Proposed USP Campus expected to generate $3million annually in fees

Pastor Tevai Matapo, chairman of the USP advisory committee was very upbeat about the benefits of the proposed new USP Pacific Studies campus on land donated by Ngati Kainuku patriarch, Papa Tangaroa Kainuku and his sister, Mama Ngamata Teamaru.
To be taught at the proposed campus are: Akonoanga Maori, te Reo, carving, tapa, tivaevae, navigation, weaving, arapo, kai tanu tanu and vairakau.
Matapo said that there is a world wide interest in indigenous cultures and our campus is expected to attract international students who want to study Pacific Arts either as an accredited part of their studies in their own university or as full time students at our campus.
For instance, in 2007, we had students from Canada attend a course where they learnt Ramarama, visited Mangaia to learn the culture and the students from Chicago who attended an arts course. Proposed fees will be about one third of what international students can expect to pay in Canada or the US making it very attractive economically.
These fees will be used to subsidize the fees for our own students who will not have to leave our shores for advanced tertiary education.
Even though there is not yet a campus to house the Are Marama Nui, USP has already set into motion their preparatory work for when there is a campus. For instance, this year, several of our established artists in a two year Masters degree in Design Arts and will emerge with a recognized qualification at advanced university level and can become tutors at the new Pacific studies campus.
They include master carver, Mike Tavioni, Ted Nia, Joan Rolls-Gragg, Kay George, Loretta Reynolds, Teaturangi Nepia-Clamp, Andrea Eimke, Krick Barraud and David Teata.
The Koutu Nui is very supportive of the proposed campus and has undertaken to send in a letter in support of the project. Now all that is needed is for Government to provide the funds to build the university and the project can get underway.
Water is life - problems in outer islands
Teariki Rongo and Tauraki Raea presented a paper on freshwater and discussed an Asian Development Bank project to look into providing freshwater to our people. They note that many people are buying bottled water, or boiling their water using electricity or gas to do so, or those who use filters and say if this money were spent on providing clean public water, you would not need to buy water at all.
At question time, Paerangi Mataiapo Tutara from Atiu said that on his island the people were struggling with having to find enough water to live on. While people on Rarotonga have their water piped to them for free, the people of Atiu are having to buy their own water tanks, collect the water from their roofs and going without when it is the dry season. Te Upoko o Tukua i-te Taimaauau Mataiapo from Aituaki commented that their problem was having to use brackish water.
Representatives from ADB were on hand and commented that they would be carrying out studies to see if they can assist Aitutaki with their water.
The Koutu Nui will be sending in a letter in support of the outer islands to be addressed to the Ministers of Environment, Ministry of Works and DPM as the Finance Minister.
Water Works director, Ben Parakoti said Rarotonga has been granted US$500,000 from the Global Environment Fund (GEF) to work on an ‘integrated water resources’ project.
The project will be based in Rarotonga and have 3 parts: technical assistance (quality and quantity of freshwater); knowledge dissemination; institutional strengthening and wastewater systems The project will build on the information gained from the Takitumu Lagoon project.
The Koutu Nui have endorsed a Raui, subject to consulting with landowners and Ariki and Aronga Mana around our water intakes. This would include an embargo on buildings above the water intakes to prevent effluent contaminating our water supply and the letter is to let Government and the educated the community that there are such concerns.
Land Use (rather than land zoning)
Timoti Tangiruaine from Water Works and Liz Koteka presented their paper on land zoning in conjunction with the Government, South Pacific Commission and Land Care NZ. A similar project has been launched in Fiji that took just over 2 years in local consultations before it was accepted by the community.
Problems stemmed from sand mining, dumping cars and rubbish in various areas leading to seepage of toxins into our waterways and then into our lagoons. The message is that ‘whatever we do on land impacts on the lagoons’ and areas of concern are the foreshore areas and the hillsides.
Then there are complaints about keeping pigs for many years and later having a motel built next door and their complaints about the pigs. The pig growers say they got their first and the motel knew that already so who is in the wrong?
The impression of the Koutu Nui was that zoning as such is ‘too late’ because already there are places where for instance, the bulk oil depots are built right next to houses and businesses. Others applauded the idea saying ‘nothing is impossible’ especially for the outer islands.
However, they are amenable to the idea of land use because it conveys the idea of an option to be considered rather than the law as in land zoning.
Timoti commented that it was obvious that the Koutu Nui were ‘well versed’ in land uses and was pleased that everyone had some input into the discussion.

Headlines : Times 258 07 July 2008
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Headlines : Times 257 30 June 2008
- Proposed USP Campus expected to generate $3million annually in fees
- Manganese Nodules presentation at the Koutu Nui
- Road rebuilding to cost $1 million per kilometre
- 30 per cent savings to come from wind
- Catriona’s honeymoon getaway in Aitutaki

Headlines : Times 256 23 June 2008
- Uncertain times ahead
- The Budget: Where the money comes from
- Sunday flights a concern to Aitutaki residents
- Consultant to advise on growing the offshore finance industry
- Community workshops on climate change issues