Press Release Page

Pig Production and locally available Feedstuff Workshop












 

The workshop, organised by DAFF staff Mr Tom Tamatoa, attracted about 36 locals who are interested in pig production management. Mt Frank Moog, a consultant from FAO who has been here for a week was the principal speaker.

Today’s session focussed mainly on the management of pigs in farrow [birthing ] and after farrowing care by owners, which covered a wide range of activities from feeding and the feedstuffs that are available locally, as well as the constructing of pens to house the animals.

One of the participants was particularly interested in the Bio-Gas production which if harnessed and used like other communities in the Pacific would help reduce electricity costs in cooking and heating water.  

Mr Moog’s power point presentation was thorough enough to satisfy most of the participants judging by the few questions that arose out of the workshop. 

In Falefono this week:

Hon Pokotoa Sipeli is taking over from Hon Va’aiga Tukuitonga who is in Rarotonga this week on a Pacific Women in Parliament convention. 

Hon Kupa Magatogia replaces Hon Fisa Pihigia who is Acting Premier. Hon Magatogia will assume Premier Vivian’s portfolio responsibilities while Hon Pihigia retains his own. 

Policy Advisor Michael Wearne was away on leave last week and Mr Leo Tukuitonga [local counterpart to Mr Wearne] was also on leave.

Ms Julie Talagi is working on the pacific Plan Project and is attached to the Department of External Affairs. Julie will begin her term here at Falefono next month. Welcome Julie!

Cabinet Meeting 19 April 2006 

Endorsed or Approved: 

·        Ms Jay Eveni has been appointed Policy Analyst in the Niue Public Service Commission Office when she starts working as soon as she has completed her studies.  

·        Isaia Vakatau has been granted parole so that he could help his family at home. Acting Minister for Justice, Lands and Survey and the Secretary for the same Department had both approved the recommendation

Travel: 

·        Mrs Wennie Salatielu and Mr John Tiakia will be attending a Pacific Public Sector Leadership Programme in Nadi, from April 25-5th May. Funded by the Pacific Governance Support Programme. 

·        Premier Vivian and his Private Secretary to attend the 4^th Japan-Pacific Islands Summit Meeting in Okinawa, Japan from 25-27 May. Funding by the  Japanese Government 

·        A large contingent comprising of: Mr Robin Hekau, Mr Hubert Kalauni, Ms Norma Palana, Mrs Ligimanogi Mitikea and Ms Emeline Laufoli will attend a Capacity Building Workshop for Natural and Cultural Heritage Professionals from April 24-28 in Apia Samoa. Fully funded by Apia UNESCO Office.

Reports: 

·        From Ms Charlene Tukiuha after attending a Commonwealth Regional Youth Programme in Nuku’alofa, Tonga in March. Ms Tukiuha’s Report is noted. 

·        A REEP [Renewable Energy and Efficiency Project] report from Mr Speedo who attended the Workshop in February. Cabinet has asked the Minister concerned for special attention paid to this project in view of rising fuel costs and to remind their Departments of the need to switch off appliances and lights in their offices before going home or those that are not being used during the day. 

Information Papers only. 

·        From the President of NIUANGO has notified Cabinet of the new Committee that convened earlier this month. A formal Cabinet submission has yet to be presented to Cabinet. The new Committee is comprised of :

Ahohiva Levi                        President

Rev Hawea Jackson             Vice President

Members:

AT Puleoti

Mrs Fou Talagi

Sioneheke Leolahi

Graham Marsh

Mrs Fakaula Funaki

Robin Hekau

Ex Officio: 

Mr Fa’apoi  Akesi

Representative from the Community Affairs Office

Forum Task Force Committee: 

In anticipation of Niue being able to host the 2007 Pacific Islands Forum, a 22 member Task Force Committee has been selected, to be chaired by Premier Vivian. 

It is intended that the core members only will meet regularly until the last six months when all members will be expected to attend all meetings.

CABINET MEETING [Wednesday 27^th April

Endorsed or Approved: 

·        A Code of Conduct for the Niue Public Service has been approved. Cabinet suggested that a copy be made available for all members to read. 

·        A submission from the Police Department to release Joeli Tuana on parole was defered. 

·        Cabinet has endorsed a request from the Administrative Services for Computer equipment, and suggesting instead to wait for the new financial year allocations. 

·        Approved the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling and Use of Chemical Weapons on their Destruction 2006 Bill. 

·        Cabinet has noted the appointment of Dalton Tagelagi and Harris Ikitule to the vacant positions of Rescue Fireman at the Civil Aviation Department. 

·        A request from the Climate Change Project to purchase a Desktop computer, a Laptop computer a printer and scanner has been approved. Climate Change has its own project funds available for this equipment. 

