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MFEM report due on state of the economy FINANCIAL secretary Sholan Ivaiti says the half year econom-ic and fi scal update will provide the public with an update on the current state of the economy.

The ministry of fi nance report is a comprehensive document outlining the performance of the economy over the fi rst half of the fi nancial year which began in July. The state of the economy is much talked about at present with government tabling the largest budget on record this year in which there is little room for overspending as well as earli-er revelations from government that economic growth has been slowing down.

In the face of the still unpre-

dictable impacts of the global economic crisis, having infor-mation on the state of the econo-my is no doubt more important than ever before.

On Monday Cook Islands News asked Ivaiti for a copy of his ministry’s latest monthly economic update and a preview of the half year economic and fi scal update usually published at the end of December.

Ivaiti has not made it clear whether the monthly economic update is available or not, point-ing to the other document, due to be released before the end of the month, as having the abil-ity to provide an overview of the state of the economy. - HG

DPM to forumon child obesityDEPUTY prime minister and health minister Sir Terepai Maoate will soon head to Ge-neva Switzerland to attend the World Health Organization fo-rum on child obesity.

According to his office, the minister has been asked to chair the main session of the forum to which he may be accompanied by a ministry of health offi cial.

The Forum and technical meeting on Population-based Prevention Strategies for Child-hood Obesity is being held from December 15 to 17.

Last week Sir Terepai and Lady Maoate attended the Fiji School of Medicine graduation. They were invited by Dean Pro-fessor Ian Rouse and the faculty of medicine.

Sir Terepai delivered the key-

note address in which he noted his own graduation from the school in 1953.

The minister said he was ‘am-bitious’ and went on to gradu-ate from Auckland University in 1973 with a Diploma in Obstet-rics, and four years later from the Amsterdam University in the Netherlands with an MA in Public Health.

He encouraged this year’s graduates to ‘always keep your minds inquiring and curious – that way life will always be an upward learning curve for you.’

While in Fiji, Sir Terepai also met with his Fiji counterpart and European Union repre-sentative Robert de Raeve. His travel was jointly funded by the Fiji School of Medicine and the Civil List. - HG

The ministry of justice staff , along with Justice Hugh Williams (centre), gather on the steps of the beautifully decorated building to show off their courthouse bouquet. The justice staff spent Monday night and Tuesday morning transforming the building into a colourful sight as part of the fl ower decorating competition for government departments. More photos on pages 10 and 11. 09120805

The population of a newly discovered insect pest – the Cuban laurel thrip – has exploded and spread right across the island. See story on page 7. 09120829

New pest on island‘Good work’ of public service proposed A MEETING of heads of minis-tries and government agencies held last month briefl y discussed the need for publicity about the work of the public service.

In the leaked minutes of the meeting, public service commis-sioner Navy Epati stresses the need for ministries and agen-cies to ‘advise the public of the good work’ happening within

each of them, as well as major developments.

Epati stated that the idea was to ‘at least make an effort to put something good out into the pa-per once a week’ in the face of ‘a lot of negative things in the paper’.

Secretary of culture Sonny Williams seems to be the only head of ministry to have com-mented on Epati’s message

about actively publicising the activities of government.

Williams noted that his min-istry’s weekly radio programme which his minister ‘is also into’ has been getting some good feedback from the public.

Many government ministries are invited by Cook Islands News on a regular basis if they wish to provide updates on their

activities and developments, but only a few, such as the police department, currently choose to proactively invite media cov-erage and issue press releases every week.

Epati also commented at the same meeting that all minis-tries are doing a great job but no one knows about it and it is not documented. - HG

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Moonshine soldat child care NORTH CAROLINA, December 9 – Authorities have charged a North Carolina woman with selling moonshine out of her day care centre.

The Charlotte Observer reported that North Carolina Alcohol Law Enforcement ar-rested a 57-year-old woman last week at Parkview Com-munity Center in Charlotte.

Agents said children were in the day care centre when they sent in an undercover agent to buy two gallons of moonshine.

The woman told the paper she was set up by a neighbour. She said she was just holding a package for a man in exchange for $80 and didn’t even know what was in it.

Agents also arrested an 82-year-old man and charged him with making the moon-shine. Authorities seized more than 80 gallons of moonshine from the man.

- AP

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LOST IN WILDERNESS WELLINGTON – A drunk bridesmaid disappeared from her friend’s wedding, running off and getting lost in New Zealand’s Waitakere Ranges. Police launched a search and rescue operation to fi nd the 26 year old, who ran away from the post-wedding party in West Auckland, at a property backing onto the bush-clad hills, about 1.20am. After a search involving search and rescue volunteers and a police helicopter, the woman was found about 5.30 am. She was asleep about 10 or 15 metres into the bush, Inspector Shawn Rutene said. She was cold after her night spent sleeping rough, but otherwise fi ne, he said. “We had to extend our search because of the time delay,” he said, with searchers anticipating the bridesmaid could have roamed much further than she did before falling asleep.

ROYAL HARPIST COULD FACE JAIL LONDON – A former royal harpist who played at Prince Charles’s wedding could face jail after being found guilty of handling stolen goods while addicted to hard drugs. Jemima Phillips, 28, played at Charles’s marriage to Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, in 2005 but has admitted during her trial she was addicted to heroin while she held the prestigious post. Charles, whose offi cial title is the Prince of Wales, off ered her the job of royal harpist, created to promote Welsh music, in 2004 and she held the role until 2007.

KOMODO DRAGON BORN IN ZOO SINGAPORE – Singapore Zoo has successfully bred the highly-endangered Komodo dragon, offi cials said, reporting that the rare baby reptile was in good health. The 40-centimetre hatchling is the fi rst Komodo dragon born in an Asian zoo outside Indonesia, the native home of the world’s largest lizard species, a spokeswoman said. In a press statement, assistant director of zoology Biswajit Guha said the hatching of the Komodo dragon, whose gender has not been confi rmed, “is one of the most signifi cant moments” for the zoo, one of Singapore’s top attractions. The breeding of Komodo dragons in captivity “is fraught with diffi culties due to incompatible pairings, dearth of experience in egg incubation and over-representation of males in zoos,” he said. The reptiles are considered one of Indonesia’s national treasures. Komodos can grow up to three metres in length and weigh up to 140 kilograms. They are listed as “vulnerable” in the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List of Threatened Species.

SURGERY CHANGES FINGERPRINTS TOKYO – A Chinese woman arrested in Japan for illegal entry had altered her fi ngerprints through surgery to fool a biometric security system at the airport, media reports said. Tokyo police confi rmed they had arrested Lin Rong, 27, for entering Japan with a fake passport a year ago and then staying on illegally. Local media said Lin was previously deported to China in 2007 for overstaying, but managed to sneak back into Japan last year after surgery to change the skin on her thumbs and index fi ngers. The skin patches from the digits on her right and left hands were reportedly removed and then re-grafted onto the matching digits of the opposite hand.She told police she had paid some 100,000 yuan ($A16,000) for the surgery, leading investigators to believe Chinese brokers are arranging such fi ngerprint changes, the Yomiuri Shimbun daily said. Reports said police noticed that her fi ngers had unnatural scars when Lin was arrested last month for faking a marriage with a Japanese man.

Student fi res rifl e at collegeWOODBRIDGE, December 8 – A man accused of aiming a rifl e at a community college teacher in the state of Virginia and fir-ing several shots was arrested Tuesday.

No injuries were reported. The shooting happened around 2:40 p.m. at Northern Virginia Community College’s campus in Woodbridge, about 40 kilo-

metres south of Washington, D.C. Officer Erika Hernandez said the student fired several shots with a high-powered ri-fl e. The gunman, believed to be a current student, was appre-hended by campus and county police, though it wasn’t im-mediately clear what stopped him from continuing to fi re the gun. A police team was moving

through the building room by room evacuating students, Her-nandez said. Police spokeswom-an Sharon Richardson says offi c-ers responded about 2.40 pm. local time to an “active shooter” situation following reports of a gunman in the main adminis-tration building.

The college enacted its emer-gency lockdown procedures

and later issued a statement saying all Woodbridge classes were canceled Tuesday because of the shooting incident. Some students, faculty and staff were sent to a nearby high school.

More than two hours after the incident, though, student Christian Dorn told WRC-TV by telephone that she was still barricaded inside a classroom.

She said police came through the building and told students to stay where they were.

She recalls hearing two loud shots in the building and screams to call police. Virginia was the site of the deadliest shooting mas-sacre in US history, the 2007 Vir-ginia Tech rampage by mentally ill student Seung-Hui Cho that left 33 people dead. - AP

Climate talks in disarray after leakDENMARK, December 9 – The UN climate talks in Copenha-gen have descended into ac-rimony after the leaking of a draft “Copenhagen Agreement” that would require developing countries to take on targets as the world cuts emissions in half by 2050.

Drafted by the Danish gov-

ernment after talks with the so-called “circle of commit-ment”, including Australia, the document said global emissions should peak by the end of the next decade, but did not include any emissions targets for 2020 or specifi c proposals for the crea-tion of a green fund to help the most vulnerable.

Control of climate change fi -nance would be passed to the World Bank.

Angry developing countries said the document was the work of rich nations who wanted to abandon the existing Kyoto Pro-tocol, which is not mentioned in the draft, and its principle of only industrialised nations tak-ing on emissions targets due to their historic responsibility for climate change.

It prompted a furious rebuke to rich nations from China.

In a surreal press conference in a cramped room next to the Chinese delegation offi ce, chief negotiator Su Wei claimed he was unaware of the leaked Dan-ish proposal that had hijacked the mood of the convention centre, while attacking the Eu-ropean Union, Japan and the US for claiming they were acting on climate change while doing very little.

In a detailed analysis of the fl aws of rich nations’ 2020 tar-gets, he said Europe had already done more to limit emissions under the fl awed Kyoto Protocol than it proposed to do under a Copenhagen pact.

Japan’s proposed 25 percent cut was meaningless because it

had set conditions that would never be met and the US had promised a “remarkable and notable” emissions target but proposed only a provisional 1 percent cut below 1990 levels.

“I’m not very good at English, but I doubt whether just a 1 per-cent reduction can be described as remarkable or notable,” he said.

