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Niue's future under question12.01.2004
Foreign Affairs Minister Phil Goff has reaffirmed New Zealand's commitment to maintaining a community on Niue despite the devastation of Cyclone Heta. The future of the island is again under question as it faces the cost of reconstruction.
 Niue's coastline devastated by Heta cyclone |
Mr Chapman, who addressed a morning service at the Ekalesia Niue Church of New Zealand in Mangere yesterday, said he and other Niueans were anxious to get home as soon as possible, but people were talking of packing up and leaving the island for good. The issue was serious.
About three years ago a constitutional review survey gave Niueans three options: full independence, greater integration with New Zealand or retaining the status quo. "They were overwhelmingly in favour of staying as they were - a self-governing country with free association with New Zealand," said Mr Chapman. Niue's Premier, Young Vivian, dismissed talk of his country returning to New Zealand rule.
Mr Goff said he now saw two post-cyclone possibilities - that the people of Niue would give up, or that it could mean a new start and increased determination from the 20,000-strong Niuean community in New Zealand to help sustain the 1400 still in their homeland. "And I hope the latter scenario comes to pass."
Both Governments were committed to a sustainable community on Niue to preserve the culture, but that would be difficult if the population dropped below the present level. Mr Goff said Niue's best hope - the tourism industry - had been hit hard. "It's important for New Zealand and other aid donors to get them back to normal as quickly as possible."
Discussions had already taken place on moving the capital, Alofi, inland and it was clear a new hospital would have to be built away from the vulnerable coast. Although New Zealand had so far committed $300,000 in emergency disaster aid, it was expected more would be made available.
Mr Goff said in the past some "nutty" schemes had been explored for Niue but the Government had recently been taking more sensible directions. He did not regard continual funding to the island as wasteful or propping up self-interested officials, as some critics had alleged. "I have been to Niue and didn't notice any Rolls-Royces or mansions."
Mr Goff will travel to the island tomorrow on an RNZAF Hercules, which will carry special equipment to clean up asbestos roofing fragments found among the rubble. A team of about 80 Niueans will be trained on safety procedures by Occupational Safety and Health experts already on the island.
Mr Chapman said Niueans would think twice about rebuilding when their efforts could again be destroyed by the weather. But he was confident the country had a future even if it meant people had to shift to higher ground.
From conversations he had had yesterday with relatives and friends at Mangere he thought people would want to keep Niue going, if only because they were stakeholders in the island through its land tenure system. "If we had allowed the economic whiz kids to have their say the island would have been closed down years ago ... But there is an awful lot more to life than that."
But a former Finance Minister, Terry Coe, who runs a shop and mechanic's business on Niue, said he had doubts about the future. "There are few opportunities left ... The island might not recover."
Mr Coe was also disappointed there had been looting after the cyclone. New Zealand's High Commissioner, former MP Sandra Lee Vercoe, said the cyclone could not have come at a worst time. Tourism had increased in the last quarter by 44 per cent, she said. "People were just starting to discover it [Niue]. The two resorts, Hotel Niue and Matavai, were filling up."
Ms Lee Vercoe said Niueans had been establishing organic farming to give their produce a marketable edge and new vanilla crops had been going well. "They were starting to harvest and sell after taking professional advice to maximise pollination systems."
Niue had signed a joint venture with a New Zealand company to build a fish processing plant to get its people out on the water. The construction had been almost completed but it was "now you see it, now you don't".
Meanwhile, more relief supplies are on the way. Ngati Porou from the East Coast have raised more than $53,000 from a radiothon in return for fundraising they received from Niue after Cyclone Bola in 1988. The United Nations pledged $40,000 to the island. France, Germany and Japan have also promised help. Reef Shipping vessels are heading to Niue with heavy equipment, water and containers to store fuel.
Tomorrow's Hercules flight will also carry respirators and overalls as well as the gear for the asbestos clean-up. The Mangere church is to send a container-load of relief supplies, including food and blankets.
HOW TO HELP :
* Donations can be made: - at any Westpac Bank. - by calling Niueans Faama Viliamu or Ettie Mizziebo on (09) 274-8912 or (09) 267-4269.
* Telecom has set up a line for inquiries on 0800 00 NIUE (0800 006-483).
by New Zealand Herald
SEE ALSO (Polish language):
The End of Niue Why People Are Leaving The Islands? mapa regionu gdzie po wizę linki |
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Changing Air in Solomons Honiara, people walk relaxed and free of the fear of open intimidation by gangsters who for 18 months had put their ruthless squeeze on a weak, acquiescent government. |
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