Niue drops judge’s six monthly visit because of lack of money

Posted at 12:15 on 10 March, 2007

Niue’s ongoing financial problems have meant the planned visit next month by the island’s chief justice, New Zealand judge Heta Hingston, has been delayed.

The secretary of justice, Tongia Sioneholo, says they hope there will be enough funding in the new financial year to allow judge Hingston to visit in September or October.

The chief justice hears civil, criminal and land court matters, including appeals, within the Niue jurisdiction.

Mr Sioneholo says they had budgetted for the costs of Mr Hingston visiting but this amount was cut back by parliament.

The island has been under severe financial pressure for several months and last month government spending was reduced across the board, including a ten percent cut in salaries for all workers.

Niue close to getting fully restored power supply

A New Zealand government official says Niue is close to getting a fully restored reliable power supply.

The island has been experiencing lengthy outages this week after the failure of one of its two diesel generators.

The general manager of Niue Power, Speedo Hetutu, says their normal complement of generators is four, but they have been short two machines since a devastating fire at the island’s power station last June.

David Patton, who heads the New Zealand ministry of foreign affairs special relationship unit for Niue, says New Zealand, the main aid provider, has almost completed a refit of the station aimed at ensuring such a fire is not replicated.

“So a huge amount of work needs to be put into that and we are just at the stage where Niue will get not only a completely refitted power station, but they will get all the switching gear, they’ll get all the transformers and distribution systems to make sure all of the people on that island have power as and when it is needed.”

Next week the joint consultative group, comprised of New Zealand and Niuean officials, is to meet over several days in Wellington.

Vote of no confidence in Niue fails to dislodge government of Young Vivian

Posted at 09:39 on 09 March, 2007

The premier of Niue, Young Vivian, has easily withstood a vote of no confidence, winning 12 votes to 7.

An opposition MP, Terry Coe, had brought the motion saying years of economic mismanagement was the fault of successive governments and a new approach was needed.

Last month, the government agreed to cut workers salaries by ten percent as it struggled with a budget blowout and Mr Vivian says he believes this will ease the island’s financial problems.

Next week he is to bring a delegation for discussions with the New Zealand government where the prioritising of aid spending is expected to be discussed.

This comes as the country tries to cope with ongoing power outages after the failure of one of two diesel generators.

The Niue works minister, Fisa Pihigia, says New Zealand needs to move more quickly to get a promised third generator to the island.

Niue premier calls for private debts to be settled

Niue premier calls for private debts to be settled

The premier of Niue, Young Vivian, has called for residents to pay back more than two million US dollars he says they owe the government.

Mr Vivian is facing a vote of no confidence over a financial crisis which last month saw salaries for public servants reduced by ten percent, as well as cuts in other government expenditure.

Mr Vivian says the island’s plight would be further eased if residents paid for the assistance they hve received from the government over the years.

“For houses, for use of government machinery, for the use of television and broadcasting, for discing or ploughing agricultural land, for delivering containers from the wharf to the villages - all those things.”

Mr Vivian says the vote of no confidence on March 7th is a distraction but he says if people recognise the need to work to together he will survive.

More power outages on Niue

New Zealand is being called on to quickly sort out delays in getting a power generator to Niue where there are lengthy power outages.

The island, which experienced a major fire at its power plant last year, is suffering power cuts every day after one of the two diesel generators broke down.

Niue Power’s general manager Speedo Hetutu, says the island has in the past had four generators while the minister of public works, Fisa Pihigia, says New Zealand needs to sort out the red tape which appears to be delaying a third generator being sent.

He says he has made the government’s concerns clear to New Zealand.

I have spoken very frankly to the New Zealand High Commissioner last Friday, pointing out to him that we can continue on like this and that New Zealand has to make a decision very quickly to avoid future faulty in any one of those two generators we have at the moment.

