Neu: 2002-04-20 Contents of this issue:
1. Party Time 2. Flag Day Celebrations 3. Cosmopolitan Manukau ======================================================================== April 20th, 2002 1. Party Time: Candidates in today's Niue general election were yesterday patronising the government liquor bond store and butchery outlet preparing for celebratory parties after the official results are announced tonight.Retailers said BBQ steaks and sausages were in strong demand with steady beer sales.TV Niue and its sister service Radio Sunshine will be broadcasting results as they come to hand.The weather is predicted to be fine and following tradition a high percentage of voters are expected to visit the 14 village booths. 2. Flag Day Celebrations: Tonga's king and queen and Samoa's head of state lead the regional guests in American Samoa for the annual Flag Day celebrations. King Taufa'ahau Tupou and Queen Halaevalu Mata'aho arrived accompanied by the royal party for the Flag Day, celebrating raising of the American flag over American Samoa 102 years ago. A lead delegation from Tonga arrived last week. Members reportedly met with local government officials to discuss a number of issues, including the Tongan government warehouse in Tafuna. Head of state Malietoa Tanumafili II heads the delegation which arrived from neighboring independent Samoa. Also attending the Flag Day festivities is the Head of the Tokelau government, Aliki Faipule Pio Tuia, who arrived on Monday with the Tokelau delegation.(PINA Nius OnLine). 3. Cosmopolitan Manukau: It's official - Manukau is New Zealand's third largest and fastest growing city. It is home for thousands of Niueans who have moved from their homeland to New Zealand. Latest census figures show Manukau's population has grown by 20 per cent - more than 57,000 people - since 1991. It now accounts for 15 per cent of New Zealand's total population growth. Manukau's population is 283,197, including 145,413 females and 137,784 males. It has the largest Maori population in the country, with more than 44,000 people identifying themselves as Maori. However, Samoan is the most commonly spoken language after English and Manukau remains the city with the highest Pacific population. Almost 27 per cent of our people are Polynesian, compared with 6.5 per cent nationally. Asian people make up 15 per cent, compared with 6.6 per cent in the whole of New Zealand. Just over half of Manukau residents are European, compared to 80 per cent in the rest of New Zealand, and 16.5 per cent are Maori. Manukau's image as a young city still rings true. The median age is 30.8, four years younger than the national median, while 27 per cent of Manukau people are under 15, compared with 22.7 per cent in the rest of New Zealand. __END__
