Local
Audit look into NES appointment
Wednesday 29 April 2009 | Published in Local
Thursday 23: Environment minister Ngamau Munokoa has confirmed that National Environment Service director Vaitoti Tupa was reappointed for three years from April 1. Tupa’s reappointment has now become the subject of an audit office report. Director of audit Paul Allsworth says the whole process undertaken by government since last year when Tupa’s previous contract expired […]
DPM attends ADB meeting
Wednesday 29 April 2009 | Published in Local
Tuesday 28: Minister of finance Sir Terepai Maoate left yesterday enroute for Bali, Indonesia, to attend the 42nd annual general meeting of Asian Development Bank Governors. Sir Terepai, the Cook Islands ADB Governor, is accompanied by financial secretary Sholan Ivaiti, alternate Cook Islands governor. Lady Maoate is also travelling with Sir Terepai. Under the Civil […]
$6 million more needed for games
Wednesday 29 April 2009 | Published in Local
Thursday 23: Pacific Mini Games minister Wilkie Rasmussen says another $6 million will be needed for the operating costs of the event. Rasmussen says the total operating costs are still expected to reach $9 million. The minister says there is likely to be a fourth supplementary budget tabled within the next month to allocate more […]
Peua meets with CIP
Wednesday 29 April 2009 | Published in Local
Tuesday 28: It appears that the Pukapuka-Nassau MP’s future may lie in the hands of the opposition Cook Islands Party. Vai Peua met with the CIP caucus yesterday afternoon but it appears that talks had stalled around 3.30pm. Earlier in the day, opposition leader Tom Marsters confirmed that Peua would be at the centre of […]
DPM to spend $12,000 on shelf claim ceremony
Wednesday 29 April 2009 | Published in Local
Thursday 23: Approved sum was not spent in New York, say DPM’s office The office of deputy prime minister Sir Terepai Maoate says that $23,680 was spent on the minister’s delegation to carry out the country’s extension to its continental shelf claim handover in New York this month. And in a press release issued on […]
Fuel price increases in Aitutaki
Wednesday 22 April 2009 | Published in Local
Wednesday 22: A new fuel price order has been issued for Aitutaki only – the first in almost 10 months. Retail customers on Aitutaki can expect to pay no more than $2.80 per litre for petrol (up from $2.45) and $2.70 for a litre of diesel ($2.32). The price order took effect yesterday. – MM
DPM criticised over UN meeting
Wednesday 22 April 2009 | Published in Local
Friday 17: The deputy prime minister Sir Terepai Maoate has already come under attack over his travel to New York for the lodging of the Cook Islands’ submission for its extended continental shelf claim. And it looks like a case of sour grapes has caused the criticism being levelled at him. The country’s claim was […]
Safer insecticide being sprayed
Wednesday 22 April 2009 | Published in Local
Wednesday 22: Public health has advised Cook Islands News it no longer uses the insecticide known as reslin to spray for mosquitoes. This week the ministry of health has carried out spraying of pyrethrum insecticide in vaka Puaikura. The ministry now uses pyrethrum after concerns about the environmental effects of Reslin were raised with it […]
Keen interest in tourism awards
Wednesday 22 April 2009 | Published in Local
Thursday 16: More than 40 local tourism operators are expected to be entered in the inaugural 2009 Air New Zealand Cook Islands Tourism Awards when entries close tomorrow. Tourism Industry Council awards chair Steve Lyon says that in a phone survey last week of tourism based operators, about 50 companies indicated they would submit entries […]
DPM gets new portfolio
Wednesday 22 April 2009 | Published in Local
Wednesday 22: Cabinet has increased deputy prime minister Sir Terepai Maoate’s number of portfolios by making him the minister of minerals, natural resources and mines. He now has around 14 portfolios – almost twice that of prime minister Jim Marurai. The rather ambiguous new portfolio, according to Sir Terepai’s office relates to his responsibilities relating […]