He said the $US10 billion an-nual green fund, that has won wide support at the conference and is included in the draft Dan-ish agreement, worked out to just $2 per person across the planet - not enough to buy a cof-fee in Copenhagen, or a coffi n.

“Climate change is a life and death issue,” he said.

Aid agencies and environ-ment groups said the Danish

proposal undermined the two-week UN negotiations as it had been pulled together by only a handful of countries.

The head of the WW F’s g l o b a l c l i m a t e i n i t i a t i v e , Kim Carstensen, said it was a distraction from getting a strong deal.

The behind-the-scenes nego-tiations tactics ... have been fo-cusing on pleasing the rich and powerful countries,” he said.

But Climate Institute policy director Erwin Jackson said the draft could provide the basis for an agreement on an ambitious climate deal if it was widely backed.

He was critical that it did not include emissions targets and fi nancing fi gures.

- The Age

Pilgrims suffer eye burns after ‘apparition’DUBLIN, December 2 – Catholic pilgrims have suffered eye dam-age after staring at the sun in the hope of witnessing an appari-tion of the Virgin Mary, a doctor said on Wednesday.

On one occasion in October, some 10,000 people gathered at the Knock shrine in north-western Ireland hoping to see Mary, despite pleas from an archbishop to ignore invitations

to the event by a self-proclaimed spiritual healer.

Some of those present said they had seen Mary, venerated by Christians as the mother of Jesus, and attributed her pres-ence to the sun suddenly break-ing through the clouds, chang-ing colour, appearing to come closer or spinning in the sky. Eamonn O’Donoghue, an oph-thalmologist at University Col-

lege Hospital Galway in the west of Ireland, said he had several patients whose retina had been burnt by the sun during a visit to Knock.

“All of these people were un-der the impression that they would see strange phenomena if they looked at the sun, it is as-sociated with events at Knock,” O’Donoghue told public radio RTE.

“If you get a burn to your macula (a part of the retina) you are going to see bizarre visual phenomena,” he said, compar-ing the effects to frequently ob-served damage from watching solar eclipses without adequate protection.

The patients could expect an at least partial within months, he said.

- Reuters

30 percent of Christmas lights unsafeBRUSSELS, December 2 – Near-ly one-third of the Christmas lights sold in Europe are a “se-rious safety risk” and can cause fires and electric shocks, ac-cording to a EU study released Wednesday.

EU Consumer Affairs Com-missioner Meglena Kuneva, call-ing the fi nding a “wake up” call, warned that 41 percent of the

faulty lights are made in China. She urged EU governments to redouble efforts to ban shoddy imports.

“Consumers also need to work to minimise safety risks,” she said at a news conference. “So be vigilant, be active and be aware. That way everyone can have a safe and happy Christ-mas.”

The Christmas lights survey was done in fi ve nations - Hun-gary, Germany, Slovakia, Slov-enia and the Netherlands.

Serious noncompliance prob-lems – shoddy plugs, poor wir-ing, insufficient insulation or lack of protection against elec-tric shock – were found in 30.4 percent.

Less serious problems - such

as poor labeling and user in-structions – were found in an additional 40 percent of lights tested. Kuneva urged consum-ers to buy Christmas lights from reputable vendors, not to leave Christmas lights on when they leave their homes and to return lights if they suspect any electrical or mechanical prob-lems. - AP

DENMARK: A photographer takes pictures in the conference room of the Bella Centre in Copenhagen on the eve of the opening of the United Nations Climate Conference 2009 in Copenhagen where 100 heads of state or government will participate in the UN led Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen this week. AFP PHOTO

Calm before the stormCalm before the storm

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER , Cook Islands News 3

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regionalNEWS nuti no TE PA ENUA

Ferry inquiry cover up denied

A Tongan offi cial has denied a cover up to hide links between prime minister Feleti Sevele (pictured with NZ prime minister John Key) and the purchase of the sunken ferry Princess Ashika. Zimbio

NUKU’ALOFA, December 9 – A senior Tongan official has de-nied that inaccurate immigra-tion records were produced to hide travel links between prime minister Feleti Sevele and the purchase of the doomed ferry Princess Ashika.

A Royal Commission of In-quiry investigating the sinking continued sitting this week, after a two week adjournment.

The 37-year-old ferry sank north of Nuku’alofa on August 5 with the loss of 74 people.

It had been inspected in Suva, Fiji, and purchased between March and May this year by failed New Zealand business-man John Jonesse, who was CEO of the state-owned Shipping Corporation of Polynesia (SCP).

A Royal Commission of In-quiry has heard evidence that he claimed the ship was seaworthy,

despite extensive corrosion.SCP has suspended Jonesse

but the Royal Commission is examining the role of the Ton-gan prime minister in Ashika’s purchase and operation.

A senior ministry of foreign affairs and immigration Tonga offi cial, Leonaitasi Kuluni, had been summoned to produce evi-dence of Jonesse’s and Sevele’s travels to Fiji.

However, his evidence and documents did not show the arrivals and departures of both men, drawing a rebuke from commission chairman Justice Warwick Andrew, who pointed to possible penalties he could face.

Counsel assisting the com-mission, Manuel Varitimos, put it to Kuluni that the immigra-tion department had no accu-rate records. He agreed.

“Or alternatively, the im-migration department is pro-ducing deliberately inaccurate records,” Varitimos asked.

“It’s not deliberate. This is what we were working on with the computer and these are the information - the refl ection of their travel movements, sir.”

The commission ordered Ku-luni to return to his offi ce and get the proper data.

It was also revealed that Sevele has not cooperated with a police investigation into the sinking.

Varitimos put it to Kuluni that the prime minister had refused to provide the informa-tion.

“We did not refuse, we were seeking legal advice whilst they were requesting information from us,” Kuluni said.

The department provided

the requested information on Jonesse.

Kuluni said he spoke to the prime minister about the re-quest from police and the Royal Commission for travel details.

“The prime minister was of the view that it would be best that Immigration provide [de-tails] - that the request for travel movements of those individuals be.... individual requests rather than police coming through us,” he said.

Some detail was provided to the Royal Commission reveal-ing the prime minister returned to Tonga on April 4, May 9 and May 25. But the data did not reveal when Sevele departed or where he went.

The commission will contin-ue to try and establish the prime minister’s travel movements on Thursday. - Stuff NZ

IMF give funds to Samoa

The International Monetary Fund has pledged $9.3 million to help Samoa in their tsunami recovery. ABC

SYDNEY, December 8 – The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has announced it would provide a $U S9.3 million ($A10.2 million) lifeline to Sa-moa to help the country recover from a September earthquake and tsunami disaster.

The IMF executive board on Monday approved the aid to Samoa under the rapid-access component of the Exogenous Shocks Facility (ESF), a lending instrument to help a country deal with a major negative im-pact beyond the control of its government.

The Samoa loan is “to help the country recover from the damage caused by a devastat-ing earthquake and tsunami on September 29, 2009,” the IMF said, noting Samoa had suf-fered its worst human losses and physical damage from a natural disaster since its independence in 1962.

The disaster in particular hammered Samoa’s tourism

sector, which is its main com-mercial source of foreign ex-change, the Washington-based institution said.

“The IMF extends sympathy to the people of Samoa for the losses caused by the Septem-ber 2009 tsunami. Owing to its scale, the disaster has severely undercut Samoa’s prospects for a quick recovery from the glo-bal recession,” Takatoshi Kato, deputy managing director, said in a statement following the board discussion.

Villages and resorts in Samoa and the neighbouring Pacifi c is-lands of American Samoa and northern Tonga were fl attened by the giant waves generated by a massive 8.0-magnitude earth-quake, the strongest in a nearly a century. The tsunami killed 186 people.

The IMF said the loan was aimed at providing the Samoan authorities with fi nancial assist-ance to support the country’s external reserves amid short-

falls in export earnings and in-creased import costs related to the disaster response.

“Its adverse impact on the tourism sector and sizable re-construction needs will result in a sharp widening of the fi scal and current account deficits,” he said.

Kato said the authorities’ commitment to minimise the overall fiscal burden by re-directing some development spending under existing plans to tsunami-related infrastruc-ture rehabilitation was “encour-aging”.

But the IMF offi cial warned that the signifi cant fi scal cost of emergency relief and rehabili-tation would result in sharply higher fiscal deficits over the coming two to three years.

“Against this background it will be important to prioritise spending on areas that are key to revive the economy, as well as on basic social services.”

- SMH

Vanuatu speaker likely to remainPORT VILA, December 9 – Van-uatu’s parliamentary speaker, Maxime Carlot Korman, ruled that the government motion to remove him this afternoon is not in order.

The surprising decision means parliament will not de-bate the motion and Carlot Kor-man will remain as speaker.

If the government insists on forcing him to vacate his posi-tion, they must file an order motion against him or submit a constitutional application to the supreme court to quash to-day’s ruling.

This latest move comes amid a political stand-off which has in-cluded the speaker’s unsuccess-ful attempt to remove the prime minister, Edward Natapei, after Natapei tried to remove him as part of a comprehensive cabinet reshuffl e.

Parliament is this week also due to vote on a no confi dence motion in the PM. - RNZI

Fiji regulations extended

The Public Emergency Regulations introduced by Fijian prime minister Frank Bainimararma is extended for another 30 days. Lowly Interpreter

SUVA, December 9 – Fiji’s administration has im-posed the Public Emergency Regulation (PER) for another month this December during the festive season.

Fiji president Ratu Epeli Nailatikau, in a gov-ernment Gazette on Tuesday, extended the Public Emergency Regulations 2009 for another 30 days effective from December 3.

The PER was fi rst implemented on 10 April this year and continuously extended monthly ever since.

The decree was the fi rst to be issued after former Fiji president Ratu Josefa Iloilo abrogated the 1997 Constitution and revoked all judicial appoint-ments, assuming executive authority ahead of state following the court of appeal case, which called this government illegal.

The public emergency regulation provides for the “control of broadcast and publications from all media outlets in the island nation”.

