Articles by Utopia Support

What's the story?

Friday 1 June 2012 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, I just came across the Wednesday story on the back page about the CISNOC AGM and the nominees. I would have thought that something like that should have been front page or in news pages. For non sporty types, the back page stories are usually run of the mill sports stories but Mark […]

UK mission a 'sad affair'

Friday 1 June 2012 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, I read with interest Sonny Williams’s rebuttal to Wilkie Rasmussen’s comments in Tuesday’s newspaper. I agree that the funds could’ve been better utilised. The value we would’ve received from the spend in the UK would’ve been from promoting the destination as a tourist spot. This would support the work done by the team […]

Jaewynn McKay on netball board

Friday 1 June 2012 | Published in Netball

Netball Cook Islands this week announced the appointment of Jaewynn McKay to the board and bringing with her in-depth knowledge of media and communications. Of Cook Islands Maori and pakeha decent, McKay resides between Rarotonga and Wellington although Auckland is her city or origin. From September 2006 through to February 2012 Jaewynn was the manager […]

Tourism scaling back from Bula Fiji

Friday 1 June 2012 | Published in National

Cook Islands tourism industry members are scaling back their presence at Fiji’s major tourism expo, Bula Fiji Tourism Exchange, thanks to the increased opportunities on offer at home. The Cook Islands Tourism Corporation and four Cook Islands properties travelled to Fiji last week for the meeting, but Tourism Corporation chief executive officer Carmel Beattie said […]

BCI reduces loan interest rates

Friday 1 June 2012 | Published in National

The Peoples Bank – the Bank of the Cook Islands – has announced that it will reduce the interest rates on all its business loans by 0.5%pa, and on its home loans by 0.25%pa. The cut will become effective from July 1. BCI managing director Vaine Nooana-Arioka is pleased to make this announcement on behalf […]

Bankers welcome banking review

Friday 1 June 2012 | Published in National

The Banking Association of Cook Islands (BACI) welcomes the independent review of the banking and financial services sector that started on May 28. Commissioned by the government of the Cook Islands as a result of the Economic Task Force submission in 2011, the review is being undertaken by independent advisor Sam Knowles. BACI chairman David […]

New website for regional crime fight

Friday 1 June 2012 | Published in National

The Pacific Transnational Crime Network (PTCN) has launched its website in Apia, Samoa, to enhance understanding of transnational crime threats and increase awareness, of the PTCN to target transnational crime threats regionally and globally. The website – www.ptcn.ws – will assist in enhancing the partnership arrangements with law enforcement agencies throughout the Pacific and provide […]

Steering committee works hard behind the scenes

Friday 1 June 2012 | Published in National

CORRECTION – Ngaria Stephenson was incorrectly named as Dr Deborah Perrott in a photo caption for the Youthline launch in yesterday’s CINews. Ngaria Stephenson, the inclusive education advisor at the Ministry of Education, was at Tuesday’s Youth Helpline Cook Islands launch as she was on the steering committee which helped get the new youth helpline […]

Reggae fans depart for Samoa

Friday 1 June 2012 | Published in National

A group of local UB40 fans including some rockers departed for Samoa yesterday morning in their own chartered Air Rarotonga aircraft. UB40 staged a concert in Apia last night (Friday in Samoa) as part of Samoa’s 50th Independence celebrations. The flight stopped in Niue for fuel and will return with the group on Saturday night. […]

Powered by Gas!

Friday 1 June 2012 | Published in National

Miss Gas Cook Islands Antonina Browne joined the Miss Cook Islands pageant to follow in the footsteps of other women in her family who’ve joined the pageant in the past. Browne was officially launched as Miss Gas Cook Islands yesterday – the 20-year-old donning a hard hat, safety gloves and glasses to join the boys […]

Jewellery course underway

Friday 1 June 2012 | Published in National

A unique opportunity in community education is currently on offer at Tereora College. The evening class, open to those who already have some experience in jewellery making, is now in its second week. Frances Kirkham, graphics teacher at Tereora College and also a trained goldsmith, is taking the class. It is Kirkham’s aim that the […]

Toa fuels fire again

Thursday 31 May 2012 | Published in Environment

Toa Petroleum was recently caught illegally storing fuel at General Transport’s recycling centre in Tutakimoa. Ministry of Internal Affairs labour director Helen Maunga said she followed up a report that Toa was storing petrol on the site, and found they were. ”I followed this up with Toa Petroleum a couple of weeks ago as they […]

NES 'wide open to a lawsuit'

Thursday 31 May 2012 | Published in Environment

Environmental group Te Ipukarea Society believes the National Environment Service and the Rarotongan Environment Authority are leaving themselves ”wide open to a lawsuit“ in regards to the Toa Petroleum relocation. In their recent submission against the relocation of Toa to the Nikao foreshore, Te Ipukarea Society Incorporated (TIS) states the National Environment Service (NES) and […]

Finance minister reveals Budget sums

Thursday 31 May 2012 | Published in Local

Media welcomed Finance Minister Mark Brown’s plan to keep the public informed of the nuts and bolts of the forthcoming Budget ahead of its formal presentation next week. Brown will table the Budget and give a complementary speech on June 7 in Parliament. On the same day media will be welcome to study the Budget […]

Youthline launched nationwide

Thursday 31 May 2012 | Published in Local

A free telephone counselling helpline for Cook Islands youth was launched yesterday to a packed stadium full of Tereora College students. The Youth Helpline Cook Islands – 0800HELP – is run by Youthline New Zealand and is a free and confidential support network that troubled youth can ring for advice. The need for such a […]

New council plans national arts festival

Thursday 31 May 2012 | Published in Features

For the past four months a group of prominent Cook Islands artists have been working towards setting up ‘Konitara Are Ta’unga’, or the Cook Islands Arts Council. The role of the council is to support, develop and showcase Cook Islands art and culture, and further develop the arts as a valuable national resource. This will […]

Kata - May 31, 2012

Thursday 31 May 2012 | Published in Kata

League world cup feted at Ngatipa

Thursday 31 May 2012 | Published in League

New Zealand High Commissioner John Carter hosted local rugby league club delegates to a special lunch at his Ngatipa residence where the Rugby League World Cup had pride of place. Delegates from clubs across the island and Aitutaki gathered with members of the Cook Islands Rugby League Association for the special lunch to talk all […]

Not first or last course

Thursday 31 May 2012 | Published in National

More computer training for senior citizens is on the cards following the successful recent course held at the USP Centre and run by Mii Manuela of the Office of the Prime Minister’s ICT department. While it was the first course run by Maneula – it was the second course for senior citizens and not the […]

Fighting salt water with fresh water

Thursday 31 May 2012 | Published in National

The Ports Authority has come up with a solution to the problem of saltwater dripping on to the road from trucks transporting dredged material from the harbour to a dumping site at Panama. The authority will continue to dump dredged harbour material at their Panama site, but will use water suppression – spraying the road […]