Articles by Utopia Support

Kata - July 8, 2011

Friday 8 July 2011 | Published in Kata

Night market brings in $14,000

Friday 8 July 2011 | Published in National

The Aitutaki go local night market generated about $14,000 of revenue for vendors and stallholders, according to the Business Trade Investment Board (BTIB). The market, which was held last week, was focused on all things Aitutaki with vendors, food and items championing the local cause. BTIB business development manager Melina Tuiravakai said the night was […]

Police warn against gun modification

Friday 8 July 2011 | Published in National

Police have issued a reminder to the public following the recent gun amnesty, urging gun owners not to modify or cut their guns. Cook Islands Police will destroy seven guns they deemed to be unsafe during the gun amnesty in Rarotonga and Aitutaki. Inspector Arana Tera said home-modified guns were among those classified unsafe, and […]

Deep sea mysteries to be explained

Friday 8 July 2011 | Published in National

The deep sea minerals taskforce is preparing to stage a public awareness campaign in coming months. The public will be invited to hear what the taskforce is doing during sessions in public meeting houses and at the University of South Pacific, Cook Islands campus in Avarua. Well-known deep sea research scientist Chuck Fisher will be […]

Enthusiasm over rare seabed minerals

Friday 8 July 2011 | Published in National

The chairman of the Cook Islands deep sea mining taskforce has welcomed announcements of the discovery of troves of rare earth minerals on the Pacific Ocean floor. Japanese researchers this week announced they had discovered massive deposits of rare earth minerals, essential materials for making almost all high-tech electronics, in the mud of the Pacific […]

Flag problem unusual

Friday 8 July 2011 | Published in National

Cook Islands-registered fishing vessel Te Ravakai was this week turned away from an American Samoa port for failing to fly a courtesy flag. It is a time-honoured maritime tradition for a vessel to fly a courtesy flag, or to hoist the flag of the country it is entering. However, in most ports it is not […]

Hospital septic work examined

Friday 8 July 2011 | Published in National

The Ministry of Health and others involved in a $670,000 upgrade of Rarotongas hospital are reviewing the projects engineering specifications while construction has stopped pending an environment impact assessment (EIA) report. Work, which began in April on the Arorangi hospital site, was stopped recently due to confusion over whether an EIA is required to be […]

Concern at dwindling rolls

Friday 8 July 2011 | Published in National

The Ministry of Education is determining ways in which the dwindling school rolls of Nukutere and Titikaveka colleges can be boosted. In the past five years Titikaveka Colleges roll has dropped in number from almost 200 to 108. Nukutere College now has 155 students, down from 201 in 2006. During a parliamentary session yesterday, education […]

Park pushes green CI

Friday 8 July 2011 | Published in National

The establishment of what may be the worlds largest marine park in the Cook Islands will not hinder seabed mineral exploration, those in parliament have heard. Deputy opposition leader Wilkie Rasmussen posed a question to the government about what it is doing to progress the marine park proposal. Rasmussen supports the proposal, saying it will […]

Financial secretary to start

Friday 8 July 2011 | Published in National

New financial secretary Richard Neves is due to arrive in Rarotonga from Australia with his family this Saturday and will formally take over the role on July 18 . Before assuming the role from acting financial secretary Priscilla Maruariki he will be briefed about current developments by government officials. Neves has a degree in applied […]

18 tax charges denied

Friday 8 July 2011 | Published in National

A Rarotonga-based company will defend 18 charges of failing to furnish income tax, PAYE and value added tax when it is allocated a hearing date in the Cook Islands High Court at Avarua. TTN Group Ltd denies all 18 charges and is next to be called in the court on August 18. The case was […]

Careers Expo coming together

Friday 8 July 2011 | Published in National

This years Careers Expo is gearing up to be another exciting and enlightening experience for students and the community at large. The 2011 Careers Expo will be held on Thursday July 21 at the Telecom Sports Arena in Nikao. The aim of the one-day careers expo is to create as much exposure for individuals, students […]

Police job to be advertised

Friday 8 July 2011 | Published in National

Police commissioner Maara Tetavas job is to be advertised, in consistency with the advertisement of other statutory appointments such as the director of audit, ombudsman and solicitor general. Member of parliament Norman George raised the question of Tetavas security as police commissioner during a session in the debating chamber yesterday. George said he noticed the […]

Jetty agreement endorsed

Friday 8 July 2011 | Published in National

The planned jetty development at Arorangi will take a step closer to becoming a reality today as a memorandum of understanding between concerned parties gets endorsement. Under the agreement, the Arorangi Primary School will receive $200 from the Cook Islands Port Authority for every cruise ship that disembarks at the jetty. Cruise ship passengers will […]

Public servants get 40 percent

Friday 8 July 2011 | Published in National

More than 40 percent of the governments total revenue for the next financial year will be spent on personnel those in the public sector. That is above a recommended expenditure control ratio and is a concern of the Ministry of Finance and Economic Management, which recommends in this years budget that policy action is taken […]

India funds Murienua projects

Friday 8 July 2011 | Published in National

The constituency of Murienua, Puaikura is overwhelmed with gratitude to the Indian government for funding a number of village projects. Thank you maata, India, Mau Raina, works manager under the Member of Parliament for Murienua Tom Marsters, said. The village applied to the Indian Grant Fund project through Aid Management last year. The successful application […]

Worry as food,fuel run low

Friday 8 July 2011 | Published in National

Te Kukupa was deployed yesterday to take 10,000 litres of diesel to Manihiki and Rakahanga, which are short of diesel but also running low on petrol and some basic foodstuffs. Tauhunu shop owner Papapia Kaisara learned on Wednesday night of the governments intention to load Te Kukupa with diesel for Manihikis energy generators. Why just […]

Charge across the board

Friday 8 July 2011 | Published in Smoke Signals

Does government have the wrong end of the stick with the tax on interest? a smoke signaller writes. My savings at the bank is a loan to the bank. That loan earns me a whopping 3 percent. Then when I take a loan for my mortgage the bank earns 11 percent. Go ahead Government; take […]

Recycling centre calls for help

Thursday 7 July 2011 | Published in Environment

For four-and-a-half years, Caryn Chilwell and her partner Brian Freeth have paid rent on a quarter-acre section in Turangi to run a small-scale commercial recycling business, a venture Chilwell calls a labour of love on account of its slim profit margins. But they are tired of paying out of their own pockets to subsidise what […]

Writeshop will help nations access millions

Thursday 7 July 2011 | Published in Environment

A Pacific regional proposal writing workshop has opened in the Cook Islands to help Forum Island Countries (FICs) access funds to support renewable energy and salt water desalination projects The Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat and the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) have pooled resources to coordinate the workshop focusing on the Pacific […]