Articles by Utopia Support

The economic reality of agriculture

Thursday 14 April 2011 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, At Tuesday’s Economic Summit meeting, when the topic was agriculture, we ran out of time (lunch pending) so I was not able to speak. Therefore I would like to use this medium to say what I wanted to say: The economic reality of the agriculture industry here is that it is very hard […]

Dance for ourselves

Thursday 14 April 2011 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, The Economic Summit is all about money and making a living, each of us and as a nation. But in the arts this is best achieved somewhat indirectly. Although it might be okay to label the arts “Creative Industries” for administrative reasons, this label does not indicate a working formula for the production […]

Sewerage scheme already planned, costed

Thursday 14 April 2011 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, I listened with interest to Des Eggleton’s very reasoned arguments for the centralisation and disposal of sewage waste at Wednesday’s Summit. In the lead up to the last general election, I endeavoured to interest those candidates who approached me to address this very question and urged them to seek out a report prepared […]

Kata - April 14, 2011

Thursday 14 April 2011 | Published in Kata

Pest control needs attention

Thursday 14 April 2011 | Published in National

Border control is an issue that needs to be addressed for the benefit of the local agriculture and aquaculture industries, those at a session of the national economic development summit agreed on Tuesday. Maire export agent Dave Thompson raised the issue of pest control and its effect on exported product during a public panel discussion […]

Sustainable methods advocated

Thursday 14 April 2011 | Published in National

Bio-organics and sustainable methods of agriculture are the way forward if the Cook Islands economy is to benefit, according to some at the National Economic Development Summit. A joint session on agriculture and marine resources was held as part of the summit at the National Auditorium on Tuesday. Panellists included Ministry of Marine Resources (MMR) […]

Preserving te reo debated

Thursday 14 April 2011 | Published in National

Te reo was the focus of much public discussion after the Ministry of Education presentation at the National Economic Summit. A dialogue about preserving the Cook Islands Maori language continued, back and forth, for much of the plenary period yesterday afternoon. From the floor Ian Karika said he was ‘appalled’ at the scant use of […]

USP costs way less

Thursday 14 April 2011 | Published in National

Attending USP Cook Islands costs one-third of the price of tuition at tertiary education institutes overseas. That was part of Tevai Matapo’s pitch at the economic summit yesterday in his capacity as the USP advisory committee chairman. He explained that USP offers a wide variety of courses, and has churned out dozens of local graduates, […]

'Stop knocking education'

Thursday 14 April 2011 | Published in National

Secretary of education Sharyn Paio says it’s time for the Cook Islands to ‘stop knocking’ its education system. “It’s very precious, it’s very good – stand up for it and support it,” she told the National Auditorium at yesterday’s Summit. She said research proves Cook Islands students who study in the Cook Islands perform better […]

'We're 10 years behind'

Thursday 14 April 2011 | Published in National

“Nothing has been done and this is the reason why we are here today, to try and make something happen.” Infrastructure Minister Teariki Heather yesterday summed up the infrastructure session of the national economic development summit, which ran behind schedule as a result of public gripes about the state of Rarotonga’s water, road, and sanitation […]

Pa enua called to speak up on fishing

Thursday 14 April 2011 | Published in National

Pa Enua are being encouraged to write in and express their opposition to purse seining in Cook Islands waters during the government organised public consultations. Te Ipukarea Society programme manager Jacqui Evans says she is pleased that the Pa Enua are being included by being asked to register their thoughts on purse seining in writing […]

What about social development?

Thursday 14 April 2011 | Published in National

Returning Cook Islander Cyrus Mea-Nielson said from the floor yesterday that the economic summit seemed to largely ignore social development and how it factors into economic progress. Mea-Nielson is on a 12-month secondment to the Cook Islands Ministry of Internal Affairs as a senior manager and corporate advisor. He said he returned from New Zealand […]

Health under pressure

Thursday 14 April 2011 | Published in National

An investment in the nation’s health system is an investment in the future of the Cook Islands. This was the premise of a presentation put together by the Ministry of Health that screened at yesterday’s summit, which called for funding to improve the ministry’s level of service, or even to just maintain it. As Dr […]

Dole is the problem in NZ

Thursday 14 April 2011 | Published in National

Lawyer Iaveta Short said at yesterday’s summit that the Cook Islands has ‘a problem in New Zealand’ – its people living on the dole. He said that Cook Islanders living in New Zealand and Australia are becoming too accustomed to living on government welfare, which means that “soon we will have a population returning who […]

Vaka vision shared

Thursday 14 April 2011 | Published in National

An Auckland-based group of Cook Islanders has a vision to repatriate Cook Islanders, set them up with accommodation and provide them with business opportunities. “We’re your human capital,” speaker Ina Michael said on behalf of Cook Islanders living abroad. He said nearly 60,000 Cook Islanders live in New Zealand, and 60% are in Auckland. The […]

Summit outcomes on table today

Thursday 14 April 2011 | Published in National

Major players involved in this week’s National Economic Development Summit will today meet at Muri Beach Club to discuss outcomes from the two-day public convention. It is being termed the Government of the Cook Islands Inaugural Development Partner Dialogue, and will be opened by dialogue chairman and government minister Mark Brown at 9.30am. Brown presided […]

Big potential for financial services

Thursday 14 April 2011 | Published in National

Interest rates within the Cook Islands need to be brought in line with those internationally so locals can compete with foreign investors for business, the national economic development summit heard yesterday. A session on finance included a video presentation by Cook Islands Financial Services Development Authority (FSDA) chief executive Jenner Davis, and was presided over […]

Enabling enterprise examined

Thursday 14 April 2011 | Published in National

A panel featuring some prominent Rarotonga businesspeople – Business Trade Investment Board (BTIB) chief executive Terry Rangi, Chamber of Commerce president Steve Anderson and deputy chair Teresa Manarangi-Trott and Air Rarotonga managing director Ewan Smith – directed the final session of Tuesday’s National Economic Development Summit. The session opened with a task force video presentation […]

PM pledges action

Thursday 14 April 2011 | Published in National

Prime Minister Henry Puna says the National Economic Development Summit will not prove to be fruitless and a list of immediate action is already being implemented by the government. In his closing remarks at the end of yesterday’s sessions, Puna said the government was committed to making sure recommendations from the summit were considered and […]

New Bishop named

Thursday 14 April 2011 | Published in National

Father Paul Donoghue is the new Cook Islands Catholic Bishop elect. Father Donoghue of the Marist Provincial of Oceania has been appointed as the new bishop and the date and place of his consecration has yet to be decided. According to Father Damien, the consecration of the new bishop will take place three months after […]