Section 16 of the Regulations stipulates that the State has the authority to stop any broadcast or publication it believes could cause “disorder”, “undue demands” on security forces”, “promote disaffection or public alarm” or “undermine the government and the State of Fiji”. - Xinhua

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER , Cook Islands News 5

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Police get forensic kit

Cook Islands police have been given crime scene and forensic equipment by Pacifi c Police Development Program. 09120824

Police commissioner Maara Tetava (left) thanks Pacifi c Police Development Program leader Doug McCaff ery for the assistance and support PPDP have given Cook Islands police. 09120825

COOK Islands police have been gifted much needed forensic and crime scene equipment re-cently.

Donated by the Pacifi c Police Development Program (PPDP), the police were given a forensic kit containing crime scene and fingerprint investigation ma-terial along with an advanced digital camera.

Police commissioner Maara Tetava said a team from the PPDP have been in Rarotonga up-skilling the Cook Islands staff and providing cross-sector training opportunities.

A workshop has been com-pleted on expert evidence which was attended by the staff from the ministry of justice, crown law, police and other agencies.

“The feedback that I have received was very positive in-deed,” he said. “Participants

were able to gain knowledge and skills in the presentation of cases in court.”

Tetava thanked PPDP team leader Doug McCaffery, Bryn Jones and all other advisors for the support they had provided in enhancing the capability of the offi ces.

“The equipment received is additional to the crime scene tools that we have as we strive to improve our forensic capability to enable us to better handle se-rious crime scenes in the future.“We have a detective sergeant (Roimata Peraua) who has at-tained qualifications through the New Zealand Police, Pacifi c Regional Policing Initiative (PRPI) and PPDP. He is highly regarded in this fi eld in the Pa-cifi c. In the most recent training that he attended he graduated top of his class,” he said.

“A trainee forensic offi cer will soon be appointed to undertake training in this area.”

PPDP trainer McCaffery said the donation of the forensic equipment continues PPDP support to Pacifi c policing na-tions in their endeavour to en-hance their policing skills and

methodologies. “The Cook Islands have had

a strong focus in investigations and their forensics have ad-vanced to a stage where PPDP has been able to offer advanced courses to assist in the solving of crime.”

- Cook Islands Police/DK

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Thrips get in the eye on Raro

Local entomologist Dr Maja Poeschko with an example of the common fi cus plant, which has been attacked by the new Cuban laurel thrips and causing its young tender leaves at the top to curl and become an ideal breeding spot for the pest. 09120828

At just 3mm in length, this little critter is causing some big problem for people driving motorbikes. 09120830

AT just 3mm in length, the Cuban laurel thrip, a new pest on the island has been causing problems around Rarotonga.

There have been recent re-ports of unsuspecting motorcy-clists momentarily losing their vision after a thrip has flown into one’s eyes.

There have been reports of women wearing bright ei and workmen in fluorescent gear being harassed by the insects which are attracted to bright colours.

Ministry of agriculture en-tomologist Dr Maja Poeschko confi rmed the discovery of the new critter yesterday and says

she believes the minute pest was brought into the country on smuggled plants.

Poeschko says she first en-countered the pest last month when she was driving along the back road in Nikao.

She says something fl ew into her eye and stopped her bike to regain her sight. She later pulled from her eye the culprit which she identifi ed as the Cuban lau-rel thrip.

At the time Poeschko also noticed hundreds of the tiny insects flying around her and landing on her bike.

“They were obviously at-tracted to the bright colour of my bike,” says Poeschko.

Poeschko collected samples of the insects and hand-carried them to New Zealand.

They were identified by the Diagnostic Centre of MAF Bio-security New Zealand and con-firmed by Poeschko as a new pest for the Cook Islands.

Adult thrips use their rasp-ing-sucking mouthparts to feed on tender, light green leaves.

Their major host plants are fi g trees but when the popula-tion is high they can also attack other ornamental plants and fruit trees like citrus.

The infested leaves curl up forming ideal breeding places for the pest. The leaves eventu-ally turn yellow and brown be-fore falling off.

Thrips were discovered last year in Auckland and spread very quickly.

There were also reports of the pest in the Hawaii islands.

The thrips are active fliers on hot days and are attracted to bright colours.

On Monday fire rescue staff at the airport reported small insects getting stuck on to their new orange-painted equip-ment.

Poeschko says that the pest population is rapidly increasing due to the favourable hot, dry conditions.

In addition there are many host plants present on the island like the common evergreen fi cus trees which are those which sur-round the National Auditorium and are like the square shaped tree in front of Friendly Mart in Arorangi.

It is expected that the thrips population will drop once natu-ral enemies of the pest like green lacewings and ladybird beetles start feeding on them.

The ministry will keep a close eye on the situation and will put measures in place to protect the pest from reaching the outer is-lands.

Be careful when you are out and about on your bike and if you are hit in the eye – just calmly pull over to the side of the road.

- Matariki Wilson

8 WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER , Cook Islands News

Pacifi c journos writing from CopenhagenWITH some 34,000 expressing interest in attending, 18,000 registered participants, and a conference venue built to take 15,000 delegates, it’s a battle to be heard at the World’s biggest climate change conference, the COP 15.

This may be the largest Pa-cific delegation ever in attend-ance at any world event, but it’s still easy to get lost in the crowds and events clamouring for atten-tion here.

The long awaited United Nations Framework for Con-

vention on Climate Change (UNCFFF) 15th Conference of the Parties commonly termed as the “Copenhagen Meeting” opened on Monday in Denmark.The Secretariat of the Pacific Regional environment Pro-gramme (SPREP) has taken a team of Pacific media to help ensure that the Pacifi c voice will be loud and clear over the com-ing two weeks.

Six Pacifi c journalists are in Copenhagen to provide media and communications advice for both the largest known Pacifi c

delegation ever, as well as to the 42-member Alliance of Small Is-lands States (AOSIS).

SPREP associate media and publications officer Nanette Woonton is leading both teams with staff of SPREP. Pacnews editor Makereta Komai and Pacific media freelancer Lisa Williams- Lahari are part of the team which works to provide media and communications advice for the Alliance of Small Islands Sates (AOSIS).

They will also be guiding the regional communications team

who will focus on the Pacifi c del-egations.

Cherelle Jackson is a sen-ior member of the team and is joined by Geoffrey Smith of Fiji TV, Ahimsa Kibikibi of Papua New Guinea’s National Broadcasting Corporation and Rachna Lal, a senior journalism student of the University of the South Pacifi c and also the editor of Wansolwara, the University’s student newspaper.

“The role of this team is plen-tiful. They will not only be pro-viding media and communica-

tions advice and guidance to the Pacifi c and AOSIS at COP15, the team will also have the responsi-bility of providing regular me-dia coverage of proceedings at the conference,” said Woonton.

“We don’t anticipate an easy task on our hands given the im-portance and signifi cance of this conference. But I’m confident the team will help keep our Pacifi c people in the know. Cli-mate change is an issue that will have a major impact upon our lives - every bit of information is helpful.”

In 2008 SPREP took a Pacifi c communications team to the 14th Conference of the Parties in Poznan, Poland. This year support has come from both the Government of Canada and WWF to ensure that a larger team can attend this confer-ence to feed information back to the small island nations of the world, and Pacifi c newsrooms.

To remain updated with the news from the team visit their blog site at: http://climatepa-cifi c.blogspot.com/

- Climate Pasifi ka

Island states promote 1.5 to stay alive at COP 15Cook Islander and Pacifi c journo Lisa Lahari-

Williams (at right) is in Copenhagen reporting on the largest climate change meeting in history.

Here at COP15 you’ve brought in one of the most ambitious targets in the form of the 1.5 campaign. What are the chal-lenges of bringing that to the table for people who don’t know our realities?

The developed countries have done a very good job of selling 2 degrees average temperature increase. So for us to try and con-vince them that 1.5 is a better option is already an uphill task. As the science becomes more un-derstandable and there is more data available it’s showing that 2 degrees is not a sustainable option. It has a number of sci-entifi c shortcomings.How do you make all the science and the figures, the data and the jargon and the acronyms involved with explaining those

shortcomings jump into life for the people you are selling these commitments to?

Our constituents are the small island states. The experi-ence of small island states is very simple. At two degrees we know our marine ecosystems don’t function. Our reefs become non functional. The photosynthetic activity or how they create food basically ceases at 2 degrees above mean average tempera-ture. It becomes too warm for marine life so they migrate. So for us, fi nding examples of what happens at 2 degrees is the most effective way to communicate why we don’t consider it ac-ceptable. Also 2 degrees means there’s a lot more energy in the ocean so the cyclones, typhoons and hurricanes whatever part of

PACIFIC journalist Lisa Lahari-Williams is in Copenhagen as part of the Pacifi c communications team covering the UN climate change meeting. Here she talks to Dr Albert Binger, the science and policy advisor for the Alliance of Small Islands States (AOSIS) and the lead spokesperson for the ‘1.5 to stay alive’ technical team supporting the work of AOSIS chair, ambassador Dessima Williams of Grenada.

In September 2009 in New York, leaders of the world’s 42 island states, called the AOSIS grouping, delivered a resounding declaration to the United Nations General Assembly.

AOSIS (of which the Cook Islands is a member) demanded that global warming be kept well below 1.5 degrees Celsius.  Dubbed ‘1.5ºC to stay alive’ a campaign based on their declaration to the UN gives voice to those living with the most devastating impacts of climate change. 

This is an interview conducted with scientist- turned-activist Dr Albert Binger:

the world you live in, become much bigger because there is just that much more energy to drive them. So we basically as-sociate it with the impacts and it gets the message told a lot better than the 350 parts per million or the 450 parts per million theme.When you are talking island re-ality to the big guys who only understand islands when they are picturing holidays there, how do you sell that?

Survival. Because in truth and in fact, the bottom line is either 2 degrees or 1.5 degrees Celsius. It’s a question of how much they pay for their energy services so it’s like economic im-pact. We say ‘it might cost you a little more for your electricity. It might cost you more to drive your car and it might reduce rate of GDP growth’. But those are things they can adapt to. In our case, it’s survival and there is no adaptation. We either survive or we don’t so we basically play the card that considers the shoe being on the other foot and ask ‘Would you like us to treat you the way you treat us? Would you want to survive?’What do they say to you in that moment?

