Local
Czeching into Cooks
Monday 26 March 2012 | Published in Local
Hynek Kmonicek, Ambassador of the Czech Republic, will visit the Cook Islands this week to present his letters of credentials to the Cook Islands government. The ambassador, resident in Canberra, Australia, is concurrently accredited to New Zealand, Fiji, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga and Vanuatu. This will be the second Czech Ambassador to visit the Cook […]
First jewellery manufacturer certified
Monday 26 March 2012 | Published in Local
Take a dozen years, 8000 hours of work, a smattering of custom-made jewellery and a pinch of the unknown and you’ll get the story of how Brent Fisher has become the Cook Islands’first certified jeweller manufacturer. Fisher was lucky enough to put an official end to a 12-year long goal of his last week when […]
Marine park 'framework' allows multi-use
Monday 26 March 2012 | Published in Local
A three-day workshop led by the Cook Islands marine park interim steering committee, and attended by regional and international conservation experts, has led to the drafting of an overarching framework to guide the ongoing planning and management of the marine park. The steering committee has been tasked with providing recommendations to cabinet for final decision […]
New survey reveals rich tuna stocks
Saturday 24 March 2012 | Published in Local
Revised estimates of the stocks of skipjack tuna in Cook Islands waters have revealed that possibly hundreds of millions of dollars worth of the fish could be available. Previous counts have underestimated the amount of skipjack tuna that live in the Cook Islands’ exclusive economic zone, the Ministry for Marine Resources revealed yesterday. New counts […]
New Samoa service delayed
Saturday 24 March 2012 | Published in Local
Plans to send a Samoan shipping vessel to the Cook Islands’ northern group have been pushed back by a week to allow bad weather to pass and more cargo to be added to the voyage. The Samoan Shipping Company has not yet set a specific date for the first voyage from Apia, but the office […]
Shipping service stopping?
Saturday 24 March 2012 | Published in Local
The future of shipping seems to again be in dire straits – with news that the next sailing of Pacific Forum will be its last. An information paper concerning the future of shipping in the Cook Islands is being prepared for tabling at Cabinet on Tuesday. This week, Reef Shipping representatives flew to Rarotonga to […]
Grocery grab worth $3967.95
Friday 23 March 2012 | Published in Local
It took just three minutes and 30 seconds for an aunty and her niece to create $3967.95 of damage at the CITC Supermarket yesterday. The supermarket was well and truly behind Tai Matenga and her niece Luciana in their isle-by-isle sweep of the store – Tai was the third and final winner of the grocery […]
DPM attends funeral
Friday 23 March 2012 | Published in Local
Deputy Prime Minister Tom Marsters and his wife Tuaine Marsters will join New Zealand dignitaries on an Air Force Boeing 757 flight on Tuesday to attend the funeral of King Tupou V of Tonga. The deputy prime minister is currently away in Brussels and on his way back will stop in New Zealand where he […]
Landowners stop Land Rovers
Friday 23 March 2012 | Published in Local
Four-wheel-drive safari tours have been booted off a private track that takes tourists along a bumpy section of off-roading behind the Rarotonga Hospital. Land owner John Rasmussen has filed an injunction against safari tour operators that bans them from using the track up hospital hill. Rasmussen said the track, which has been in use for […]
16 work complaints to OPSC
Thursday 22 March 2012 | Published in Local
Sixteen employment complaints have been lodged with the Office of the Public Service Commissioner over the last calendar year. Amidst agitation about alleged mistreatment of female public servants, Cook Islands News asked the OPSC to explain the procedure by which it deals with formal complaints. “Four were related to bullying, threats, low pay, belittling etc […]
'Bump' in the road
Thursday 22 March 2012 | Published in Local
Motorists passing by the Nikao roads project yesterday morning could be seen chuckling to themselves in disbelief at the airport entrance. Though it is hardly a month old, the road seal laid down by the airport was getting dug up already. The works were contained to a very small area – a hole about one […]
Clean-up part of 'beautification'
Thursday 22 March 2012 | Published in Local
Responding to public complaints about trees being razed along the banks of the Takuvaine stream, National Environment Service (NES) director Vaitoti Tupa says he stands behind his decision to authorise all beautification work being undertaken by the Ministry of Infrastructure and Planning (MOIP). The recent cutting of trees in Takuvaine, Tupapa, Arorangi and Titikaveka is […]
Spanish envoy establishes ties
Wednesday 21 March 2012 | Published in Local
The Ambassador to the Kingdom of Spain will this week present his credentials to the Queen’s Representative Sir Frederick Goodwin. Ambassador Jesus Miguel Sanz Escorihuela touched down ON Rarotonga yesterday for a four-day visit to the Cook Islands. While here, Sanz Escorihuela will meet with government representatives to discuss bilateral and international relations between Spain […]
PM to chair PALM gathering in Japan
Wednesday 21 March 2012 | Published in Local
Prime Minister Henry Puna will co-chair the sixth Pacific Island Leaders Meeting (PALM) alongside Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda in May. Customarily the chair of the Pacific Islands Forum – which this year is New Zealand – will co-chair PALM with the Japanese prime minister. This year, however, the Cook Islands has been afforded that […]
Diplomats renew ties before Forum
Wednesday 21 March 2012 | Published in Local
A recent spate of foreign diplomats arriving in the Cook Islands to present their credentials has members of the public wondering whether countries are rushing to establish ties with the Cook Islands before it hosts the Pacific Islands Forum in August, in an effort to be granted observer status. Foreign affairs secretary Jim Gosselin says […]
PM rallies expats to come back to Cooks
Tuesday 20 March 2012 | Published in Local
Superannuation portability, the return of young people back to the Cook Islands and building unity amongst Cook Island communities in the South Island were some of the key topics Prime Minister Henry Puna discussed when he visited with officials in New Zealand last week. His visit to Christchurch, Ashburton, Dunedin and Invercargill was one of […]
Toa must be 'out' by April 30
Tuesday 20 March 2012 | Published in Local
The court yesterday denied an application by landowners for an interim injunction against Apex Agencies in relation to its Toa Petroleum depot. Chief Justice Tom Weston heard submissions from Tim Arnold on behalf of hundreds of landowners, who are being represented by Philip Nicholas, and from New Zealand barrister Paul Dale on behalf of Apex […]
Guarantee necessary
Monday 19 March 2012 | Published in Local
Tourism officials expect the Los Angeles-Rarotonga flight will never make a profit for the airline operating it, meaning it will stay reliant on the government underwrite that currently guarantees its existence. However, the direct Sydney-Rarotonga flight still has a potential to become more profitable as its popularity increases and if it was used more for […]
Lawyers concerned at debtor penalty
Monday 19 March 2012 | Published in Local
Members of the community last week cautioned a select committee against endorsing the Judicature Amendment Bill in its draft form. Appointed to consider the strengths and weaknesses of the bill, the select committee was this week chaired by opposition leader Wilkie Rasmussen in chairman Henry Puna’s absence. Also on the committee are Norman George, Mona […]
CJ hears Toa case
Saturday 17 March 2012 | Published in Local
Chief Justice Tom Weston will begin hearing cases in the High Court at Avarua from Monday. He arrived in Rarotonga on Thursday, and spent all of yesterday reviewing case files. From 9am on Monday he will hear cases both civil and criminal, and will be presiding until Friday, March 30. On Monday at 9am, the […]
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