PM attends Flag Day in Pago Pago
Wednesday 22 April 2009 | Published in Local
Thursday 16: Prime Minister Jim Marurai is currently in Pago Pago, American Samoa, attending their Flag Day celebrations. Marurai was invited by Governor Togiola Tulafono to attend the celebrations – the first time the PM has accepted after four successive invites. American Samoa marks the raising of the United States flag on the island of […]
Games organisers wait for coral removal reports
Wednesday 22 April 2009 | Published in Local
Wednesday 22: Pacific Mini Games CEO Mac Mokoroa says the proposal to remove coral from Muri lagoon for an oe vaka course is still on hold while environmental reports are being completed. Mokoroa told Radio New Zealand International earlier this month that around eight coral outcrops could be removed and replanted in other parts of […]
Rasmussen condemns gagging of Fiji media
Wednesday 22 April 2009 | Published in Local
Thursday 16: Foreign affairs and immigration minister Wilkie Rasmussen says he expects Pacific Forum members to respond with one voice on developments in Fiji. “The prime minister is presently overseas, but I am in touch with his office,” says Rasmussen in a media statement. “The chairman of the Forum, the premier of Niue, Toke Talagi, […]
Spraying begins in Puaikura
Wednesday 22 April 2009 | Published in Local
Tuesday 21: A public health team has begun spraying Reslin around the vaka Puaikura area this week in an attempt to combat the growing number of dengue cases there. While the ministry of health has not been able to confirm the outbreak of the mosquito-borne disease because it is still waiting for lab results, the […]
Shipping situation hots up
Wednesday 22 April 2009 | Published in Local
Thursday 16: The competition between the two rival shipping companies, Pacific Forum Line and Reef Shipping, is picking up with both releasing schedules for the next few months. Reef’s Southern Tiare voyage 080 is scheduled to leave Auckland on May 4 for Rarotonga but no approval has been granted to the ship as yet. Niue […]
Market to open on ANZAC Day
Wednesday 22 April 2009 | Published in Local
Tuesday 21: The Punanga Nui market will open this Saturday, despite it being ANZAC Day. ANZAC Day is deemed a public holiday however secretary of internal affairs Tamarii Tutangata says that there is no rule against stores opening on the day. Punanga Nui market manager Elmah McBirney confirmed that the market place will be open […]
Sir Geoffrey new CISNOC head
Wednesday 22 April 2009 | Published in Local
Thursday 16: Former prime minister Sir Geoffrey Henry said that he agonised over the decision to stand against Tiki Matapo at the Cook Islands Sports & National Olympic Committee annual general meeting on Tuesday night. “Tiki and I are good mates from way back,” said Sir Geoffrey after being voted in as the new president. […]
DPM defends UN trip for continental shelf claim
Wednesday 22 April 2009 | Published in Local
Tuesday 21: Cabinet asked for $12,000 for entertainment and gifts Deputy prime minister Sir Terepai has defended the spending of the reported $30,000 for his delegation to undertake the country’s extension to its continental shelf claim handover in New York. Growing criticism of the meeting at the United Nations headquarters last week includes concern that […]
Fuel order for Raro
Wednesday 22 April 2009 | Published in Local
Monday 20: The latest fuel price order for Triad Pacific applies to all islands except Aitutaki. The order which appeared in last Saturday’s paper mistakenly inserted Aitutaki instead of Rarotonga in the advertisement. The maximum retail petrol price for Triad in Rarotonga is set to go up seven cents to $2.14 a litre as of […]
Health appeals for return of waste bin
Wednesday 22 April 2009 | Published in Local
Monday 20: The ministry of health is appealing for the return of a yellow bio-medical waste bin taken from outside the hospital maternity ward this month. The ministry’s maintenance manager Craig Miller says the bright yellow wheelie bin is an expensive one of a kind medical bin and has a code written on the side […]