Usually you don’t get a straight answer. I don’t think they really do frame the question in that way. They have grown ac-customed to seeing it as an issue of national policy for themselves or the developed countries, not from the context of survival for those who are most vulnerable.So this is really the last chance station?

Pretty much. Because if we look at the reports from the I P C C (Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change) the

next report is not due out for another three or four years, so usually if we wait to make deci-sions on that report we probably are going to miss some of the windows. We already are seeing growing emissions of methane which is a very worrying issue because there are significant amounts of methane trapped under the ice and in the frozen tundra. If we continue to see re-lease of methane, we continue to see increased melting of icecaps then basically we are losing two ways. The icecap reflects solar radiation the more loss of ice the lower the amount o f r e f l e c -tion and the greater the a m o u n t o f solar radiation which stays in the planet , which results in in-creasing temperature

The Pacific world we come from is seeing COP from the other side of the world. What can people do from where ever they are to drive “1.5 to stay alive” home?

Get to their politicians. Get to their decision makers. Tell them we want to survive. Do not accept anything above 1.5 because it will be catastrophic for all of us.What’s the nutshell anecdote you share when explaining this to everyone?

Just that 2 degrees is just too much for too many people. Few people in the world will have a chance of surviving a 2 degree av-erage temperature increase in the long run because the problem is, it’s an average. It’s not like every place is going to be 2 degrees

warmer. It’s not like yesterday the temperature was 20 degrees Celsius so for the future it will be 22 degrees. That’s not how it works. The climate systems are driven by the ocean, and when its warmer in the ocean there are lots of differences in terms of the climate, in terms of the rainfall, droughts, and the intensity of rainfall. The agriculture may no longer be viable in certain places. 2 degrees will result in signifi-cant sea level rise so fresh water resources will be negatively af-fected and in some case no longer

exist. Many of our ports, a i r p o r t s , roads and set-tlements will not be able to survive 2 de-grees. Some

countries will fl at out disappear. You have a problem in the

Pacifi c. Kiribati, Tuvalu, islands in Papua New Guinea and Fiji, across Asia and the Maldives.

There is coastal erosion, a whole host of problems we are just beginning to see. You in the Pacific are already living with king-tides which take away big chunks of real estate. These things were not there before. They are brand new, they never existed, otherwise these atolls would not have existed either. So change is already taking place and 2 degrees of change will just be too much. If you look at it we’re at 0.8 degrees increase already. Can we afford another 150 percent of what we already seeing? We are saying we cannot do anymore than double. That’s as much as we can do, and hope to survive.You’ve gone from scientist to

activist – why? I think if we are going to sur-

vive it’s going to depend on our people and that somebody or groups of people have to be able to communicate with the com-mon person to tell them what’s at risk. We can do it. We have to be fi rm. Do not allow ourselves to be bullied or bought out. 1.5 to stay alive. 2 degrees won’t work for us. What is the simplest way to put across the concept of 1.5 to stay alive?

The simplest way is at 2 de-grees, we say it’s like fl ipping a coin (fl ips a coin): heads or tails?Heads

You just lost the planet, it’s tails.Just like that?

Just like that. 2 degrees is a 50-50 chance that you make it or a 50-50 chance that you don’t make it. It’s like putting your kid on the school bus knowing he may come home today, or he may not. Would you do that?I wouldn’t have a choice.

Yes. That’s the bad part. Island people never had choices but un-fortunately it falls to us to try and protect the future of the planet. Very ironic but paradoxical.

So the little people here have to make the biggest noise?

That’s what it comes down to. Because we will be the fi rst to go.Is the rest of the world listening?

I would say more countries, not necessarily big countries but more countries, and not just is-lands, are beginning to under-stand that the risk is just too great. And that there’s nothing wrong with saying “let’s take 1.5 be safe than take 2 degrees and be sorry”.

- Climate Pasifi ka

Just like that. 2 degrees is a 50-50 chance

that you make it or a 50-50 chance that

you don’t make it

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER , Cook Islands News 9

Water restrictions possibleWATER restrictions could be im-posed on Rarotonga residents if the situation does not improve before Christmas.

“We don’t want it to come to that,” says water works of-ficer Adrian Teotahi. “But we may have to if things do not improve.”

Teotahi says all they can do is ask residents to conserve water and to think of those who are not getting water on a regular basis.

He says one can water gardens by using water caught in a basin put inside the kitchen sink or by using water from the washing machine. Using a glass to brush one’s teeth, he says, and cutting down your shower time can also help. Using a bucket of water to clean the car also saves on water.

Unfortunately, says Teotahi, there are a lot of residents who don’t care and will continue to use water like there is no tomor-row.

Because of the shortage in some areas, Teotahi says their department is carting water from a Rutaki hydrant to tanks in Nikao and Ruaau. Water works is using an old fi re truck and a tanker to take water.

General Transport, he says, is also using the same hydrant to cart water to private homes and has been doing so for the past few weeks.

Teotahi says the reason the Rutaki hydrant is being used is because it is on a line which is fed by four intakes. However someone has stolen the hydrant tee which is connected to the

pipe on Monday night/Tuesday morning.

“Anyone who tampers with a hydrant tee which is being used for drawing water out of the mains will be prosecuted if caught.”

Teotahi says on Monday four of the 12 intakes – including Avatiu and Avana -- have dipped to around 30 percent capacity of its normal rate of fl ow. Avana, he says, is down to about 33 percent but it is feeding a wider area.

- Moana Moeka’a

SWITCH ON with Te Aponga Uira

In our previous article we looked at how to use and care for our electrical appliances. We also highlighted some of the dangers that may occur from appliances. In this article, we will look at some of the most used appliances in our households, how to use them, and the repercussions that may occur if they are not used properly. We shall also show how to save energy or electricity costs while operating these appliances.

1. Electric ironThe iron is one of the most used appliances in our homes. Most irons have temperature settings and this is based on the type of material that needs to be pressed. The thinner the material, the less heat it is required to do the job and so forth. It is therefore necessary for users to select the correct setting for a particular material. These settings are sometimes labeled or identifi ed on the knob of the iron which makes it easy for the correct setting to be made. Why use a selected setting for any given material? The correct setting has some advantages –

• It limits the amount of heat to a predetermined temperature which the material can withstand and thus preventing it from being burnt or damaged.

• The unnecessary waste of energy can be costly on your power bill, therefore using the correct setting can save you lots of money.

When using the iron make sure that you are working in a safe place, free of hazardous materials or chemicals and away from children. When taking breaks between ironing, make sure the iron is rested in the upward position and also after you have fi nished ironing. Remember, the iron will always be in the ON position and hot if it is not turned off at the power point. This has been one of the causes of household fi res.

2. ToastersToasters work along the same principles as the electric iron. They also have settings too and this allows you to toast the bread according to your prefer-ence of taste or colour choice. When toasting bread, do it according to your needs otherwise toasting extra bread can be wasteful and also incur extra cost to your power account. It is also very important to know how to use this appliance safely. People sometimes poke the inside of the toaster to retrieve stuck bread and while the appliance is still connected to the power supply. This is a dangerous situation which could result in an electric shock to the person or damage to the toaster.

3. Coconut GratersThe number of coconut graters has increased steadily during the last few years. When buying a grater, make sure that it complies with safety issues. Check that it has an isolating switch installed on it for safe operations. Check the size of the motor, not too big or too small. Those with no isolating switches rely only on the power point switch and this could be dangerous especially if it is located some distance away and supplied via an electrical cord. This could also cause injury to others if unexpectedly turned on. In wet condi-tions the lead connections poses a high risk of electric shock to the user and possible damage to the appliance. If in doubt, ask for expertise opinion.

The above are three of the most common or used appliances in our homes. For safety and cost effective measures, know your appliance and use it carefully. SAFETY CAN SAVE LIVES AND MINIMISE COSTS.

ELECTRICAL APPLIANCES AND ACCESSORIES

Keep your children safe know where they are this

holiday season.

Learning for life

The hydrant at Rutaki pictured yesterday, which has a new tee, which is connected to the mains pipe, after the original tee was stolen. 09120821

10 WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER , Cook Islands News

MAINE TIARE FINALEMAINE TIARE FINALEThursday 10 December 2009 National Auditorium - 7pm

THE MINISTRY OF CULTURAL DEVELOPMENT

MC: CLEE MARSTERS

7PM - Opening Prayer - Pastor Ngarima GeorgeGuest Artist : Maine Tiare 2008/09 - Lindsay Graham

MAINE TIARE CONTESTANTS THIRD APPEARANCE

“TALENT” 1. Tiare Kaute — Nicholle Ama 2. Tiare Tipani —Tuane Hosking 3. Tiare Taria — Ebony Richards 4. Tiare Riri Vai — Vananga Upu Pere 5. Tiare Taina — Tekea AkavaGUEST ARTIST : I N T E R M I S S I O N Maine Tiare Contestants fi nal appearance “PAREU GOWN WALK / QUESTIONNAIRE” 1. Tiare Tipani —Tuane Hosking 2. Tiare Kaute—Nicholle Ama 3. Tiare Riri Vai —Vananga Upu Pere 4. Tiare Taina —Tekea Akava 5. Tiare Taria - Ebony Richards- Finale walk for Maine Tiare 2008/09 - Lindsay Graham- Maine Tiare and contestants item - Closing Remarks by the Minister of Cultural Development Hon. Robert Wigmore.- Announcement of winner and presentation of prizes- CROWNING OF MAINE TIARE 2009/2010- Closing prayer - Pastor Ngarima George

Avarua gets into tiare spirit

Lydia Nga (left) and Catherine Healy of the Tourism Corporation put the fi nal touches to their tropical garden at the entrance of the tourism offi ce. 09120816

Ministry of justice staff Grace Chynoweth, Florida Apera and Paula Paniani wait for judges from the cultural department to arrive. 09120810

WITH this year’s Tiare Festival decoration competition only extending to government de-partments, a small number of ministries that took part in yes-terday’s competition went all out to make an impression.

In central Avarua, the Tour-ism Corporation transformed into a tropical garden oasis as the crew from the offi ce brought in truckloads of pot plants and blooming bird of paradise fl ow-ers to decorate the entrance to the offi ce.