Niue Government To Face No Confidence Motion

Thursday: March 01, 2007

Niue's government is to face a vote of no confidence this week brought by opposition MP Terry Cole. Cole says the cabinet has been mismanging Niue's finances for years.
The country has recently cut all public servants salaries by ten percent and placed freezes on other spending in a bid to stave off economic ruin.

The vote was scheduled for yesterday March 7th.

Pay Cuts Ahead For Niue MPs

Niue Premier Young Vivian says the salaries of parliamentarians are likely to be cut to match planned reductions in the income of public servants as the country faces a budgeting crisis.

With nearly half the financial year to run, Niue is already facing a shortfall of around US$1 million.

The government has proposed that public servants work a four-day week and Mr Vivian says he has been meeting with departmental heads to develop a policy for this.

He says the final decision on the cuts will rest with Parliament.

Mr Vivian says workers in key services such as the health department, police and education department will not be affected.

Pacific Islands 'worst in world for obesity'

Pacific Island nations have the most overweight people in the world, according to the most recent estimates by the World Health Organisation (WHO).

Eight out of the ten of the "fattest" countries are in the Pacific, the research found.

The top four - Nauru, Micronesia, the Cook Islands and Tonga - all have more than 90 per cent of their population defined as overweight.

A report published in Forbes magazine said increased Western imports and a significant change in diet due to closer economic ties with the US and New Zealand were partly to blame.

Other reasons given for the region's high obesity rates include a reliance on fatty, nutrient-poor imported foods and a decrease in the amount of physical labour.

"Obesity has become a problem of poverty," said Daniel Epstein of the WHO Regional Office of Americas. "Poor people have an easier time of eating junk food. People fill up on things that have a high caloric value but little nutritional value."

There is better news for New Zealand, which ranks number 17 in the world with an estimated 68 per cent of the population being classed as overweight - four places ahead of Australia.

WHO define anyone over the age of 15 with a body mass index (BMI) greater than or equal to 25 as overweight and a BMI equal or greater than 30 as obese.

How they rank:

TOP 10

1. Nauru, 94.5 per cent of population overweight
2. Federated States of Micronesia, 91.1 per cent
3. Cook Islands, 90.9 per cent
4. Tonga, 90.8 per cent
5. Niue, 81.7 per cent
6. Samoa, 80.4 per cent
7. Palau,78.4 per cent
8. Kuwait, 74.2 per cent
9. United States, 74.1 per cent
10. Kiribati, 73.6 per cent

FUEMANA TRIBUTE

I was lucky enough to go to this show and throughly enjoyed it. Not just the music but also the atmosphere. The Fuemana family are not ashamed to be "Niuean" and "Maori" and I was proud to share this tribute show with them.

I found it hard to believe that "Soul On The Rock" was self funded until I saw all the work that took place on the 4th March just for a family member.

I had time to talk to Tony Fuemana who is very big! I tried to ask him questions about the night and "Why" he did "SOTR" and he simply said "We did it for Niue & we did it to say thanks to Niue for giving us our dad"

As for the night he said " yes it cost a lot of money...but this was for our family and friends to say thanks to my brother"

I wish him good luck for the future.

Niue Tag

A belated congratulations to the Niue Tag team at the world champs in Auckland a couple of weekends back.
Congratulations to John Sekene and Mary Aue and all the other coaches, trainers, support crews and players for flying the flag.

FUEMANA TRIBUTE

FUEMANA TRIBUTE HEARS HOW PHIL LITERALLY HELPED ARTISTS FIND THEIR FEET

Date: 5 March 2007

Stories, known and unknown about musician Phil Fuemana, came out last night at the tribute to his life and contribution to New Zealand music.

About two hundred people were at the Manukau Telstra Centre to celebrate with Phil's whanau, his life.

And some inspiring stories were shared by performers and family, including ex-True Bliss Carly Binding who told of how she lived in Otara's Velvet Cres with the Fuemana's.

Auckland DJ, BIg D, also related how Phil helped him fit in to the Big Smoke by helping literally find his feet.

Tony Fuemana, Phil's brother, says all of the peformrers took part becuase of their connections with Phil.

