Niue

The Prime Minister arrived in Niue as part of her week-long trip around the Pacific Islands and was greeted by her parents, sister and niece today.

Ms Ardern's father, Ross Ardern, is New Zealand's High Commissioner in the country and served as Police Commissioner since 2003.

During her traditional welcome, Ms Ardern was asked the purpose of her trip here.

"I replied - at least I believed I replied in Niuean - that I come in peace. If I could've added 'I also come in joy', I would've," she said.

Having caused widespread flooding and damage in Samoa and American Samoa as a category two storm, Gita had veered southeast and was forecast to pass close to Niue's east coast overnight.

The Fiji Meteorological Service, which is responsible for warnings in the region, said Gita continued to intensify, and would likely do so for the coming day.

On current forecasts, it is expected to pass very close to the island's east coast, possibly as a category three storm.

The NPC said the issue comes down to a lack of power generation at the Power House and the corporation is down to one engine generating supply to the whole island.

The NPC said the engine can only provide power up to 470 Kilowatts.

The company said demand exceeded that level, leading to the decision to turn off power on the north side of the island from 5pm to 11pm last night and then 11pm until 5am this morning on the south side.

Niue Power said they are looking at a better solution and apologise but power cuts are inevitable.

Niue, which has a population of 1700 plans have 8 sports at its games, should it be awarded the hosting rights.

American Samoa who hosted the 1997 Mini Games is the second country to put its hands up.

Pacific Games Council president Vidya Lakhan has advised both Niue and American Samoa that Executive Director Andrew Minogue will follow up in the New Year with the necessary documents.

Future Games hosts- Samoa (2019 Pacific Games), Northern Marianas (2021 Mini Games) and Solomons (2023 Pacific Games) reported to the PGC on the progress of their preparations.

Sir Toke Talagi has already been in Auckland for nearly two months.

He said he was getting better but was still in need of treatment.

Sir Toke had serious health issues last year, requiring him to be medivacced from the island to New Zealand on two occasions.

Niue passes a deficit budget

Meanwhile, the Niue parliament has passed the 2017 Budget, leaving the island with a deficit of about $US800,000 dollars.

This will help further assist in the protection and conservation of humpback whales in the Pacific.
The announcement was made at the Whales in a Changing Conference, now underway in Nuku'alofa.
 

"The New Zealand Government will be providing funding for Niuean NGO Oma Tafua to conduct humpback Whale research in Niue," announced Her Excellency Sarah Walsh, the New Zealand High Commissioner in Tonga.

The airline has been operating a second flight only during the high season and was due to return to the twice weekly flights from the end of this month.

The Secretary to the Niue government Richard Hipa said Niue had signed an air services agreement with the airline for the second flight to continue through the low season.

"It's good news for us and we just hope there'll be bums on seats to make it economical."

Work is expected to start early next year on the facility, which will include an auditorium, stage, library, archive storage and a cafe.

Project Director Vilnus Talagi said the New Zealand government has agreed to provide $US2.7 million US dollars for the centre.

He said it will give a home to artefacts in Niue which have been in storage following Cyclone Heta in 2003, and items they hope to repatriate from museums overseas.

The message: Come and play the ukulele with us.

Niue Tourism Chief Executive Felicity Bollen says the occasion will be Niue’s forthcoming, inaugural, four-day Ukulele Festival - “NiueKelele” - in October. “We may not be able to match the global film audience Dwayne got from his ukulele cameo in ‘Journey 2: The Mysterious Island’, but we can offer him the unique chance to play in front of an entire nation - I can guarantee it.

“And playing ‘What a wonderful world’, as he did in the movie, would be the perfect choice – that’s us.”

Under an agreement signed in the late 1990s, Niue sold the use of its .nu internet domain name which funded wireless access for the island.

But the Chief Executive of Rocket Systems, Emani Lui, said that was no longer a profitable venture, and it last month increased its charges for wifi access.