Inside, tipani garlands deco-rated the front desk with the whole area smelling of tropical fl owers which would have given a real buzz to visitors.

Opposite the Avarua harbour, the courthouse was a bouquet of aroma and colour as staff worked right through Monday night to turn the walls and tiled fl oors of the building into a fl o-rist’s dream.

Every inch of the main foyer in the building was covered in petals and balloons.

The front stairs to the en-trance to the court house was lined with palm trees and bam-boo shoots from which fl owers of all description hung.

Offenders waiting to appear before court must have been confused in the friendly sweet smelling justice building – a stark contrast to the usual stone cold appearance of the justice department.

Each section within the min-

istry of justice decorated their own section of the court house foyer with the probation divi-sion showing their cheeky side when they erected a bamboo

cell right outside the probation door.

In fact, Justice Hugh Williams from New Zealand, accidently tried to exit from the door and

found himself blocked in by the makeshift cell.

The judge was good hu-moured and managed to find another exit before sharing a laugh with the offi ce staff.

The department staff even put on a string band, not for offenders, but for the judging panel from the ministry of cul-tural development who spent yesterday morning visiting all the decorated ministries.

But it was not just the govern-ment ministries getting into the

swing of the fl ower festival. A number of private business-

es didn’t need a competition to get them to decorate their shop fronts with fl owers.

Foodland and CITC staff were all smiles as they too decorated their building fronts to main-tain the tradition and spirit of the week of fl owers.

With local flowers in full bloom – why not make use of them and get into the spirit of tiare week by wearing a fl ower behind your ear or an ei.

The winner of the judged competition will be announced tomorrow night during the grand finale of the Miss Tiare pageant.

With fi ve young maidens vy-ing for the title – there are sure to be quality performances seen on stage at the National Audi-torium.

Tickets to the fi nale evening are on sale at the ministry of cultural development at $7 for adults and $3 for kids.

- Matariki Wilson

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER , Cook Islands News 11

Tutai Matenga inside the foyer with a mass of fl owers, balloons and colour – justice staff went all out for the government department fl ower decoration competition yesterday. 09120814

Foodland staff Vaine Tangaroa and Viriama Taoro look pleased with their fl ower decoration. 09120817

Foodland decorator Teatuanui Koteka makes sure the fl ower decorations are works of art even though there was no decoration competition for private businesses this year. 09120819

A unusually welcoming sign at the courthouse, held up by Paula Paniani and Helen Williams. 09120811

Even an unused computer was decorated by the IT staff at the ministry of justice in the spirit of Tiare week. 09120808

12 WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER , Cook Islands News

Video interview training for offi cers

New Zealand police trainer Mike Higgie demonstrates to staff of the ministry of justice how the new video interviewing machine works. 09120822

THE GIFTS keep on coming for Cook Islands police with all of-fi cers currently receiving train-ing in video interviewing.

An interviewing machine was given by the NZAid-funded Pa-cific Police Development Pro-gram (PPDP) last week which can automatically record inter-views on to DVDs.

These may be used as evi-dence in court.

New Zealand police trainer Michael Higgie demonstrated the three disc machine last Fri-day for the ministry of justice staff. He said it was recommend-

ed through Cook Islands legis-lation and Crown Law opinion that video interviewing be used.

“At times there may be prob-lems with written statements and there’s always a question of did we record everything they’ve said,” Higgie said.

“It will mainly be used dur-ing serious crime investigations such as assault – it would be ideal to do it for everything but it becomes costly.”

Higgie said a suspect can ob-ject to being video interviewed as all statements are made vol-untarily. There is an option on

the machine to record audio only.

“This is a transparency proc-ess to make sure police are do-ing everything properly and recording everything. It allows everything to be shown by both parties.”

Higgie said once the record-ing is stopped, the discs are fi -nalised. Three copies are made -- a master, a police copy and a disclosure copy. As soon as the recording has fi nished the disc is wrapped signed and inserted into a locked cupboard.

Three detectives have recent-

ly returned from Porirua police academy in New Zealand after undergoing video interviewing training. Detective inspector Teakatauira Matapo, detective Priscilla Pareina and detective sergeant Roimata Peraua are now teaching Cook Islands po-lice the protocol and use of the machine.

“All offi cers will be trained all across the board,” Matapo said. “It will be used for serious cases such as rapes and assault.”

Higgie said the machine is expected to be in operation this week. - DK

Public respond to tree THE LITTLE tree with the big heart is up and almost away for the festive season after a success-ful debut.

The Westpac giving tree, launched at the Avarua branch last month, has seen an “ab-solutely fantastic” response according to Westpac general manager Rob Buick.

The tree holds the hopes of 83 children, represented by tags recording their age and gender.

Members of the public were in-vited to register a tag with op-erations analyst Jacqui Keenan and then purchase a gift based on the information in the tag.

Buick, who is a keen sup-porter of the children’s ward at Rarotonga hospital, says 52 of the tags have been claimed and a further $450 has come in via do-nations made at the bank tellers.

“The response has been really good and we want to say thank

you, thank you, thank you to all those who supported the cause,” says Buick. “We will defi nitely be continuing it next year.”

Today is the last day for the public to get the gifts in to the bank and make donations to the giving tree. Jacqui Keenan said over 50 percent of the pub-lic have already returned their gifts so far and Westpac staff have also purchased presents. Keenan and two others from

Westpac will be heading out to shop for the remaining tags on Thursday and Friday, using the money which members of the community have so kindly do-nated to the giving tree account.

The gifts will then be handed over to the ministry of internal affairs and Punanga Tauturu Inc for distribution to the children.

Cook Islands News has joined the giving tree spirit and donat-ed $50 towards the cause. - ET

Santa suit hire go for good cause

Good sport Graham Jamieson, on holiday from Rotorua, shows how easy it is to transform with Hospital Comforts’ Annie Fisher. 09120707

LOTS of things are better red: wine, lippie and Santa to name a few.

Unlike the first two, Santa doesn’t come in any other col-our, for he is the quintessential red man. And you could be him!

Hospital Comforts are a long running voluntary organisation and every year their four santa suits are hired out for $30.

The suits have had some memorable years, including one Santa who ended up in the water.

But they are made of light-weight material in keeping with the South Seas climate.

Hospital Comforts spokes-person Annie Fisher says the organisation is made up of be-tween 30 and 50 volunteers.

“Wherever there is a need, you just help out. That’s what we do,” says Fisher.

It’s a humble statement of the organisation’s community in-volvement, which ranges from giving blankets for the elderly last year and gifts for newborn babies, through to support for accident victims with no family in the Cook Islands.

The purchase and provision of wheelchairs, crutches and walkers is an added focus for the funds raised from the suits this year.

Visitor Graham Jamieson happily demonstrated how easy making the transformation to Santa is with one of the suits.

The gasfitter and plumber has never made an appearance as Santa before which goes to show how simple it is! So if you’re keen to cheer up the work Christmas party, Elf Annie can be reached on 23358/23356 for suit bookings. - ET

TO CATCH A THIEFAFTER reading yesterday’s front page headline, one reader says all the thieving is going on in the same areas – downtown Avarua, Arorangi and Ngatangiia. “Why is it so diffi cult for the police to fi nd the culprits?” he asks. “I sometimes wonder if they could track a wounded elephant in a metre of freshly fallen snow. One may also ask why leave a large sum of money in an establishment that has already been burgled twice?”

WHO ‘OFFED’ THE TAP?STAFF of the Ministry of Infrastructure and Planning are doing an excellent job installing water meters on Rarotonga’s trunk lines to help during these very dry times, a reader notes. “But for a ministry with the word planning in it, MOIP is doing a very poor job of informing the public when they’ll be turning off the water to do this work. Like on Saturday afternoon when many Ngatangiia residents suddenly had no water for two to three hours, some longer, without any warning at all. To get staff to work on a Saturday would have required bosses to plan in ad-vance…in future would the same bosses have the courtesy to warn the public in advance through a public advertisement, as other utility providers do?”

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER , Cook Islands News 13

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classifi eds pupu kite ngai okotai

MINISTRY OF HEALTH

Community Health Service NoticeEnvironmental Health Inspection Tutaka program for Rarotonga starting on Monday 7 December, 2009 to Wednesday 16 December, 2009Porokaramu Tutaka no Rarotonga nei, akamata Monite ra 7 Titema, 2009 ki te Ruitoru ra 16 Titema, 2009Day/Date. Area/VillageRa/Tuatau Ngai/OireDay 3. Wed 9.12.09 1. Tutakimoa 2. Teotue 3. Takuvaine Valley 4. Takuvaine Town 5. Parekura Day 4. Thur 10.12.09 1. Tupapa 2. Maraerenga 3. Pue 4. Kiikii 5. Ooa i Uta Day 5. Fri 11.12 09 1. Ooa i Tai 2. Tuarai 3. Matavera 4. Turangi 5. Avana Day 6. Mon 14.12.09 1. Muri – Ngatangiia 2. Tikioki 3. Titikaveka 4. Turoa 5. VaimaangaDay 7. Tue 15.12.09 1. Rutaki 2. Aroa 3. Kavera 4 Betela 5. AkaoaDay 8. Wed 16.12.09 1. Ruaau 2. Inave I Uta 3. Inave I Tai 4 Black Rock 5. Tokelau. The cooperation of everyone in the community is requested to further clean and destroy the breeding and resting places of mosquitoes and other pests. Areas of concern includes dwelling houses, overgrown vacant sections, neglected vacant houses, hedges, streams, sports fi elds and all working placesTe pati akaaka iatu nei ta tatou tauturu e te iti tangata note tama e te takore atu I te au ngai anau e te akangaroi anga o te au tu manumanu ravarai e totoa ana I te maki i roto i to tatou au ngutuaare Ka tutaka pakari ia teia au ngai nei koia oki ko te au enua vai ngangaere , ngutuare kare e noo ia ana e te vai tita nei, au pa kapaie roroa, kauvai, te au ngai tarekareka tipoti e te au ngai angaanga katoatoaMeitaki maataTuanga Paruru Maki

41407 / /1720

PUBLIC NOTICES

MINISTRY OF FINANCE & ECONOMIC MANAGEMENT

Attention All School Leavers!!!!!Have you recently completed 7th form and wondering where to next?Are you interested in fi nance & commerce but don’t know where to start?Would you like real work experience before heading off to University or for further studies?Well guess what? Our Young Achievers Programme can off er you a broad range of opportunities and career options to choose from within the Finance & Commerce sector…What you need to do? Apply for a position by sending in your applications and CV’s to Teu Teulilo at MFEM or email teu@MFEM.gov.ckOur successful candidates will be headed for an exciting and very rewarding experience with our dynamic team at MFEM.2 positions are up for grabs…so apply now. Applications close on 18th December 2009.

