Neu: 2002-03-01 Contents of this issue:
1. Ban Law Dropped 2. Where's The Requisition ? 3. Niue's high school has had a "bit of a rough start," 4. Up And Away ======================================================================== March 1st, 2002 1. Ban Law Dropped: Norfolk Island's Legislative Assembly has dropped controversial legislation that would have banned people with HIV or hepatitis B or C from moving to the island reports Radio Australia. The Australian Federation of AIDS's Don Baxter said AIDS-related organisations are relieved that the island's government has opted to conduct a full review of its immigration policy. He said they had made many representations to the government that rather than simply ban people with certain diseases, assessment should be made on the basis of their overall health status. "The justification was given as undue cost on the health care system," Mr. Baxter said, "and yet there are more expensive diseases than treatment of HIV and especially hepatitis B, which is virtually nothing. So it was clearly just prejudice dressed up as a public health cost argument." 2. Where's The Requisition ?: Investors in the Hotel Niue, re-opened six months ago, are now asking the government for financial assistance. The Niue Investment Company which is reported to have raised $40,000 from local and expatriate shareholders has a three year lease on the Alofi property and wants money to upgrade the aging kitchen and bar facilities. Its been alleged that investment incentives were discussed with the government prior to the company taking over the hotel before the October 2001 constitution celebrations. As the company prepares to launch its marketing programme for the upcoming tourist season investors have expressed disappointment at the government's reluctance to respond to requests for assistance. Apparently the hotel is not facing a financial crisis - bar takings, lunches and BBQ's are keeping it afloat. But Matua Rex the Cabinet minister in charge of private sector development is reported to have told TV News that he's seeking legal advice on the investors request. The government owns the 27 year-old hotel which was formerly used as a medical school for overseas students.Government closed down the controversial medical school after it became insolvent when the management changed hands and was run by the teaching staff headed by Dean Randy Beck. Mr Rex has previously refused to answer questions in the Legislative Assembly about the terms of the lease to the Niue Investment Company, headed by politician and airline agent Toke Talagi. 3. Niue's high school has had a "bit of a rough start," reports Niue TV News. They quote principal Takili Talagi as expressing concern over poor attendances and the lack of resources. Unreturned text books over several years have left many students without any reference texts and the school management is concerned at the standard of uniforms this year. About 230 students are enolled at Niue high school. A former NZ trained and qualified teacher at the school who resigned after a pay dispute in October 2001 told Niue News Online that the school has suffered the long term effects of 10 local teachers resigning after being threatened with dismissal. "You cannot have 10 staff leave and expect everything to carry on without any long term problems," said the teacher who asked not to be named. The teacher said expatriate staff were employed at twice the pay rates of the locals who resigned and the "rough start" to the new scholastic year comes as no surprise. 4. Up And Away: While Niue's PremierSani Lakatani wants to launch a satellite to establish the tiny isolated island as the information hub of the Pacific, Europe's largest and most expensive satellite has successfully begun its voyage to monitor the health of the planet, blasting off from the Kourou spaceport in French Guiana. The environmental satellite, Envisat, soared into the night sky aboard a giant Ariane 5 rocket. It took off right on schedule. The 10 instruments on Envisat will provide vital information on how the Earth's land, oceans, ice caps and atmosphere are changing. The data it collects will be analysed by scientists and inform European policies on the environment. Weighing more than 8,000 kg, and measuring 10 metres in length, the satellite is the largest payload to be launched on an Ariane vehicle. The satellite weighs 8.2 tonnes and circles the Earth every 100 minutes from 800 km up The project cost 2.3bn Euros (£1.4bn) The satellite will circle the planet every 100 minutes in a polar orbit, looking down from a height of 800 kilometres (500 miles). Niue's satellite is expected to cost $NZ700 million and could be launched within five to eight years. The island's American advisor is reported to be seeking funding from venture capitalists. __END__