Sister Christina Fuemana, was relieved it came to fruition nicely yesterday.

Christina says it was important for her and the family that they honour their brother and says Phil would've wanted for the family to move on positively... though they are still grieving.

NIUE OPPOSITION MPS CHALLENGED ABOUT NO CONFIDENCE VOTE

NIUE OPPOSITION MPS CHALLENGED ABOUT NO CONFIDENCE VOTE

Date: 5 March 2007

The Opposition Party in Niue says they don't want to create any more turmoil but believe that the level of mismanagement warrants challenge.

MP Terry Coe says there's a lot of inconsistencies and incompetence, which is behind the current problems, including the million dollar budget blowout.

Observers are watching with interest and reckon Vivian should get the numbers to survive the challenge.

The manager for Broadcasting Niue, Patrick Lino, told Pacific Radio News, at this stage the outcome is anyone's guess.

To keep the top job, Young Vivian will have to have a majority of 11 votes to nine in the house of twenty MPs.

If the no-confidence vote succeeds then the Premier will have five days to decide whether to resign or dissolve parliament and hold an election.

The vote will be taken Thursday New Zealand time.

NIUEAN ARTIST GRAPPLES WITH STORY OF POPULATION DECLINE

NIUEAN ARTIST GRAPPLES WITH STORY OF POPULATION DECLINE

Date: 1 March 2007

Niuean artist Glenda Vilisoni admits it's hard to potray complex issues like population decline in visual art. But it's a challenge the Auckland artist has taken on board.

But it's a challenge the Auckland artist has taken on board.

Her newest exhibition, Bloodlines and Reconnections, focuses on her ties to Niue and acts as a social commentary of Niue's fast declining numbers.

Glenda has put together the 6 pieces which are now on display at the Fresh Gallery in Otara.

And with the bold painting, and text she uses in her works, she hopes to get her messages across.

Glenda says while elements of her Niuean culture are always prevalent in her work, she hasn't been averse to using more modern images too.

There are six pieces on Exhibition till March 17th, and Glenda says she did a bit of recycling to get the works together.

NIUE PREMIER TAKES 'WAIT AND SEE' APPROACH TO CULT CLAIMS

NIUE PREMIER TAKES 'WAIT AND SEE' APPROACH TO CULT CLAIMS

Date: 28 February 2007

The Premier of Niue's being challenged about his "easy going attitude" towards a team of investors locals believe are trying to establish a cult on the island.

The group, believed to be the Maha Devi Ascension Movement, were in Samoa a few years back but were sent packing after living at the Sinalei Resort in Apia for at least a year.

They're now staying at the Matavai Resort in Alofi where they've been for some months, operating under the name Ananda Health Resort, saying they want to build health resorts on the Island.

Premier Young Vivian says he's aware of the cult allegations but says he owes it to the group to discuss their plans with them.

Niue's in dire straits at the moment and has been looking for investors for some time.

But the Government is having to cut the pay of civil servants instead.

Young Vivian says everyone's going to have to tighten their belt. four-day one.

NIUE GOVT U-TURNS ON CONTROVERSIAL PAY CUT

NIUE GOVT U-TURNS ON CONTROVERSIAL PAY CUT

Date: 23 February 2007

The Niue Government has gone back on its original plan of taking a twenty per cent cut from the salaries of public servants.

The new agreement will now see cuts to the MPs salaries and village councils grants being halved.

The changes come after an outcry over earlier plans to reduce the hours of some public servants by 20 percent.

Finance Minister Fisa Pihigia says civil servants may now only lose a few hours each day and that MPs will also take a cut.

The PSA's given Government a list of options to consider to avoid public servants being penalised for the one million dollar shortfall.

Charlene Tuki uha, from the PSA, says one of the options was for Ministers to take a pay cut and for Government to stop grants to Ekalesia pastors.

Tukiuha says Cabinet came back with a new ten percent cut for all public servants but stopped short of cutting their own pays.