41657 / /1843

Public NoticeThe Public is hereby advised that the National Environment Service will;• Close for the festive season on Thursday, 24th of

December 2009 and;• Reopen on Tuesday, 5th January 2010 During the closure period, skeletal staff will be available for work related mattersCITES permits (Shells & Paua) and Building permits, please call;• Mr Turori Matutu – Mobile 55500• Mr Phillip Strickland – Mobile 55316• Mr Tuamotu Matamaki – Home 28629• Mr Keri Herman – Mobile 54250Island Futures/International agreements or Projects…etc, please call;• Ms Tania Temata – Mobile 55507Administration and Finance: please call;• Ms Ina Kamana – Mobile 55506Please KEEP our public areas CLEAN and GREEN through out the festive period and don’t forget to sort and recycle your waste.

“O au, e MAKONA Aorangi”“I’m an Environment Champion”

On behalf of the Minister of Environment Hon Ngamau Munukoa, the Rarotonga Environment Authority and all staff s of the National Environment Service, Aitutaki, Atiu, Mitiaro, Mauke and Rarotonga, I sincerely wish everyone a Safe and a Merry Christmas and a Prosperous New Year, 2010.Mr Vaitoti TUPADirector

41694 / /1807

PUBLIC NOTICES

PORTS AUTHORITY

For Sale By Tender “As is Where is”1 x PONTOON MOUNTED DRAGFLOW HY85B • HIGH-PREASURE SPRAY RING• Sykes hydraulic power pack powered by a water-

cooled Cummins 6CTA engine complete with reservoir pump and hoses. Diesel engine running at 1800 RPM, mounted on a 24-hour fuel tank skid base.

• Sykes HH80 Pressure pump• A-frame winch powered off engine battery• Control station fi lled with electric winch, on/off ,

bypass return for access pressure complete with pressure gauges, both pump controls start/stop.

• 9 x 12m HDPE Pipe (250 ID pipe with fl anges and backing rings.

Plus: 32 x barrels for fl oats• Pipe work to suit from pump set to discharge.• Hydraulic variable speed drive• Engine radiator protection• Cyclone separator

Submit tenders to: General Manager, Port Authority by courier or deposit into tender box at Ports Authority Offi ce, Avarua, Rarotonga, Cook Islands. Mark as TENDER. Tender closes 4pm on Friday 11 December 2009.Please direct all enquiries to General Manager, Ports Authority. Phone: +682 21920; Fax: +682 21191 Email: bim.tou@ports.co.ck

41566 / /1694

TENDERS

PUBLIC NOTICESNgati Karika Family. Urgent meeting today 4pm at the Pal-ace.41779 / /1935

Notice is hereby given that Mr Ben Bergman on behalf of Hi-dies Bar has fi led an application with the Liquor Licensing Au-thority for a Bar Liquor Licence to provide for the Sale of Liquor on the premises at:Avarua (Village)Rarotonga (Island)Days and Hours of Trading: Mondays to Thursdays inclu-sive and on Saturdays between the hours of 11.00am and 12.00 midnight and on Fridays from 11.00am to 2.00am Saturday. Any person who objects to the said application should do so in writing addressed to the Secretary, Liquor Licensing Au-thority, PO Box 61, Rarotonga by 18 December 2009.41744 / /2037

“Rarotonga Golf Club (RGC) Incorporate Annual General Meeting (AGM). Notice to all Full Playing Golf Club Members. The RGC AGM will be held at the Club House 12.30 noon Saturday 12th De-cember 2009. Agenda 1. Quorum members 2. Opening Pure3. Apologies4. AGM 2008 Minute - accept/

adopt5. Receiving of Committees Re-

ports: - President’s Report - Finance Report - Auditor’s Report6. Election of Offi cers and Com-

mittees of the Club7. Resolutions: - Subscriptions - Alter Rule 14 (b) ...fi nancial

period...via Rule 34 8. General Business9. Closing PureClub Secretary41608 / /1892

PUBLIC NOTICESPorts Authority 1994-95;

Harbour DuesProposed By-Laws imposing new price schedules for har-bour dues and other charges made by the Ports Authority in Rarotonga and Aitutaki have been printed and a copy of the proposed By-Laws is open to public inspection during offi ce hours at the offi ce of the Board of the Ports Authority, Avatiu Wharf, Rarotonga and the Ports Authority offi ces at Arutanga. Any queries or comments on the proposed By-laws should be addressed in writing to the General Manager of the Ports Authority, Bim Tou, and deliv-ered personally to the offi ces of the Ports Authority at the Avatiu Wharf or to the Ports Authority offi ces at Arutanga.41487 /8805 /1694

HO!HO!HO!SANTA SUITS for hire.$30 donation for Hospital Com-forts.Ring Elf Annie ph 23358/2335641716 / /2165

RESULTSCIP Quick Raffl e Result

First Prize Winner: Tkt # 095Second Prize Winner: Tkt # 093Third Prize Winner: Tkt # 020Thank you maata for your sup-port.CIP Executive41753 / /1822

TENDERS

Yamaha AG100 Motor Cycle Bike can be viewed at TAU Offi ce between 2.00pm and 4.00pm as of Monday 07th till Friday 11th Dec 09. Contact Rangi Nooana, on 20054 for more information.Address tender:“Motor Cycle Tender”CEOTAURarotongaClosing date Friday 11th Dec 09 at 3.00pm.41663 / /1823

SERVICES

41567 / /1896

The Salon, Tupapa.December special:Colour, cut & blow dry from $98. Bookings essential. Christmas gift ideas in store. Ph 22811.41701 /9032 /2451

Xmas is around the corner - get your septic tank cleaned. Quick service. Ph 50188.41705 / /2480

SERVICESLawn Mowing Services - Get yourself ready for Tutaka In-spection or for Festive Season. Call 52505.41725 / /2011

BUSINESSES FOR SALE

NZ$125,000, includes all chat-tels, equipment, artwork, furni-ture, recipes and inventory. For further information, call Bruce @ 26480 after 10am.41758 / /1805

REAL ESTATE3 bedroom, 2 bathroom house in good condition on 23 year lease, close to town. Ideal home for large family or home/offi ce. $115,000 ono. Ph 7566141550 / /1645

FOR RENTFurnished 3 Bedroom house in Tupapa minutes to town. Ph 21556 after hours.41746 / /1655

3 Bedroom Executive Home available now. Fully furnished with ensuite. Secluded location and minutes drive to town. Lo-cated upper Tupapa, backroad. Short term weekly rental or Long term. NEGOTIABLE. Con-tact Edith: 51744.41755 / /1762

1 bedroom separate furnished unit in Matavera 7 mins to Ava-rua. Can use swimming pool. Long term $185pw excl power & Gas or Tourist $250pw incl. Mob/ text: 75738 or Wk:21619 ext 3.41775 / /1780

Ph 22336foundation

Anim

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linic

14 WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER , Cook Islands News

COOK ISLANDS TRADES TRAINING CENTREAchieving excellence

NEW ENROLMENTS FOR 2010The Cook Islands Trade Training Centre with the Financial assistance of NZAID, is pleased to off er Night Courses for 2010 in the following areas:• National Certifi cate in Carpentry • National Certifi cate in Automotive Engineering • Cook Islands Appliance Service Technician (Electrical

registration)Courses will commence in February 2010 through to December 2010. If you want to take up a new challenge for 2010, work towards a trades qualifi cation and learn some practical skills, then now is the time to start. For more information and application forms, contact the Cook Islands Trades Training Centre on Ph: 21471 or just drop in and talk to either Boyd or Anna.Applications close Thursday 10th December 2009 no later than 12 noon.Entry Requirements:Level 1 Certifi cate or have 6th Form English or equivalent to LLF11 (USP)Meet the minimum NCEA literacy and numeracy.

41461 /8746 /2068

PUBLIC NOTICES

Te Putiare Tailoring Ltd

Any tailoring and upholstery needs ring us on 22156 or 55542.

(Team uniforms, trousers, etc)39342 / /2233

SERVICES

SERVICES

We also stock Air Curtains & Portable Aircons & handle all refrigeration & air conditioning

work & white ware servicing.

For the best deal & service on the island call into our depot at Panama or phone 24240.

Cook Islands Premier Air Conditioning & Refrigeration Company

We stock & install Daikin & Mitsubishi Air Conditioning units.

THESE TOP OF THE RANGE UNITS ARE THE MOST ENERGY EFFICIENT

& RELIABLE UNITS ON THE MARKET.

New Jazz Deck ChairsSturdy & Durable

Lounge Chairs - $400 each Tables - $150 eachSet 2 chairs & one Table - $850

Call or see Jim Bruce Aro’a Beachside Inn, Call 22166

41286 / /1997

FOR SALE

COOK ISLANDS AUDIT OFFICE

Auditor /Senior AuditorWe are seeking a dedicated and ambitious person to join our Financial and Crown audit team. Relevant accounting, fi nancial management or audit experience is essential.Preference will be given to individuals with, or working towards, a relevant tertiary qualifi cation, specifi cally in the area of accounting or fi nance. A good knowledge and understanding of Government and business systems is preferred. Applicants must be computer literate and possess very good written and oral communication skills. If you have an inquisitive mind, a keen interest in accountancy and fi nancial assignments, self motivated and work well in a team, please send your CV to: Audit Manager PO Box 659 Email: elizabeth.tommy@auditoffi ce.gov.ck Fax: 25-231Applications close 4pm Wednesday 9th December 2009.

