Articles by Utopia Support

Fisherman urged to keep at it

Friday 16 September 2011 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, In response to Reuben Tylors letter in CINews yesterday titled Fish facts speak, it is important to get the facts right. He has levelled criticism at the Ministry of Marine Resources in what he describes as failing to provide for the sustainable use of our marine resources and that the fish catch rate […]

Inviting Fiji would be a mockery

Friday 16 September 2011 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, With all the experience the guy has supposedly gained over the many years he was the countrys minister for foreign affairs, it is disturbing that Wilkie would be nave enough to even suggest, let alone contemplate, our country inviting the current military dictator who illegally appointed himself Fijis Prime Minister to attend next […]

Is Wilkie Rasmussen the new Obama?

Friday 16 September 2011 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, In response to Deputy Opposition Leader Wilkie Rasmussens drivel on 15 September 2011, let me make these observations. Why after four years of unmentionable bad performance, Wilkie has reinvented himself into The great initiator or The new giant of Pacific politics? Or maybe, the new Obama? One can say that with so many […]

Kata - September 16, 2011

Friday 16 September 2011 | Published in Kata

Under 18s training hard for league tests

Friday 16 September 2011 | Published in League

Two Aitutakian players are among 30 league hopefuls vying for a spot in the Cook Islands under 18s team set to play in a curtain-raiser game at the Kiwi-Kuki international rugby league test match next month. The local under 18s team will play three matches against a team from the New Zealand-Cook Islands rugby league […]

Muri speed limit reduced

Friday 16 September 2011 | Published in National

The speed limit through Muri has been dropped to 30km/h from today. Prime Minister Henry Puna, who is also minister for police, announced a reduced speed zone to take effect immediately covering the main road between Avana Bridge in Ngatangiia and Parengaru Bridge in Titikaveka. Puna said the 30km/h speed zone restriction complemented a wider […]

Job conditions border slavery: lawyer

Friday 16 September 2011 | Published in National

Some cases of Fijians being employed by Cook Islanders in Rarotonga resemble slavery, Fijian lawyer Lavenia Rokoika says. She adds to comments made by deputy opposition leader and fellow lawyer Wilkie Rasmussen, who is calling on government to review immigration and recruitment policies. Rokoika says she has had discussions recently with Fijians working in Rarotonga. […]

Rasmussen supports foreign workers

Friday 16 September 2011 | Published in National

Government needs to seriously review its policy on the recruitment of foreign workers, particularly those from Fiji, deputy opposition leader Wilkie Rasmussen says. Rasmussen says there are far too many instances where disputes arise because of poor contractual terms and conditions, or inadequate immigration rules, involving Cook Islands employers and foreign workers. Many such cases […]

Watchmen have eye on strange behaviour

Friday 16 September 2011 | Published in National

Fully trained and dressed to match, the Ngatangiia neighbourhood security patrol group has now completed its first week of watch on the villages streets. The nights have been incident-free for the most part since the Flying Dragons premiership players began carrying out the patrols, two at a time, this week. During their first night on […]

Concept will grow in CI: resort owner

Friday 16 September 2011 | Published in National

Unit titles will become an important and viable part of the hotel accommodation industry in the Cook Islands, but the concept will not lead to a cash windfall for investors, warns one resort owner. The Rarotongan Beach Resort and Spa is one property advertising beachfront villas for sale on its website. A variety of properties […]

14 unit titles sold in six years

Friday 16 September 2011 | Published in National

Just 14 unit titles have been sold since the controversial scheme was passed into Cook Islands law in 2005. The Unit Titles Act 2005 allows investors to purchase holiday units without taking ownership of the land the condominiums are built on. A building developer becomes the leaseholder of the entire property and can sell out […]

School enters digital era

Friday 16 September 2011 | Published in National

Classroom lessons at Rutaki School will enter the digital era today as the school officially opens its new information technology labs. The school has accepted a delivery of 13 new desktop computers and a number of laptops to help it lead the Cook Islands into modern teaching. Rutaki School teachers have been asked to bring […]

Statistics office starts collecting data

Friday 16 September 2011 | Published in National

The Cook Islands Statistics Office has started collecting its first round of data ahead of this years double-pronged census. This year the Ministry of Finance and Economic Management of which the Statistics Office is a division will be conducting its first headcount since 2006, and its first agricultural stock take since 2000. A pre-census will […]

Cabinet minister travels to the Big Apple

Friday 16 September 2011 | Published in National

Cabinet minister Nandi Glassie is in the Big Apple attending a World Health Organisation and United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) conference. Glassie, the Cook Islands health and agriculture minister, departed Rarotonga for New York yesterday afternoon. He is due to return to the Cook Islands on Sunday, September 25. Glassies trip comes amidst […]

Brown discloses civil list

Friday 16 September 2011 | Published in National

Finance minister Mark Brown is expected to reveal the state of governments Civil List this morning. Brown has called a media conference at the Office of the Prime Minister, to start at 10am. Eagerly awaited by local media, and the wider public, is a breakdown of what government has spent this financial year to date […]

Millions for workforce training

Friday 16 September 2011 | Published in National

Millions of dollars in the pipeline to boost Cook Islands education will provide for further training of the local workforce, cabinet minister Teina Bishop says. The New Zealand and Australia governments have pledged $500 million over the next four years for education in 13 Pacific countries, including the Cook Islands. Bishop says he talked with […]

Samoa ship to carry fish

Friday 16 September 2011 | Published in National

Marine resources minister Teina Bishop says a new shipping service between the northern group and Apia will progress the Cook Islands commercial fishing industry. A Samoan Shipping Corporation cargo vessel is due to start servicing the northern islands in November and is likely to do so once every six or eight weeks. It is primarily […]

New tech for teachers

Friday 16 September 2011 | Published in National

Rutaki School students Eleysa Tepor-Kareroa, 6, Painu Tamarua, 8, Mereina Tamarua, 6, Meile Tuariki, 4, and Teupoko Tuariki, 5, testing out Rutaki Schools new IT lab. Story on p7. 11091513

Govt jets in style at our expense

Friday 16 September 2011 | Published in Smoke Signals

Only politicians can operate without any sense of being budget-conscious or frugal, it seems, says a smoke signaller. For most of us, if we cant afford something, we go without. Surely this is the thought they should be applying to business class travel. Its just sheer indulgence. The tour party going to China could easily […]

More netball in schools

Thursday 15 September 2011 | Published in Netball

More netball will be played in schools across the Cook Islands after Netball Cook Islands and the Ministry of Education signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) this week. Netball Cook Islands aims to run netball development programmes within the formal school sector to develop the code at the grassroots level. Netball development programmes will also […]