Articles by Utopia Support

Kata - June 29, 2012

Friday 29 June 2012 | Published in Kata

Fisheries net $3.7m in revenues

Friday 29 June 2012 | Published in National

This report on government revenues from fisheries is from a media release issued yesterday by the Ministry of Marine Resources. The Ministry of Marine Resources (MMR) has receipted $3.7 million of fisheries revenue during the past financial year. To top it off, during the month of June it recorded a peak export of 80 metric […]

Short returns to law

Friday 29 June 2012 | Published in National

Former justice secretary Mark Short is being admitted to the Cook Islands bar as a barrister and solicitor this morning. He was admitted to the New Zealand High Court as a barrister and solicitor in 2000, but following a long legal dispute with the current Cook Islands Party Government has a ”renewed enthusiasm to see […]

Journey of discovery

Friday 29 June 2012 | Published in National

Unearthing new species of underwater life is one of the reasons six Hawaiian marine biologists are in Rarotonga. Funded by the Seaver Institute, six marine biologists – Richard Pyle, Robert Whitton, John Earle, David Pence, Brian Bowen and Josh Copus – have all travelled from Honolulu to do research on a foundation reef in the […]

Aid for tourism

Friday 29 June 2012 | Published in National

The $3 million grant to the tourism sector under the New Zealand/Australia Harmonised Aid Programme comes to about a third of tourism’s total budget. Cook Islands Tourism Corporation destination development director Metua Vaiimene says tourism’s total budget comes to about $9 million, so the grant is very welcome. Two million from the grant will go […]

Warning: 'You're not bulletproof'

Friday 29 June 2012 | Published in National

The head of the road safety council believes the way to combat road crashes is having a user-pay system for emergency services. Cook Islands Road Safety Council chairman Ina Pua-Tipokoroa says families have to be held accountable for the actions of individuals who think they’re ”bullet-proof“. ”Some individuals think they’re above the law and one […]

What do we get for $28m wharf upgrade?

Friday 29 June 2012 | Published in Smoke Signals

”A couple of years ago,“ a smoke signaller writes, ”the owners of the shipping company that services Raro and Aitutaki said words to the effect, ‘Extend Avatiu wharf to cater for a larger ship and we will reduce freight rates by at least 20 percent’. Yeah right, the same shipping company is now saying only […]

Please leave petrel

Thursday 28 June 2012 | Published in Environment

A giant petrel is currently in Avatiu Harbour and the public is asked to leave it alone. Esther Honey Foundation clinic director Gregg Young says the ocean bird had most likely blown off course in high winds and run out of energy. ”People just need to leave it alone to regain its strength and it […]

Environmental focus for ministers meeting

Thursday 28 June 2012 | Published in Environment

Minister of Finance and Economic Development Mark Brown is looking to the Forum Economic Ministers’ Meeting (FEMM) in Tarawa, Kiribati, next week for ways to counter the issue of depopulation. The forum will run from July 2-4 with a focus on promoting sustainable economic development and growth throughout the Pacific. The FEMM is the key […]

Arorangi hosting Lagoon Day 2012

Thursday 28 June 2012 | Published in Environment

This year’s Lagoon Day will be held in Arorangi at the Ministry of Infrastructure and Planning (MOIP) office grounds, the Edgewater Resort & Spa beach and the Rarotonga Waste Facility. Lagoon Day 2012 will largely focus on waste management in support of this year’s environmental campaign, ‘TaauTaku Tita’. Acting secretary of MOIP Donye Numa said […]

Reef Shipping jumps gun

Thursday 28 June 2012 | Published in Local

Transport minister Tom Marsters wishes to clarify that no second licence has yet been issued to Reef Shipping or the local Tai Moana shipping consortium to operate the Southern Reef. This is despite Reef Shipping comments to CINews and a notice to their international clients saying they had been granted the licence. However, the minister […]

Carter for mayor?

Thursday 28 June 2012 | Published in Local

New Zealand High Commissioner John Carter says he is yet to decide whether he will contest New Zealand’s Far North mayoralty. Speculation has been rife in the Far North that Carter, who has been high commissioner in the Cooks since August last year, is planning to run for mayor in the 2013 local government elections. […]

Kite kids at play in Aitutaki

Thursday 28 June 2012 | Published in Local

Orewa-based Naish kite instructor Dean Bradfield playing around in between the freestyle and racing heats of Aitutaki’s kitesurfing competition. Yesterday some Aitutaki schoolkids got to jump in a water taxi to Maina Iti to experience an action-packed day of kitesurfing and spectating, and some had the added thrill of jumping on riders’ boards. The kitesurfing […]

'Aunty Sel' MP

Thursday 28 June 2012 | Published in Local

The people of Titikaveka have chosen their new political representative to be Selina Napa of the Democratic Party. Napa beat her brother Teariki Matenga of the Cook Islands party by a slim margin of 14 votes in the Titikaveka by-election. She received 297 votes, Matenga received 283, and Teava Iro, an Independent candidate, received 104. […]

Independence and impartiality essential

Thursday 28 June 2012 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, Choosing the ”right“ Speaker and Deputy Speaker are crucial to the efficient, quality and credible functioning of Parliament. Their impartiality and independence from their choosers or tutoring mentors is paramount. It is within this principle that the Speaker must not only be an experienced MP seasoned in the ”dispositions, idiosyncrasies and foibles“ of […]

Kata - June 28, 2012

Thursday 28 June 2012 | Published in Kata

'Dabble in cannabis and go to jail'

Thursday 28 June 2012 | Published in National

A young man has been sentenced to 12 months on probation after he was found with a drugs utensil. Tangata Taripo, aged 19, was found by police on April 27 with a bong used to smoke cannabis The maximum penalty for this charge $5000 and/or five years in prison. Taripo, who is currently unemployed, pleaded […]

Warning after Aitutaki death

Thursday 28 June 2012 | Published in National

A coroner who investigated the death of a New Zealander while snorkelling in Aitutaki found a number of unsafe practices and hopes his report will act as a warning to New Zealanders snorkelling overseas. New Zealand (NZ) coroner CJ Devonport found a number of unsafe practices on the snorkelling trip near One Foot Island that […]

'Childish clowning'

Thursday 28 June 2012 | Published in National

Atiu MP Norman George continued to press government in parliament on Monday to explain why it chose to ”guillotine“ the Budget debate by cutting it in half. Parliament debated the Budget for one week instead of two, in light of the fact that the Parliament of Western Australia to Perth had invited five members of […]

Edgewater Resort returnees reunite

Thursday 28 June 2012 | Published in National

It seems there are more than just a few people who like to return to The Edgewater Resort and Spa, but one couple certainly take the cake. John and Kath Gardiner from Waihi, New Zealand, consider The Edgewater their home away from home – so much so, they have just been on rock for their […]