41598 / /1975

SITUATIONS VACANT

MINISTRY OF FINANCE AND ECONOMIC MANAGEMENTA vacancy now exists in the Treasury Division of

MFEM for a

FUNDS MANAGERAs Funds Manager, you will draw on your experience of best fi nancial management practices and provide leadership and advice to other staff in Treasury to enable appropriate decision making on fi nancial issues which impact on the governments operations.The functions are of a wide range but will primarily concentrate on the following areas:· Funds/Debt Management· Management of Payments on Behalf of Crown and

Revenue on Behalf of Crown· Payroll Supervision· Numismatic Supervision· Financial ForecastingPersonal Specifi cation:· Conceptual and analytical ability.· Excellent skills in creating databases and conducting

analysis;· Excellent oral and written communication skills;· Preferably a degree in accounting/fi nance/public

administration or related fi elds but consideration will be given also to experienced candidates.

· Three to fi ve years of practical experience in funds management/fi nancial analysis.

· Team worker, prepared and able to pass on their knowledge and skills to others.

· Ability to concentrate in numbers and verifi cations.· Ensure confi dentiality of all information.Remuneration will be based on experience and qualifi cations.An electronic copy of the job description can be emailed to you upon request. If you believe that you can play a role in the development of our country through this position, please apply in writing to the Acting Treasury Operations Manager, MFEM, PO Box 99, Rarotonga or email (teu@mfem.gov.ck) by Friday 11 December 2009.

41420 / /1843

FOR RENTBrand new 3 bedroom house, fully furnished, Matavera back-road. Long term preferred. Ph 28810 (Mon-Fri 8am - 4pm), 52755.41730 / /1736

Banana Court Complex - Spaces For Lease

BC BarThe Banana Court Company is seeking an energetic lessee for the area currently occupied by the proprietors of the BC Bar & Nitespot. If you have what it takes, please submit your pro-posal to the CIIC offi ce, MFEM building, by 4pm, Wednesday 9th December 2009.Offi ce/storage spaceA shop is also available for lease located next to Salon de Her-mies. This area is suitable for an offi ce and/or storage area. All enquiries to Ruth Wainohu, BC Property Manager, phone 76779 after 4pm.41636 / /1948

3 bedroom house, fully fur-nished, Arorangi contact 58992, negotiable.41771 / /1931

2-bedroom house, fully fur-nished in Matavera, long term preferred, short term ok Ph 52241/21398.41742 /9082 /1931

2 x offi ce space for rent & cafe to rent. In Tupapa, two minutes to town, call Mata Mob: 55602.41770 / /1931

2 brm home with ensuite, with a self contained unit as 3rd bedroom/ensuite, on a large section, in a secluded location in Nikao, close to town and minutes drive to BCI and Telstra Stadium. Carports for at least 3x vehicles. Avail from 1st week in Jan. Contact details Mata Manu, Mob: 5560241769 / /1931

Studio units & 2 bedroom house in Turangi. Ph 79460.41625 /8919 /1931

FOR SALEStandard bar fridge Fisher & Paykel $250, fridge freezer $450. Ph 28336.41736 /9073 /1931

FOR SALEGazebo - with Brustics Thatch roof designed to last 20 years plus. Excess to need. Perfect for beach or motel/hotel, home garden or yard. Simple to in-stall and ready to go. $4500, ph 25544 or 51111.41715 / /1931

1x TV & DVD player, 1x TV 18” + CD,

1 Honda Daelim 100cc + 2 spare engine1 cupboard w/drawer med2 mowers (1x w/catcher, 1x masport)1 freezer med large.Phone 22710 8am to 12noon, 22490 After hours.41734 / /1736

Shelter Station 2 Car GarageWas $2620

Special clearance $2100(Assembly not included)Available at Vonnias Warehouse41692 /9104 /1893

Equipment for Sale, Water Blasters Petrol type 2700PSI $1400, Nilfi sk Alto Electric type 1850PSI $750. Concrete Mixer Electric Motor $750, Hand Mixer for mixing grout electric type $400, Mig Welder $600, Electric Motor 1 HP $400, B&D Hedge Trimmer $200, Makita Electric Chainsaw $350, Table Saw 10” $500, Bandsaw $500, Bench Grinder 8” $295, Drill Press 13mm Chuck $295, 5.5L Gas Water Heaters $300 Trader Don 22919.41542 /8822 /2058

Pigs for sale. Range of sizes, priced from $100. Contact Ph.22640/56612.41749 /9085 /1931

Taro pai 4 sale, full bag $100.Ph 50166.41761 /9093 /1931

For sale puppies lab cross $20 each for info ring 22640.41763 /9088 /1931

Holden Roden canopy excel-lent condition call 22212 or 53477.41765 /9089 /1931

Ride on mowerMercury Masport 20HP, 40inch cut, excellent condition $4200 ono. Ph 20272.41739 /9069 /1931

VEHICLES FOR SALEMGTF Replica sportscar. Cutest car on Raro! Going well. $3000Ph 27928 After hrs.41776 /9097 /1822

Road bike Carbon fi bre, titanium, shimano gears - wheels, look clips with specialised shoes, mint condi-tion $1000. Ph 55163.41703 /9019 /1931

Yamaha Crypton motorcycle, good condition. Inquiries con-tact mob 75371.41752 / /1904

2004 Daihatsu Hijet Van - Sturdy and reliable work horse. Cheap to run and will keep going. Very good working or-der and new wof, $10,000, ph 25544 or 51111.41714 / /1931

Typhoon 125 $600. Ph 22637.41724 / /1931

Toyota Lite Ace van, seat 8, good condition, $7000 ONO. Ph 25965.41731 /9075 /1931

Typhoon 125.9, Dalim 100cc for sale $1800 for two contact 23551.41767 /9095 /1931

GARAGE SALEWednesday & Thursday 8am on inland from P & D Electronics Atupa - 55222.Tyres, tools, 30 cup rice cooker, van parts, Typhoon parts, ta-bles and much more.41732 /9101 /1931

SITUATIONS VACANTA fantastic opportunity will become available from the 3rd of January for a Main Front Of-fi ce Person/ Sales Rep at Coco-nut Tours in Muri Beach. This role will involve all-round duties so applicants must be fl exible, reliable, responsible, honest have great personality and show excellent customer /communication skills. Full time from Monday - Saturday You must be able to work in a fast paced hands-on team envi-ronment . Mature age persons preferred.Phone 24004 or 55579.41611 / /1800

SITUATIONS VACANTTe Marae Ora is seeking the services of a full time Ambu-lance Offi cer.The successful candidate will need to be fi t and active and possess excellent people skills. Ideally the applicant should have had experience in a health related environment and hold a current fi rst aid certifi cate. You will be required to work shifts on a rotational basis.For a copy of the job description and application form please contact Human Resources on 29664 or email m.anguna@health.gov.ckApplications close 21 December 2009.41774 / /1720

WANTED20 foot refrigeration cotainer, should be good condition call 22212 or 53477.41764 /9089 /1931

WANTED TO BUYOld and unwanted jewellery and scrap gold for cash.9ct 14ct 18ctTop $ paid Phone 54436.41621 / /1969

BIRTHDAY

BIRTHDAY

To a dear mama whose special day is today,

here wishing you have an enjoyable birthday

today and here wishing you many more birthdays to come, Have fun Mama Mel, with love from your

lil witch Heinarii.

The King of Pantherland has finally turned 40 Here’s hoping that you get spoilt rotten with royalty and

pledging to the women in your life(office) to please slap you with the nastiest kisses from all of us who love you dearly.

Will be sure to put in a treat for you this weekend King BB cos youre just the best around.

Ps: Pictures taken just before crowning King Black Beauty

DIAL-A-DRIVER 55-580

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER , Cook Islands News 15

GOT A STORY?text us on

or call us at Cook Islands News

$Currency

NEED MONEY? CALL ADVANCE PAY CURRENCY WE BUY WE SELLUS DOLLAR . .AUS DOLLAR . .GB POUND . .CAN DOLLAR . .EURO . .

Mana Court Downtown AvaruaPhone 29907

Rates updated 10.30am daily

Best foreign exchange rates in town

THE PHANTOM ® By Lee Falk & Sy Barry

HÄGAR the Horrible ® By Dik Browne

Su-Do-Ku Easy

InstructionsPlace the numbers 1 to 9 in the blank squares so that no digit is repeated in each row, each column or each 3 x 3 square.

Answer to Tuesday’s puzzle

Flight Times 1 Voyage details 1 Currency Rates

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BIRTHDAY

Happy 40Happy 40thth Birthday Birthday

Wishing you a Happy 40th Birthday on this

special day. You have always been someone special and will

always remain that special father in our hearts. Yes-terday was history, tomorrow’s a mystery and today

is a gift and that’s why it’s called the present. You are our present, our gift, our heart and our mentor. You

have carried us through thick & thin. We love you Dad. Karatiana, Wallace and Mum.

Bringing out the bulldozer

Too old to weed by hand, Tearii Mave watches on as a bulldozer clears weeds from his section. 09120802

THE BIANNUAL tutaka is well underway and around Raro-tonga, people are cleaning their sections, homes and working spaces for the public health in-spection.

For some, the inspections are a time to take stock and pull out the heavy duty machinery -- in

one man’s case, a bulldozer. For section owner Tearii

Mave, using the machinery is about keeping up with the times especially in his old age.

“I’m getting too old to clear and weed by hand. Using a bull-dozer makes it easier and also levels the ground,” he said.

Mave is aggrieved at the amount of household rubbish being dumped by the shore and in the bushes around

Takitumu. “You don’t mind people us-

ing it as a resting area, it’s a nice place. But as a dumping ground

for rubbish it’s beyond a joke,” he said.

Household waste manage-ment systems, overgrown sec-

tions and piggeries are a special focus for this round of tutaka which concludes on Friday.

- Edna Takaroka

theWEATHER te REVA

Forecast thanks to Cook Islands Meteorological Service.

16 WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER , Cook Islands News

SPORTtarekareka

New Pacifi c rugby league federation formedIN AN historic move, the Pacifi c Rim nations have united to form the Pacifi c Islands Rugby League Federation (PIRL).