·        Endorsed and approved the Report on the Groundwater Resource Investigation on Niue.

Travel on Government Business: 

·        Sergeant Edwards and Dennis Viviani are to attend at the Maritime Accident Investigation and Port Security Workshop to be held in Suva, from 1-5^th May. Fully funded by the Secretariat of the Pacific Community. 

·        Ms Tagaloa cooper, Ms Sharon Eveni and Ms Teriann Mokoia to attend the GEF NCSA Regional Workshop in Apia from May1-4. Fully funded by UNDP 

·        Ms Josie Tamate [Economic Advisor] is to attend a National Sustainable Development Strategies Workshop in New York, from 4-5 May. Funded by GEF. Cabinet declined Mrs Gloria Talagi-Lines’ attendance. 

·        Mr Sionetasi Pulehetoa is to attend the 14^th Session of Regional Association V [South West Pacific] in Adelaide from 6-16 May. Funded by WMO 

·        Mr Sionetasi Pulehetoa to attend the 11^th Session of the Regional Association V Tropical Cyclone Committee, also in Adelaide from 4-8 may. This a back to back meetings which happened to be in the same vicinity. Funded by WMO 

·        Mr S Hetutu and Robert Togiamana are to attend the 21^st Session of the Intergovernmental Co-ordination Group for the Pacific Tsunami Warning and Mitigation System from 1-5 in Melbourne, Australia. Funded by the Australian Bureau of Meteorology.  

 Heads of Department Meeting 270406

Premier Vivian presented the HODs with a summary of the Cabinet meeting held this wee on Wednesday, 26^th April:

• Cabinet Approves Niue Public Service Commission Code of Conduct Document for its Public Service.

Cabinet Ministers during this week’s meeting have unanimously approved the Niue Pubic Service Code of Conduct Document to be made available to all members of its Public Service.

“It is very important that every member of your staff is aware that such a document exists,” Premier Vivian suggested to the Heads of Departments this afternoon. “We must go back to basics and adhere to things like punctuality, honesty in taking lunch and tea breaks, signing in of time sheets/books for example, but more important is for the Heads of their own departments to lead from the front.”

The Code of Conduct Document exists for every major organisation that provides rules of conduct and behaviour as a member of that organisation. “Respect, loyalty, fair play and honesty are paramount if the Public Service is to become efficient and fair to those it serves,” Premier Vivian added.

• New Acting Financial Secretary for Treasury.

The Heads of Department have finally met the new Acting Financial Secretary, Mr Clark Barry, in this afternoon’s scheduled weekly meeting. Mr Barry will be here for three months to assist with the Budget preparations to follow the ‘new and improved Budgetary Proposals.

“We must all adhere to the terms of the new format for preparing budgets,” Premier Vivian told Heads of Departments, “and outcomes are to be tied to available money. These are the requirements from the New Zealand Budget Proposals that we have received, and to make sure that you are on the right track and following the rules Mr Barry is here to help but the Minister must also be consulted. Premier also informed the HODs that the appointment of the new Financial Secretary will be finalised as soon as the interviews are completed. 

[See above for the complete information regarding the Cabinet Meeting for this week]

HOD Agenda:

• Premier expressed concern over the returned Donor Fund that was not used. He suggested that in future the minister must be informed of such matters because if donors funds are refunded then it must be that we do not need them.
• Travelling public servants are to inform their respective Ministers in the future in the event that they have been invited to attend meeting or workshops overseas, BEFORE they make their travel arrangements. Last minute submissions will not be accepted in the future unless it is first cleared with the Minister concerned well before the travel date. SOG has been directed to formulate an up to date Travel Policy for Public Servants.
• Air New Zealand reported a satisfactory first six months of service to Niue. The future looks good for Niue I this respect but we need to speed up our accommodation building in anticipation of increased tourist traffic in the coming months. Niue also need to support the Fishing Industry with its agreed freight tonnage in each flight. Passengers are therefore requested to adhere to the 20kg personal luggage for each flight from Niue. A mid-week flight service was mooted as a ‘good idea’ but not until all other matters are sorted out first. The mid-week flight by Polynesian Airlines is currently presenting no real problems to Air New Zealand.

ANZAC Parade Report

HONOURING OUR WARRIOR ANCESTORS, ANZAC 2006

By Talava Tuhipa – Turner

Monu Tagaloa

 
For many people, ANZAC Day is an important day of the year to remember and honour our ancestors for the sacrifices they made, so that we would be free.

