News in Brief

Leadership Forum underway
The Ministry of Marine Resources with the Cook Islands Marine Resources Institutional Strengthening Project (CIMRIS) in collaboration with the Cook Islands National Environment Service and the University of Queensland opened the Pacific Leadership Forum on Monday. The Forum is being held at the AOG Hall and it will run until Thursday the 28th of this week. It will look into the Planning and Policy for Eco-system Based Management or EBM. The Eco-system Based Management is an integrated management approach addressing not only the physical aspects of the environment but also the socio-economic, policy and governance needed for improved resource management. The Forum will mainly be looking into ways of strengthening management of coastal and marine areas through leadership. Tuesday’s workshop began at 9am and the objective of the workshop was to understand the importance of change management approach in managing natural resources. The presenters for Tuesday’s workshop included professors from the University of Queensland, the University of Wollongong and a professor from the Centre of Ocean Solutions in USA. On Wednesday the 27th, the workshop will be about the exploration of Pacific Island Issues and Needs and will begin at 8:30am and run until 5pm.
Management Course begins
Also started yesterday alongside the Leadership Forum is the Eco-system Based Management Course Program which will run until the 5th of February at the AOG Hall. The course will look into Planning for Eco-system Based Management: Managing the Environment in Small Island States. The course is sponsored by the University of Queensland, Coral Reef Targeted Research & Capacity Building for Management Program which is a leading international coral reef research initiative for improved coral reef management. CIMRIS is also another sponsor. Course collaborators are, Global Change Institute which provides solutions for issues such as climate change, Centre for Ocean Solutions in the USA which reduces threats to our oceans, the Australian National Centre for Ocean Research and Security, National Environment Service, Marine Resources the United Nations Environment Program. The course aims to provide decision makers with the tools and information for them to gain a better understanding of the elements. On Monday was the registration and the orientation and Tuesday saw the introduction to Eco-system Based Management. Some presenters for the course program include locals such as Keri Herman and Phillip Strickland of the National Environment Service, Dorothy Solomona who is a Research Officer and Koroa Raumea. Other presenters are Professors from the University of Queensland.
Laptops to Mitiaro at last
Students of Mitiaro School will finally be relieved to receive the 64 laptops from the one laptop per child program. The Office of the Prime Minster will procure a server and other accessories for the setting up of the program. A number of OPM and Ministry of Education staff will travel to Mitiaro tomorrow where all 64 laptops will be distributed to all students and training will begin for teachers and students next week. Radio CI understands the project was put on hold and laptops were left to collect dust at the Ministry of Education office after the former Secretary refused to have the laptops distributed to the Outer Islands. The project was initiated at the 38th Pacific Island Forum Leaders meeting in 2007 where leaders had endorsed the One Laptop per Child project. The SPC has been the driving force behind the project where Ian Thomson who visited the Cook Islands had deliver the laptops.
Mangaia to lead revival
Plans to kick-start the revitalisation of Agriculture in the Southern Group will start later this month with the first island being Mangaia. A number of those involved in the agriculture ministry will conduct consultations on benefits and the program will provide. Towards the end of last month, DPM and Minister of Agriculture, Robert Wigmore announced the revitalisation program for the Southern Group islands mainly the Ngaputoru and Mangaia due to the much larger land-mass. Consultations will be held on the Southern Group islands before the program starts. The $3.5m project funded by the ADB will see produces being weighed first then payment made straight-away. The initiative according to DPM Wigmore was raised years ago and is said to be happy it’s finally underway.
Rotorac appoint office bearers
On Saturday 16th January 2010 Rotaract confirmed their new Office Bearers.
They are:
President - Christian Mani
Vice - President - Ty Connal
Treasurer - Tia-Maree Takiika
Secretary - Mii Manuela
The new Rotaract committee was to meet on Tuesday 26th of January at the FBI. This Club is for anyone between the ages of 18-30 who would like to make a difference in their community, meet and make new friends, develop their skills and just have fun.
Baudinet picked for Pacific tennis team
Cook Islands Tennis Sensation and owner of High Tide Bar & Grill will be representing the Cook Islands and the Pacific alongside a representative from Samoa (1), Vanuatu (1) and Solomon Islands (1) as part of the Pacific Oceania Team, in the 2010 Davis Cup held in Bangkok, Thailand from March 5th – 7th 2010.
Baudinet currently holds the Pacific record having played Tennis professionally for ten years now and has represented the Cook Islands in the Davis Cup since 2000 through to date excluding 2001.
Baudinet states that their team (P.O.T) has risen from group three to group two. There are four groups, each containing eight countries. Last year the Pacific Oceania Team were in group three and won the entire
group which was held in Syria.
This in turn has promoted them up to group two for 2010. The difference between group two and three is that you have a one on one country tie and the tournament is over a period of three days.
The results from the Davis Cup Tournament in March 2010, will determine the Pacific Oceania Team’s next round tie whether it be between Indonesia or Malaysia in July.
Delays to new green
President of the Rarotonga Bowling Club Veia Mani says that the Rarotonga bowling club is closed at the moment. When asked what was happening with the Green that was supposed to be used during the 2009 Pacific Mini Games, Mani stated that there are many problems that derive from the one major problem which is the Soil. The soil is not treated properly, this has caused extra work for the members of the Lawn Bowl as they have had to spend days sieving the soil manually. He further states that there is no point in seeding when the soil itself is not being treated. Mani has spoken to Agriculture but that has been unsuccessful as they no longer have the chemicals used to treat the export as it has been banned; there is the alternative of spraying it with weed killer however that poses a question of the danger of using chemicals. There is the possibility of adding more soil however it is pointless as soil isn’t treated. Mani said the contractors have don’t there part but still unable to continue till they figure out how to solve this problem. The majority of the members of Rarotonga Lawn Bowls Club work therefore the only available time is Saturday. Mani says they can keep weeding and weeding though it will still grow back.
Bowling has been trying to fundraise and it is not easy so they are seeking help from overseas and locally to see what can be done. Mani is hoping to have a meeting sometime in the near future to see what can be done and where to go from here, “we will eventually get there, I have a fair idea which way to go”.

Herald Issue 463 10 June
- World famous activist assisting residents
- Budget will decide if residents prosecute Government over landfill
- Forestry project sucking Mangaia dry
- Budget 2010 – fiasco or disaster?