Articles by Utopia Support

Water tanks for all

Friday 15 April 2011 | Published in Local

The government has committed itself to spending up to $4 million on providing every household on Rarotonga with a water tank, says Finance Minister Mark Brown. A consistent supply of good quality water was identified as one of the key infrastructure priorities at this week’s Economic Summit. Brown says with numerous reports done and projects […]

Deal to Toagate

Friday 15 April 2011 | Published in Local

Members of the opposition are holding the new government to its election campaign promise to deal with the Toagate scandal. Democratic Party deputy leader Wilkie Rasmussen says the full opposition caucus met on Monday and decided to pressure the government in respect of Toagate. Rasmussen, who is the party’s spokesperson for law, justice, finance, and […]

George accused of betrayal

Friday 15 April 2011 | Published in Local

The Cook Islands Party is not happy with MP Norman George walking out on the party and declaring himself an independent – and Atiu CIP members want the seat back. “We voted him in as a CIP and not as an independent,” says chairman of the Teenui-Mapumai CIP committee Tereapii Porio “We voted for him […]

Some Aitutaki home owners upset

Friday 15 April 2011 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, Firstly we would like to say that we are very grateful to the Cook Islands and New Zealand Governments for their invaluable support and assistance to Aitutaki during and after the cyclone Pat. We are also grateful to Peter Scantlebury from the NZaid that has worked tirelessly over the past 12 months in […]

Alistair Campbell exhibition outstanding

Friday 15 April 2011 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, Last night my family and I had the privilege of attending the opening of the Alistair Te Ariki Campbell Exhibition at the Pataka Museum in Porirua. The exhibition celebrates the life of one of NZ’s greatest poets and one of Tongareva, Penrhyn Island’s greatest sons. To sit at the opening of that exhibition […]

Kata - April 15, 2011

Friday 15 April 2011 | Published in Kata

Swiss Ambassador presents credentials

Friday 15 April 2011 | Published in National

An intimate ceremony was held at Government House yesterday when Swiss ambassador Marion Krupski presented her credentials to Queen’s Representative Sir Frederick Goodwin. Ambassador Krupski is head of mission at the Swiss Embassy in Wellington and is concurrently accredited to New Zealand, Fiji, Tonga, Tuvalu and Samoa. The Cook Islands and Switzerland Governments announced the […]

We're not wealthy

Friday 15 April 2011 | Published in National

The perception that the Cook Islands is a wealthy country relative to other Pacific countries is ‘nonsense’, finance minister Mark Brown told representatives of donor organisations and aid agencies yesterday. Brown said the region is apt to compare the Cook Islands – in terms of wealth and gross domestic product (GDP) – to towns in […]

Individual tanks the answer

Friday 15 April 2011 | Published in National

This week’s national economic development summit has generated discussion about the feasibility of each Rarotonga property owner being self-sufficient by installing water tanks. During an infrastructure session of the summit on Wednesday, Temu Okotai suggested the solution to Rarotonga’s water woes was for each property to include a water tank. Okotai cited a budgeted amount […]

Final summit talks with funders

Friday 15 April 2011 | Published in National

Taking advantage of the opportunity to liaise with those who came to Rarotonga this week for the National Economic Development Summit, the government hosted a round-table discussion with its development partners at Muri Beach Club yesterday. Finance Minister Mark Brown, the majority of the Economic Task Force and a host of other government officials met […]

Appropriation bill to be tabled today

Friday 15 April 2011 | Published in National

Parliament will sit at 10am today for the second time this year. Leading the two bills to be presented today is the Appropriation Amendment or supplementary budget. Clerk of Parliament Nga Valoa also expects the Insurance Amendment bill to be tabled. Four papers are being presented by the Audit Office. These include the second and […]

Govt may get aid redirected

Friday 15 April 2011 | Published in National

The government and its donor partners were expected to reach an agreement for aid funds to be redirected into the country’s general budget, following roundtable discussions yesterday. Speaking before the end of discussions, Finance Minister Mark Brown said feedback from donors had been very positive. Having an aid funding template which would apply to all […]

Nation's ideas need nurturing

Friday 15 April 2011 | Published in Smoke Signals

“Wilkie Rasmussen says the Economic Development Summit was a waste of time and money as government will just go on its normal path, ignoring the man on the street,” a smoke signaller notes. “If one needed one small example, it would be when the Titikaveka Growers took the initiative to source a big commercial mulcher […]

Call to ban phosphate soaps

Thursday 14 April 2011 | Published in Environment

A recommendation to legislate against the importation of washing products and soaps that contain phosphate met with widespread support during the Environment session at the Economic Summit yesterday. Ngatangiia businessman Keta Williams said it would relatively be a simple matter for government to ban products that are not environmentally friendly. He said washing powders and […]

Protect our biodiversity

Thursday 14 April 2011 | Published in Environment

Extinction is forever. That was the reminder given by Te Ipukarea Society programme manager and active environmentalist Jacquie Evans during yesterday’s environment session at the economic development summit. She said Dr Graham Matheson’s presentation was a perfect example of why it is so important, so essential, that we protect our biodiversity. “Biodiversity means all the […]

'Waste of time and money'

Thursday 14 April 2011 | Published in Local

The National Economic Development Summit is a complete waste of time and money, deputy leader of the Opposition Democratic Party Wilkie Rasmussen says. Rasmussen – who is the Democratic Party’s deputy leader and spokesperson for law, finance, justice and the public service – says 75 percent of those attending the summit are public service employees. […]

Dancer of year starts

Thursday 14 April 2011 | Published in Local

The best Cook Islands dancers from across the country will take to the stage on Monday for the annual Dancer of the Year competition. Junior and intermediate dancers will tonight warm up the stage in the elimination round of the dance division starting at 7 o’clock at the national auditorium. On Monday, April 18, one […]

Biomedical breakthrough

Thursday 14 April 2011 | Published in Local

Biomedical research on traditional Cook Islands medicine is showing extraordinary results that don’t exist anywhere else in the world – including bone regeneration. Innovator and leading the biomedical research is Cook Islander Dr Graham Matheson who was schooled in Rarotonga before gaining a scholarship to pursue medical studies in Australia. Matheson, who holds a masters […]

It's the loveliest place

Thursday 14 April 2011 | Published in Features

Dear Editor, I have recently been a visitor to the Cook Islands, coming home last weekend. I loved my time in the Cook Islands and enjoyed especially a visit to parliament where Mr Metuakore (Motu) was kind enough to give me the time to show me around. What I couldn’t get a handle on is […]

Facts first, for fishery

Thursday 14 April 2011 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, I have followed with interest the debate regarding the issue of proposed purse seining in Cook Islands waters. Having been involved in fisheries management for a number of years I am concerned that “good stories” seems to be getting in the way of a number of relevant facts. It is absolutely correct for […]