a rescue of the charter’s three customers and skipper Andrew Bullen. ”I’m […]

It's almost full-time for the Battalion

Monday 16 July 2012 | Published in Features

The final curtain is drawing near for one of the unique and poignant chapters of the history of Aotearoa with the National Executive Committee of the 28th (Maori) Battalion Association, suggesting that the National Association and its affiliated local associations wind up their affairs and shut down. The move has been greeted with much sadness […]