The Dawn Service has always been my preferred ANZAC service to attend.  Making the small sacrifice of sleep to stand and listen in the dark coldness and then to watch the sun rise up like hope, just as those soldiers would have seen it rise on that 25 April so long ago.  For me this reinforces the reverence of the occasion. 

This year, well before dawn, a large crowd gathered at Hikutavake for the ANZAC Service to mark the unveiling of the Hikutavake Maka Kautau (ANZAC Memorial Cenotaph).  The Maka Kautau takes a fitting and prominent place on the village green, overlooking the sea.  The cenotaph is a result of the hard work and coordinated efforts of the Hikutavake Community Abroad and Hikutavake Village Community, including the Ekalesia Hikutavake, with support from the Niue Government, NZ High Commission and the Returned Services Association.   

The Service featured speeches from a number of dignitaries including Niue Premier Misitaiagimene Vivian, NZ High Commissioner Anton Ojala, Returned Services Association representatives and Ministers of Ekalesia Niue.  The names of the brave Niue toa [warriors] who went to war were called out by their family members.  As each of the four nations’ flags were raised to half mast by Hikutavake village fuata, [youth] first Niue, then New Zealand, Australia and Great Britain, their corresponding anthems were sung in respect.  The Dawn Service ended with ANZAC breakfast hosted by the Hikutavake community, followed by a Church Service at 9am.

During the Church Service, which attracted such a large number of parishioners that extra seating was set up outside the Church, matua fifine ko Nusipia from the Niue RSA gave a rousing speech about the brave young men who went to war.  The end of the formal commemorations was marked with a huge galue, [feast] the size of which indicated the vast amount of hard work and resources invested by Hikutavake relatives, friends and supporters throughout Niue.  

What did it mean for those young Niue soldiers who left all they had ever known to travel across the world to fight a war – a war between peoples they had never met and possibly felt little connection to?  These 150 brave young men from a tiny rock in the South Pacific who traveled to a completely foreign world with foreign ways and languages to fight for peace and freedom for their Atuhau Tupuhake.

I can only imagine what it may have been like for those Niue toa who went to war.  Few of the 150 could read and write and most could not speak fluent English.  Many were teenagers; none had ever been away from Niue before.  The level of culture shock was unfathomable and would have been intensified by the reports of alleged racism they were exposed to by their own allies during their time overseas. 

Yet there was no hesitation to leave all they had ever known when the call for volunteers to fight was broadcast, by word of mouth, across the island.  The ship to carry the volunteers was berthed for four days in Alofi harbour.  Due to the time taken to spread the message, many who left had little or no chance to say their goodbyes to their families and friends.  My great grandfather, Ta Sisikefu, received the call on the fourth and final day, and knowing there was no time to spare, he ran from Mutalau down to Alofi to join the force calling out to his relatives, “Talaage ke he matua haaku kua fano tei au ke tau!” (tell my mother I have gone to war).  He was only 16 years old when he left Niue and went on to be promoted to the rank of Lance Corporal. 

My parents have always been staunch attendees of the ANZAC Day services, and I have proudly carried on this tradition.  My ancestors on both my mother’s (Hikutavake, Mutalau) and father’s (Sussex, Peritania) sides went to war. 

From my mother’s side was the unique attendance of four brothers and their nephew from the same family – Hemu, Pulu, Peni and Hipa, sons of Niuloa and Fukesifa and the nephew, Pafalaniuka, the son of the boys’ sister, Foulena.  Two of my mother’s grand uncles, Pulu and Peni, were lost during the journey from England back to Niue, causing their mother to change her name from Fukesifa to Lisiua (“throw two”) in remembrance of her beloved sons who were laid to rest at sea. 

My father’s people were among the lucky ones to return home to loving families.  With the recent death of my father, ANZAC commemorations have taken an added poignancy as a time to remember him and his passion for continuing the legacies of the soldiers who went to war.

The effects of war are never limited to the soldiers who fight in battles. We must also remember the strong women and children left behind to provide and maintain the family and the grief they encountered, like Fukesifa/Lisiua, when told their sons, partners or fathers would never return.

ANZAC Commemorations have undertaken a marked resurgence over the past few years.  Occasions such as the unveiling of Maka Kautau and other memorials, such as the cenotaph at Hikutavake, can be seen as a reflection of this. 

ANZAC is a time for Niue people to remember their ancestors and the many other brave toa who gave their hearts, and often their lives, to protect our freedom and ways of life.  It is a time for us to be thankful of our blessings, often bestowed through the sacrifices of our loved ones.  These sacrifices only have value if we continue to remember those, like these courageous Niue toa, who risked without hesitation, their own lives and dreams so we could have better lives. 

Oue tulou tau toa lekaleka Niue.

UP : Niue Ki Mua Online