Articles by Utopia Support

'Leave Maina Iti alone'

Friday 4 March 2011 | Published in Environment

An Aitutaki lagoon tours operator is accusing one of the islands’ most entrepreneurial families of causing irreparable damage to Maina Iti – a naturally occurring sand-cay. For some years Andrew Katu has been operating his lagoon tours and he’s not happy that the Henry family is using Main Iti as a recreational area. It took […]

Widening explained

Friday 4 March 2011 | Published in Local

Improved drainage and preparing roads for further tar sealing works are the reasons for current roadside widening through Vaka Te Au O Tonga. Widening of the main road around Rarotonga is an ongoing project from the previous administration and one that Infrastructure and Planning Minister Teariki Heather is happy to continue with. While some residents […]

PMG inquiry stalled

Friday 4 March 2011 | Published in Local

Attempts to resolve a dispute over money allegedly held by the Cook Islands National Olympic Committee (CISNOC) in Pacific Mini Games per diems have stalled. In September last year lawyer for Pacific Mini Games Ltd (PMG) Tim Arnold made plans to recruit an arbitrator to deal with the issue. Arnold says the change in government […]

Fishing company denies 'on-selling'

Friday 4 March 2011 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, Your headline and article in Tuesday’s press by Florence Syme-Buchanan about fishing licences for NCIFC contained many seriously misleading errors which can easily have been researched properly by the writer. A most serious accusation is that NCIFC ‘on-sold’ licences for ‘big profits’ more than what MMR were charging. This was a very specific […]

Kata - March 4, 2011

Friday 4 March 2011 | Published in Kata

Vulgar and disgusting

Friday 4 March 2011 | Published in Smoke Signals

Dear Editor, I write in regard to Ken Kingsbury’s question of February 23, Where’s all the good music? You are very right Ken. Where’s all the good music indeed? I do wonder what some song writers are thinking about when writing the lyric to a song. One song that has a very catchy tune caught […]

Could local net be free?

Friday 4 March 2011 | Published in Smoke Signals

Our internet link to the outside world takes place via satellite and Telecom Cook Islands CEO Jules Maher says these satellite services are expensive (see his letter to the editor yesterday). A smoke signaller makes a suggestion: “Why not allow all internet transmission within Rarotonga to be free to TCI customers and only charge once […]

Harbour spoil headed to Panama

Thursday 3 March 2011 | Published in Environment

Members of the public have until March 30 to endorse or object to the proposed Ports Authority project to store spoil dredged from the Avatiu harbour at an abandoned Panama dump site. The National Environment Service (NES) this week made public its Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report, drawn up in response to a Ports Authority […]

Alternative farming methods advocated

Thursday 3 March 2011 | Published in Environment

Climate change is already affecting Cook Islands agriculture, according to grower Teava Iro. The affect of climate change on agricultural practices and production was discussed during the first day of the week-long workshop being held in Rarotonga. The National Adaption Planning Week began when local issues to do with prolonged weather pattern changes and adaption […]

9 new songs in Mire Atu

Thursday 3 March 2011 | Published in Local

Nine new Cook Islands songs will feature in tonight’s annual Mire Atu composer’s competition at the National Auditorium starting at 7.30pm. This year’s nine composers are accomplished composers in their own right and include Kylie Herman, Yuwunga Mataora, Rurutaura Tauta, Tuakeu Harry Papai, Vaitoti Tupa, Poti Maeva, Samuel Crocombe, Thomas Peyroux and Piritau Nga. As […]

Violent attack stirs Sea Eagles

Thursday 3 March 2011 | Published in Local

Ngatangiia community leaders are taking the violent attack on a Titikaveka youth by three men from the village on Saturday morning seriously. It has been alleged that the three Ngatangiia youths are members of the Ngatangiia Sea Eagles rugby league club and president of the club Tamaiva Tuavera says they will not tolerate this kind […]

Portable super for travel perk

Thursday 3 March 2011 | Published in Local

Being able to collect full New Zealand superannuation in the Cook Islands and Kiwis being able to stay up to three months here is seen by Prime Minister Henry Puna as a good exchange of privileges. The issue of New Zealand super portability was again raised during Puna’s talks last week with NZ Foreign Affairs […]

PM hits abuse of travel

Thursday 3 March 2011 | Published in Local

The new government is aware of the prolonged abuse of government travel by some heads of ministries and steps are being taken to put an end to it. Prime minister and minister for the public service Henry Puna says he’s discovered that some HOMs have shown “unscrupulous” habits in relation to official travel. Puna says […]

How much was 'scalped'?

Thursday 3 March 2011 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, Through your newspaper I think the public has every right to learn more about the royalties that were obtained by local middle men for foreign fishing fleets which were licensed to fish in our country’s waters. The first has to do with those involved in this rort whereby a sizeable chunk of the […]

Recycled rubbish should go to NZ

Thursday 3 March 2011 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, We are really pleased to see the kerbside collection of recyclables happening again. Now the community can separate their recyclables from their general waste and know that they will remain separated. We are hopeful that efforts are being made to send those recyclables to New Zealand. We believe that recyclables should be sent […]

Kata - March 3, 2011

Thursday 3 March 2011 | Published in Kata

Tereora barrier removed

Thursday 3 March 2011 | Published in Smoke Signals

The road crossing barrier between Tereora College and the Turamatuitui store in Nikao has been removed due to the number of accidents that have occurred at the barrier since it was erected some four years ago. Police inspector Tere Patia says that around five accidents have occurred at the barrier crossing which was initially installed […]

Women called to pray on Thursday

Wednesday 2 March 2011 | Published in Church Talk

Thursday is Women’s World Day of Prayer, which Christians all over the world recognise as an opportunity to get together and pray. The celebration is annual, and falls on the first Friday in March. Churches around the island will be participating and invite anyone to come and pray – the service will start at 6pm […]

Will he stay, or will he go?

Wednesday 2 March 2011 | Published in Local

Will Atiu MP Norman George resign from the Cook Islands Party or continue to be a high vocal and critical member of the governing political party? This is the question that George intends to present to his Teenui/Mapumai supporters when he meets with them this week. George says he’s scheduled to leave for Atiu today. […]

Remuneration Tribunal may be back

Wednesday 2 March 2011 | Published in Local

There’s a distinct possibility that the Remuneration Tribunal will be revived, says Finance minister Mark Brown. With the current minimum wage review underway, Brown says the Public Service Commission will be asked to undertake a further review of salary banding for all public servants. He says this is overdue. “It may be appropriate to revive […]