Articles by Utopia Support

Tapi Taio answers Mauke concerns

Tuesday 10 January 2012 | Published in National

Some progress has been made towards resolving issues surrounding the decrepit MV Te Kou Maru II stuck on Maukes beach. The boat, belonging to Rarotonga businessman Tapi Taio, stranded on the western section of Maukes reef in October 2010. Since then it has been pushed across the lagoon and on to the islands shore damaging […]

Cabinets first meeting of the new year

Tuesday 10 January 2012 | Published in National

Cabinet ministers will meet tomorrow for the first time this year. But they will do so without Prime Minister Henry Puna, who has travelled to Abu Dhabi via New Zealand for a couple of business meetings. Puna and finance minister Mark Brown departed Rarotonga for New Zealand on Saturday and met with the Japanese ambassador […]

Observers will cover 5% of fishing

Tuesday 10 January 2012 | Published in National

Despite claiming foreign fishers will be strictly monitored while operating in Cook Islands waters, the Ministry of Marine Resources (MMR) is likely to obtain just five percent observer coverage on long line fleets. MMR is currently recruiting applicants to partake in observer training for positions onboard long line vessels. The training coincides with the ministrys […]

Virgin cancels a few flights

Tuesday 10 January 2012 | Published in National

Flight cancellations to Virgin Australias Auckland-Rarotonga link this week will not affect the level of long-term services connecting the Cook Islands, an airline representative has said. A Virgin Australia flight to and from Auckland this week was cancelled for operation reasons with three others in February also cancelled. The airline, which operated under the name […]

Water system upgrade for southern Aitutaki

Tuesday 10 January 2012 | Published in National

Aitutaki Hospitals water supplies will be strengthened early this year through planned upgrades to the Vaimaru water facilities. The Ministry of Infrastructure and Planning is currently searching for a project manager on its Aitutaki project which will improve the pumping and storage facilities at Vaimaru water supply site. The facilities supply water to areas in […]

Mama Daniel celebrates 100th birthday!

Tuesday 10 January 2012 | Published in National

Amuri resident Mama Caroline Daniel (above) is now one of a few Cook Islanders to have celebrated their 100th birthday. She partied with a few hundred friends and family members at Amuri Hall in Aitutaki yesterday afternoon, having been carried in on a paata. Mama Daniel is the oldest living person on Aitutaki, and possibly […]

Fishermen meet minister to discuss their concerns

Tuesday 10 January 2012 | Published in National

Rarotonga-based fishermen are meeting marine resources minister Teina Bishop and secretary Ben Ponia this week to discuss their concerns. A group of fishermen requested the meeting, which Bishop and Ponia agreed to. Speaking from Aitutaki yesterday, Bishop said the meeting will be held in his office on Wednesday afternoon. He is not sure exactly what […]

Tahiti flights remain

Tuesday 10 January 2012 | Published in National

Delays beset Air Tahitis first flight from Papeete for the New Year, causing confusion for people at Rarotonga awaiting the planes touchdown. But people who think the late landing and take-off on Thursday are being asked to ignore the issue, with the airlines flight plans for 2012 to resume regular service this week. No major […]

Tapi Taio decries fishing situation

Tuesday 10 January 2012 | Published in National

Local fisherman Tapi Taio says government is ruining the domestic fishing industry by licensing foreign vessel operators to fish in Cook Islands waters. Taio says the Ministry of Marine Resources (MMR) three-year exploratory fishing programme, to determine whether commercial fishing can be sustained in relation to skipjack and bigeye tuna as well as swordfish, will […]

LEAF concert on track but delayed

Tuesday 10 January 2012 | Published in National

A planned concert to raise money for a Cook Islands youth centre will go ahead, despite some major setbacks, according to organisers. The Cook Islands Rock Fest was initially scheduled for December 16, 2011, but organisers failed to sell enough tickets and it was postponed at the last minute. In total just 20 concert tickets […]

Tiraa lands climate job

Monday 9 January 2012 | Published in Local

Former National Environment Service officer Ana Tiraa has been appointed as the director of the new climate change division within the Office of the Prime Minister. Tiraa, who is also a member of the Te Ipukarea Society (TIS), has a background in natural resource management and climate change. She completed a masters degree on the […]

24 incidents

Monday 9 January 2012 | Published in Local

Police attended to 24 incidents at the weekend. A spokesman said yesterday it was a busy weekend with alcohol related behaviour causing most of the problems. Three assaults were reported and two men were arrested while another will be arrested shortly. All are to appear in court when it starts for the year on Thursday. […]

Supplementary budget coming

Monday 9 January 2012 | Published in Local

Government will table a supplementary budget for this financial year at the next sitting of parliament in February. Finance minister Mark Brown has confirmed that a supplementary budget is being prepared in light of its expected tabling in parliament on February 15 for consideration and adoption. Cabinet has just approved the supplementary budget process. Its […]

300 attend warriors hair cutting

Monday 9 January 2012 | Published in Local

10010802 “/> Ezekiel Tuatea Tatuava-Enjoy with his beautiful long locks was the centre of attention on Saturday afternoon when a traditional haircutting ceremony was held for the young Atiu warrior. His proud parents Annabelle and Masterton Enjoy were joined by 300 family members, friends and leaders of the community for the special traditional ceremony. Five-year-old […]

Nuttiest statement

Monday 9 January 2012 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, Its time for your disgruntled tourist to wake up and realise that there are other hotels/motels apart from the ones at Muri and have nice beaches, granted the sand may not be as fine or have a sweeping lagoon area. As for the drumming at 9pm and couldn’t it be done during the […]

Security breach

Monday 9 January 2012 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, I am writing in reference to your article on January 4 headed Xmas in Afghanistan. I am a 100% Cook Islander and a sergeant in the Australian Army and about to be deployed to Afghanistan. It is good to see one of our own serving overseas however as a serving member I would […]

Chickenhearted

Monday 9 January 2012 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, Its understandable that the anonymous correspondents who are kicking up a stink about a stink, i.e. the foul (fowl?) aroma from John Scotts chicken farm, are angry about the effluvium assaulting their nostrils. Its obviously not just a paltry affair, but a rather serious poultry matter, which is making them quite irritable and […]

Proud to see

Monday 9 January 2012 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, I was holidaying at Mount Maunganui during the weekend of the Ports of Tauranga Triathlon with my family when I noticed some of the triathletes from the Cook Islands swimming, running and biking their hearts out. How proud I was to be a Cook Islander standing among the other spectators and screaming my […]

New Year challenge for the PM

Monday 9 January 2012 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, It looks like the PM in his capacity as Minister for the Environment has a job on his hands in the New Year. From the large number of letters to the editor over the last few weeks about the stench coming from a chicken farm in Ngatangiia, it is obvious that this is […]

Kata - January 9, 2012

Monday 9 January 2012 | Published in Kata