PACIFIC – The New Zealand government is looking at its pension rules to see if New Zealanders living in Niue and Cook Islands can access payments.

Niue Premier Toke Talagi raised concerns with Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern during her visit there, saying too many people were leaving for New Zealand so they could receive superannuation.

While on Niue, Ardern announced nearly $750,000 for improvements to Niue’s roads and water as well as a further $5 million for a solar energy programme.

“It will help Niue achieve its goal of becoming 80 per cent renewable by 2025,” she said.

Premier Talagi also spoke of Niue’s population which has only started to stabilise after decades of shrinking.

In Niue many teenagers leave for university overseas – particularly in New Zealand – and never return. This is reflected in the statistics – roughly 24,000 Niueans live in New Zealand with only 1500 residents remaining on the single island nation.

The principal of Niue School Charles Ioane said the country needed to provide more incentives for Niueans to return.

“Obviously with the population that we have, we can’t do much for long. So it’s really important that the youth come back,” he said.

Ardern said she was sympathetic as many countries in the Pacific struggled with that problem.

“In different ways, New Zealand has had this debate before in reference to the brain drain.

“Every small island nation of course wants to make sure they hold on to their young people, their best and brightest,” she said.

Premier Talagi said one way to keep people in the country was to address the pension.

At the moment anyone wanting to access superannuation had to be living in New Zealand for at least five years – despite Niueans being New Zealand citizens.

“We are New Zealand citizens, we are part of the realm, as a consequence of this there needs to be a discussion around what defines that,” Talagi said.

Ardern said work was being done around pension portability, but wouldn’t give away any details or say when an announcement would be made.

There was a special welcoming committee on hand to greet the Prime Minister in Niue on Tuesday – and it wasn’t the local dancers or a military band, but her entire family.

Ross Ardern, New Zealand’s High Commissioner to Niue, came aboard the Prime Minister’s plane and welcomed his daughter to the island.

Inside the terminal, the family reunion continued with hugs from her niece and sister Louise. They flew all the way to Niue from Europe, making it the first time in four years the family’s been reunited.

The tiny Pacific island is Ardern’s second home – her mum and dad have been living there since 2014.

Ardern and her 60-strong cross-party delegation left Niue for Tonga, where the focus was to be on the damage from Cyclone Gita. - RNZI/PNC