P I R L was formed after a board meeting of the Rugby League International Federa-tion in Australia last week, and will be an affi liate of RLIF.

The federation is a partner-ship between Papua New Guin-ea, Tonga, Samoa, Fiji and the Cook Islands. All fi ve countries

took part in the recent Pacific Cup played in Australia and Pa-pua New Guinea.

To date these rugby league nations have acted largely in isolation of one another in the development of the sport of rugby league. Now that has all changed according to a media release from the federation.

“Through the collaboration of PIRL, the Pacifi c nations have strengthened their position,”

said the release. “They now speak with one voice in the in-terest of rugby league and will use rugby league as a tool for social change.”

PI R L will advance educa-tional development and create opportunities in rugby league in the areas of youth, coaching, ref-ereeing and administration in the Pacifi c Rim and internation-ally, and it will focus on under 16s and under 18s in the region.

“PIRL is also committed to promoting healthy living of the youth in the Pacifi c Rim region and will support talent identifi -cation programnmes to provide opportunities for youth to play to elite level.”

Minister Philemon Embel, Papua New Guinea minister for sports and chairman of the PNG National Rugby League bid, has been appointed as the chairman of the PIRL Federation.

Embel will also represent the interests of PNG during the transition phase of the PN-GRFL board.

“The formation of PIRL is an historic occasion and I am look-ing forward to working with my Pacifi c brothers to drive social change in the Pacific region through rugby league,” said Embel.

“In Papua New Guinea, we are actively progressing the de-

velopment of infrastructure for the benefi t of rugby league.”

He adds the directors of PIRL share a common bond, bringing the people of the Pacifi c togeth-er with one voice and one heart providing a structured path for Pacifi c Rim youth.

“PIRL has been formed, not just to make a change, but pri-marily to make a difference,” he said.

- PIRL

Junior tennis guns ready for New Zealand

09120401

FUTURE Cook Islands tennis stars (from left) Arama Wigmore (14), Jake Bergman (12), Tamatoa Nooroa (14), Roland Neururer (13), Lilian Maui (15), Ngana Nicholas (13) Tama Payne (13) and Fredrick Pickering (14) are ready for their New Zealand tennis tour next weekend.

The group of elite junior tennis players including Taylor and Alex Beddoes will be heading to the Auckland Christmas Tourna-ment scheduled to start on December 17.

All 10 tennis players have attended this tournament before with a number of them winning various age divisions.

Each of the local players will play in their age grade division then test themselves in older age grade divisions. Top junior play-ers Ngana Nicholas, Fredrick Pickering and Lilian Maui are expected to play in the under 18 division.

While their coach Malcolm Kajer awaits their arrival in Auckland, they are being put through the paces by stand-in coach Ngatere Samuel.

The team head to New Zealand next week-end for the seven-day tournament.

- Matariki Wilson

Cricket announce new umpire coordinators

New umpire coordinators Matt Beasley (left) and Apii Mamanu (right) during the presentation of the Cookie Cup to Arorangi.

LOCAL umpires to get boost with Cook Islands Cricket’s new announcement of umpire coordinators.

With the overwhelming suc-cess of the Cook Islands Cricket Associations recent umpiring course and the subsequent de-sire of local aspiring umpires to pursue umpiring and further develop their skills has seen the establishment of new roles

within CICA. “Interest in pursuing umpir-

ing has been so overwhelming that we have established umpire coordinator positions to sup-port their development” said general manager Alister Stevic.

John Beasley and Apii Ma-manu have been appointed from a strong fi eld of applicants to these new positions.

Beasley said that he was ex-

cited to become involved in such a booming facet of the game and was excited about supporting that growth.

“I am very happy to be se-lected as an umpire coordina-tor along side Apii. It was obvi-ous during our training that we have got a great group of people who have put their hands up to be umpires.

“I think all players would

have noticed increased quality and confi dence on the fi eld and this will mean the game will be better for everyone. I look forward to being able to assist all umpires in their important role,” said Beasley.

With fi nals and play offs this weekend qualifi ed umpires will be out in force offi ciating on the biggest games of the season.

- CIC

09120803

Forecast Map 2pm Wednesday

V

Front Key: Cold Warm Occluded Stationaryy

.M NW

.M SW

Rarotonga Wednesday, December ,

Swell direction and size

Weather Forecast to MidnightIssued at 2pm at Rarotonga

Situation: An east to southeast wind fl ow prevails over Southern Cooks. A trough is expected to develop today over the northern parts of the group.A moist east to northeast wind fl ow aff ect Northern Cooks.

Forecast to midnight for the Southern Cooks: Moderate east to southeast winds.Fine apart from few cloudy periods.Moderate seasFurther outlook: Mainly fi ne.

For Rarotonga: Fine apart from few cloudy periods today. Rain expected over the northern parts today.Further outlook: Brief showers.

For the Northern Cooks:Moderate east to northeast winds.Cloudy periods with few showers about Pukapuka, Nassau, Rakahanga and Manihiki. Elsewhere, fi ne.Moderate seas.Further outlook: Mainly fi ne.

TidesWED High .AM .M .PM .M

Low .AM .M .PM .M

THU High .AM .M .PM .M

Low .AM .M .PM .M

Sun & Moon

Full Moon Last Quarter New Moon First QuarterDEC JAN DEC DEC

WED Sun Rise .AM Sun Set .PM

Moon Rise .AM Moon Set .PM

THU Sun Rise .AM Sun Set .PM

Moon Rise .AM Moon Set .PM

HumidityWED Morning %

Night %

THU Morning %

Night %

Outer Islands Weather Outlook Wednesday, December ,

Aitutaki Mangaia Mitiaro Atiu Penrhyn Mauke

° ° ° ° ° °SW KTS SE KTS S KTS S KTS NE KTS S KTS

°SE KTS

Sunshine hours

.M SW

.M NN

.M SW

.M SE

2009 Rarotonga netball fi rst round championship table

10 & under W PtsAvatiu 5 10Arorangi 3 6Tupapa 3 6 Titikaveka 2 4Ngatangiia 1 2 Takuvaine 1 212 & under W PtsArorangi 5 10Avatiu 4 8Titikaveka 3 6Tupapa 2 4Ngatangiia 1 2Takuvaine 0 014 & under W PtsArorangi 5 10Titikaveka 4 8Takuvaine 2 (1dr) 5Avatiu 2 4Tupapa 5 (1dr) 3Ngatangiia 0 016 & under W PtsTitikaveka 5 10Tupapa 4 8Arorangi 3 6Ngatangiia 2 4Avatiu 1 2Takuvaine 0 019 & under W PtsAvatiu 5 10Takuvaine 4 8Tupapa 2 (1dr) 5Arorangi 2 (1dr) 5Titikaveka 1 2Ngatangiia 0 0Open 2 W PtsAvatiu 4 8Ngatangiia 4 8Arorangi 3 6Tupapa 2 4Takuvaine 1 2Titikaveka 1 2OPEN 1 - 1st Round W PtsTitikaveka 5 10Avatiu 4 8Takuvaine 3 6Tupapa 2 4Arorangi 1 2Ngatangiia 0 0Reserves W PtsTupapa 4 8Arorangi 3(1dr) 7Titikaveka 3 6Avatiu 3 6Ngatangiia 1 (1dr) 3Takuvaine 0 0Premier W PtsTitikaveka 5 10Tupapa 4 8Takuvaine 3 6Ngatangiia 2 4Arorangi 1 2Avatiu 0 0

Swim Bike Run Finish Roland Neururer (PUA) 13:33 34:33 20:06 1:09:55Geoff Stoddart (TAT) 13:29 33:47 21:32 1:10:27Vanessa Palmer (TAT) 11:52 37:09 21:18 1:12:00Kelly Pick (TAK) 12:46 39:03 18:31 1:12:25Thomas Henderson (TAK) 12:43 36:49 22:17 1:13:29Kevin Henderson (TAK) 12:24 38:14 21:19 1:14:15Jennie George (PUA) 14:32 38:19 23:18 1:18:16Terry Meyer (TAK) 13:43 39:49 22:55 1:18:44AIR NZ 12:30 45:48 22:13 1:21:54Jeff Cook (PUA) 18:14 40:42 28:37 1:30:23Rangi Apera (TAK) 16:29 42:25 29:31 1:31:11Mark Tatam (TAK) 21:57 44:57 24:31 1:33:31Nick Reeves (TAK) 14:48 44:34 29:57 1:34:48Colin Fearon (TAK) 17:10 47:52 29:30 1:37:30Apii Napa (PEN) 15:55 46:30 33:19 1:38:19Louise Wittwer 13:30 38:57 24:11 1:16:38Peta Ngari 16:21 37:33 23:19 1:17:13Mel Wilson 13:16 38:24 29:11 1:20:51Myland Lane 11:20 39:28 30:19 1:21:07Kiriana Matara 41:28 27:56 1:21:14Mona Pokoati 14:24 36:35 30:30 1:21:29Sue Fletcher-Vea 43:16 39:35 1:33:25

Codes and venuesThe codes, venues and date of the 2009 Cook Islands Games are (no play on Good Friday, April 10):

Swimming Tikioki/Avarua harbour April 7 & 11Athletics Matavera fi eld April 8-9Basketball National Auditorium April 6-8Boxing National Auditorium April 9Golf Rarotonga golf cours April 6-9Lawn bowls Rarotonga Bowling Club April 3-9League sevens Tupapa fi eld April 6 & 7Netball National Auditorium April 7-11Rugby sevens Avatiu fi eld April 11Sailing Aitutaki lagoon April 4-11Squash St Joseph’s courts April 6-8Table tennis Aroa Nui hall April 4 & 6Tennis Raemaru hardcourts April 4-9Touch football Raemaru Park April 4Triathlon Avatiu wharf April 4Oe vaka Avarua/Muri April 6, 7, 11Volleyball Nikao school April 4 & 6

KEY FOR FORECAST

S SUNNY

C CLOUDY

O OVERCAST

SH SHOWERS

R RAIN

T THUNDERSTORMS

CY CYCLONE

PCSH CLOUDY WITH ISOLATED SHOWERS

PC PARTLY CLOUDY

N

S

EW

NW NE

SESW