Pacific Radio News reporter, Ken Makaola, has been following the story and details here a summary of how it all began.

FIRE STRUCK NIUEAN FAMILY TWICE

FIRE STRUCK NIUEAN FAMILY TWICE

Date: 23 February 2007

A Niuean mother of five has today spoken about the nightmare second fire she and her five children have experienced in nine years.

Isobel Noue and her children were at home when the fire broke out on her back porch house in May Rd and it was thanks to her 16-year-old daughter smelling smoke that they got out.

The Mt Roskill mother says the alarm hadn't gone off because the fire had crept through the roof, so it hadn't been picked up.

Isobel and her children, the youngest is four, have only just got themselves together since the first fire.

That fire was also in Mt Roskill and was started by one of the kids playing with a lighter their boarder had left lying around.

Isobel says if it wasn't for her daughter going to the kitchen to get a drink of water, they wouldn't have spotted the fire on the back porch.

NIUE MUST SURVIVE: WINSTON PETERS

NIUE MUST SURVIVE: WINSTON PETERS

Date: 19 February 2007

The aim is to make Niue survive on its own. That's the word from New Zealand's Minister of Foreign Affairs, who told Pacific Radio News we can't afford to interfere with Niue's internal affairs.

Peters says he supports the action Premier Young Vivian and his Cabinet are taking to save money.

Peters says he'd like to see more business ventures in Niue, which would help generate jobs.

He also told us that New Zealand has worked hard to secure a future for Niue and that locals enjoy things like superanuation thanks to that commitment.

The Niue Government wants civil servants to work four days instead of five but workers say they're already struggling to survive.

Pressure from the PSA may now have forced the Government to review the four-day week. It's understood Cabinet is now looking at saving costs across all sectors.

The Government is the biggest employer on the island with 450 locals signed up as civil servants.

NIUE WASTED MONEY ON TRIPS

NIUE WASTED MONEY ON TRIPS

Date: 9 February 2007

The National Party spokesperson on Pacific Affairs says the administration of Niue has focused on things that it shouldn't have.

John Hayes says leaders have gone off on meetings around the world that are irrelevant to Niue and expensive, eating up money that would've been better spent elsewhere.

He says leaders have happily claimed per diems and the whole exercise of attending international meetings have been costly.

And there's growing protest at the Niue Government's decision to cut the pay of public servants by making their week a four-day one. Government hopes to save at least $150,000.

The PSA says their members aren't happy. Shane Tovaka says the pay cuts are unexpected and that locals will miss the money.

NIUE PSA SET TO CHALLENGE FOUR-DAY WEEK

NIUE PSA SET TO CHALLENGE FOUR-DAY WEEK

Date: 9 February 2007

The Niue Government may have a fight on its hand if public servants decide they can't live with the four-day week Cabinet this week approved.

The bulk of the island's 450 public servants have been put on fewer hous in a bid to salvage a budget shortfall of more than a million dollars.

But anger's growing and there's talk of a rally tomorrow at the Fale Fono.

Shane Tovaka, a PSA member and broadcaster, says the cuts are unexpected and workers have not budgeted for losing as much as a hundred dollars a week, in some cases.

But not everyone's unhappy about the new plan. Mark Cross, the interim chairman for Niue's Chamber of Commerce, says many workers were doing four-day weeks anyway.

Niue's finance minister, Fisa Pihigia, says they had no choice.

PREMIER WAITING TO MEET MYSTERY RESORT GROUP

PREMIER WAITING TO MEET MYSTERY RESORT GROUP

Date: 8 February 2007

Niue's premier is waiting to hook up with a Hong Kong based group regarding a multi-million dollar health resort deal.

The team driving the idea have been on the island for some time and are apparently ready to make good on their promise of investing in the cash strapped economy.

Young Vivian says he doesn't know too much about Maha Devi but has been told a private jet will fly him to meet their boss.

The premier was earlier hopeful that a Malaysian company would set up a logging operation and an Australian mining team would find uranium. The two men behind the uranium project are now being investigated for alleged insider trading.

The fortunes of Niue have been slipping for some time and the Government has been looking for ways to secure aid or to bring investments to the island and its 1200 people.

Several locals have poured scorn on the latest venture, claiming the group is really wanting to set up a spiritual retreat.

Locals told Pacific Radio News they've seen website stories on Maha Devi, and that they're not confident about the proposal.

A former premier, Sani Lakatani, has also today expressed concern at how naive the Niue Government has been with entrepreneurs.

Lakatani says he, too, was approached with a number of "get rich quick deals" and that he learnt to be cynical about those knocking on his door.

The local contact for the resort team wouldn't be named but says malice is behind the emails circulating about them.

NIUE LOCALS WIRED OVER POWER CUTS

NIUE LOCALS WIRED OVER POWER CUTS

Date: 1 February 2007

Locals in Niue are crying "enough is enough" after having to go without water and power in the latest outages.

Gloria Talagi, who lives in one of the outer villages, says those in the capital are better off than them.

Niue has been having power cuts since the island's only powerstation was burnt last year.

New Zealand sent a generator up to help out but local officials say it's not enough to meet the needs of the whole Island 24/7.

Today, local businesswoman and Opposition MP, Tauveve Jacobsen, told NiuFM that she blamed, in part, the Helen Clark administration for the power cuts.

Niue's premier, Young Vivivan, was trying to calm locals, saying a generator is on the way and that people just have to hang in there.

REEF SHIPPING IN THE GUN OVER NIUEAN ROCK GIFT

REEF SHIPPING IN THE GUN OVER NIUEAN ROCK GIFT

Date: 26 January 2007

Controversy's broken out over Reef Shipping taking a large piece of indigenous rock from Niue and gifting it to a naturopathy school.

A local family is claiming the rock was taken from their ancestral land and that while the Government today uses the land as a quarry, they are the rightful owners of the land and therefore the Makasea.

Julie Talagi says they only heard of the Makasea ... a large, waist high piece of coral rock that is only found on Niue...being gifted to the school after it was outed last year at a special show day. (listen)

The South Pacific School of Natural Therapy presented the Reef's "gift" to the Niuean community, among others and word quickly spread back to Niue, where discussion unfolded over where the Makasea came from and who had given permission for it to be taken.

Talagi says she wrote to Reef's general manager Phil McNicolls alerting them to their concerns and so did her father who told the company they had effectively stolen the rock.

She says the family are concerned Reef failed to realise the cultural protocol invovled. She says they wouldn't have been able to do what they did anywhere else in the world

REEF SHIPPING ACCUSED OF 'HELPING ITSELF' TO TAONGA NIUE

REEF SHIPPING ACCUSED OF 'HELPING ITSELF' TO TAONGA NIUE

Date: 26 January 2007

The Kiwi company, Reef Shipping, has today defended its decision to bring to New Zealand a large piece of indigenous rock (Makasea) from Niue.

The actions of the company, who has business interests in Niue, has led to some locals saying it helped itself to Taonga Niue.

The large piece of Makasea ... white rock that's found only on Niue and which locals used to pave the roads with before they were tar sealed ... was today gifted by Reef to a naturopathy school in Ellerslie, Auckland.

Kieron Gilpin, group general manager for Reef, says they didn't mean to offend locals and that they got the rock from the Government Quarry, in Alofi, where a crew had been dynamiting.

Gilpin says the idea of gifting the rock to the South Pacific School of Natural Therapy came up when one of their managers was talking to the school and they mentioned they wanted something Pacific for their grounds.

He says they promised the school they'd get them something from Niue.

Gilpin says they had asked the crew working at the quarry if they could take the rock away with them and were told "yes." They later told the Niue Government, who assured them it was okay.

A family on the island has, however, has accused Reef of "stealing", saying the land in question has only been leased to the Government and that in effect, the rock belongs to them.

Julie Talagi, who emailed the company, says the Makasea is a national heritage and that in other countries, including New Zealand, Reef would not have been able to do what it did.

NIUE PREMIER: AUSSIE MINING TEAM LEFT US HIGH AND DRY

NIUE PREMIER: AUSSIE MINING TEAM LEFT US HIGH AND DRY

Date: 25 January 2007

The premier of Niue has today lashed out at the two Australian businessmen who convinced him that the island was rich with mineral deposits.

Young Vivian says the entrepreneurs raised the expectations of locals and if they're proven to have done wrong, then they deserve to be punished.

More stories emerged today about the various mining teams and excavators who've made their way to the coral atoll in pursuit of minerals in the last two decades.

The two Australians caught up in this investigation did their report in 2005 and were up in Niue "drilling test sites" last year.

There was a lot of excitement locally and internationally as the thought of wealth was held up under the noses of locals.

Today, a former premier, Sani Lakatani, told NiuFm other mining teams came knocking on his door with "get rich mineral stories" as well.

Lakatani says Niue is seen as a Banana Republic and that its leaders need to be careful about the advice given to them.

The former premier says the mineral stories go back to the seventies when they were first drilling for water and when a geologist told locals there was a high chance Niue could yield gold and silver and other minerals.

Lakatani says a geologist at that time did some preliminary drilling and told him he needed six hundred thousand dollars to complete his tests to prove conclusively there were minerals to be found.

Young Vivian says he received sound advice and that despite the current controversy he still believes that there's untapped wealth under Niue soil.

PREMIER CONVINCED URANIUM EXISTS ON NIUE DESPITE SCAM CLAIM

PREMIER CONVINCED URANIUM EXISTS ON NIUE DESPITE SCAM CLAIM

Date: 24 January 2007

Reports coming out of Australia today about two businessman misleading the public over uranium deposits on Niue have failed to sway premier Young Vivian.

Vivian believes there are deposits of minerals on the atoll.

Uranium stories have been around for years and most Niueans heard them prior to the Australian report which led to the most recent frenzy over it.

Young Vivian says he put faith in the Yamarna Goldfields Report which led to the company taking an 80 per cent stake in a project that was tipped to harvest huge amounts of the prized mineral.

The 2005 report created a sensation coming as it did as the uranium frenzy was gathering pace, with Yamarna doing fantastic business the day it was released.

Locals on the island were suddenly spurred into excitement, too, at the prospect of economic prosperity with Young Vivian suddenly ditching plans to lure Niueans home.

Vivian had been urging the 20,000 strong New Zealand-based community to return to live and help restore the island to its former glory.

The Australian Securities and Investments Commission now says the uranium claims were unfounded and is accusing the businessmen of insider trading and misuse of information.

Vivian says he's happy to hear of the investigation but admits he hasn't given up on the island yielding mineral deposits

NIUE COACH ANGRY AT IRB DUMPING THEM FROM WELLINGTON SEVENS

NIUE COACH ANGRY AT IRB DUMPING THEM FROM WELLINGTON SEVENS

Date: 10 January 2007

Niue's been dumped from the calendar event, the Wellington Sevens, and team officials are ticked off at the IRB decision.

Coach Rick Tagelagi says he's not sure why they've been dropped from next month's showcase event but says they're not happy.

The island nation had a lot of trouble getting to the Commonwealth Games last year in Melbourne, thanks to in-house bickering over who should choose the team - the coach or rugby officials.

By the time the drama was over, there was talk of a law suit and the team had suffered. Morale was low as the players became divided and several failed to make it to Melbourne.

Rick Tagelagi, the head coach, didn't turn up either and Niue's on-field performance was shabby.

Today, no one was admitting the controversy was behind the IRB decision. Toke Talagi, from the Niue Rugby Union, did agree, though, that it's not a good look for The Rock.

Rick Tagelagi says a lot of fans will be disappointed as Niue has been the under dog team to watch.

Niue has been playing in the Sevens for five years now and has made two Bowl semi-finals and won the Bowl two years ago.