|
Swedes send 300kg clothing
Govt expects more NZ aid for Aitutaki
$5.5m from NZ
Bulldogs need some mongrel
What did Aitutaki residents think of the recovery plan?
NZ firms up commitment to Aitutaki recovery plan
Recovery plan for Aitutaki to manage disaster risk
Swedes send 300kg clothing
Wed
17 Mar
When Roxy Bifrare rang her mum in Switzerland the night before Cyclone Pat hit Aitutaki, she warned her that “something bad was coming” and she wasn’t sure she’d be able to ring the next day.
That night, Bifrare and her partner Allister Webb evacuated just before Cyclone Pat ripped their home to shreds, and blew Bifrare’s modem out with the wall. She wasn’t able to ring her mum, who meanwhile had contacted Roxy’s mate Cedric. Her mum and Cedric, anxiously awaiting news from south of the equator, hurriedly organised a fundraising drive to help the people of Aitutaki.
Cedric designed a Facebook page and another of Roxy’s mates, a Swiss journalist, published an article beseeching support. They spread the word at the school where Roxy taught prior to moving to Aitutaki, and students came forward to donate old clothes.
Her mum, students and friends in Switzerland gathered 300 kg of clothes, piled them into eight boxes and held a fundraiser to cover the cost of shipping them from Europe to Rarotonga via Air NZ.
Air Raro has agreed to transport the boxes free of charge
to Aitutaki, and also paid for Roxy to come to Rarotonga to check that the transfer went smoothly.
Roxy said that she’s still got to figure out how to distribute the clothing, and has already asked people back home to send crayons and paper and supplies for schoolchildren.
“We’re doing whatever we can do, but it’s so far away,” Roxy said. “It’s just working so well. I’m really surprised.”
Roxy is grateful to everyone back home who made an effort to help the people of Aitutaki and to Air Raro.
Govt expects more NZ aid for Aitutaki
Wed
17 Mar
Finance Minister Wilkie Rasmussen believes New Zealand government will contribute more to the cyclone recovery plan for Aitutaki on top of the $5.5 million package it announced last week.
The minister, who is also the recovery coordinator for the $9.46 million recovery plan, says the package NZ has provided so far falls short of what is needed. Government is only contributing about $2.7 million to the recovery plan.
Rasmussen has previously said he expected NZ to contribute $8-10 million in aid for the plan to rebuild the island struck by Cyclone Pat.
“It’s not the end. I understand we will be looking more into the future provisions from New Zealand,” said Rasmussen yesterday.
The 12 month plan has yet to officially get off the ground with the Aitutaki community already complaining they are still waiting for government to provide the housing grants and other financial relief proposed.
Last Friday, NZ Foreign minister Murray McCully said the $5.5 million NZ the package was a substantial contribution to the Cook Islands government recovery and reconstruction plan.
Rasmussen remains optimistic about receiving further aid for Aitutaki from NZ.
In the immediate aftermath of the cyclone last month, NZ provided $350,000 for emergency relief efforts as well as a Hercules and engineering team to support local efforts.
$5.5m from NZ
Sat
13 Mar
New Zealand yesterday announced a $5.5 million reconstruction package for Aitutaki.
NZ foreign minister Murray McCully issued a statement yesterday saying the package was a substantial contribution to the Cook Islands government recovery and reconstruction plan.
But the contribution falls short of finance minister Wilkie Rasmussen’s estimation that NZ would provide an $8-10 million aid package.
Last week government proposed a $9.46 million plan to be carried out over the next 12 months, putting $2.7 million in available funding from the budget into the first stages of the plan.
NZ has already provided $350,000 for emergency relief efforts as well as a Hercules and engineering team to support local efforts in the immediate aftermath of the cyclone last month.
“Cyclone Pat caused serious devastation on Aitutaki. Around 80 percent of the houses on the island were affected in some way, and 72 were completely destroyed,” McCully said.
“Funding will be made available through a grant scheme for the purchase of construction materials to repair damaged homes. There will also be significant support for the rebuilding of destroyed houses. The details of this support are currently being finalised with the Cook Islands government and will be announced next week.
“The reconstruction package will also meet the cost of improving cyclone shelters and early warning systems to ensure the Aitutaki community is better prepared in the future,” said McCully.
He acknowledged that tourism on Aitutaki is a vital income source for the country.
“Our assistance will help get things back to ‘business as usual’ as quickly as possible, and ensure the economy does not suffer long-term effects.”
McCully said support will be provided for the removal of debris and the restoration of essential public infrastructure, including the hospital, schools and water supply.
The funding will come from the joint New Zealand and Australian development assistance programme for the Cook Islands.
CINews has asked Rasmussen to respond to questions on government’s contingency plan to make up the funding shortfall but he was unable to provide comment yesterday.
What did Aitutaki residents think of the recovery plan?
Fri
12 Mar
|
|
Reureu resident Tupuariki Puna in front of his house that suffered only minimal damage from last month’s cyclone.
10030543
|
Vaipae councillor
Temanu Unuka
“This is what the people have been waiting for. We should build block houses for the new homes.”
Island secretary
Sabati Solomona
“It is a very good plan. We appreciate what government has come up with. Assistance will now be going to the needy and the recovery of the economy. It is not only a plan for what (Cyclone) Pat has done to Aitutaki but a recovery plan for Aitutaki. Everyone has been affected – even if your home is not blown down – it’s both direct and indirectly. The plan has been done in very good time, everyone who worked on it should be commended.”
Aitutaki MP
Terepai Maoate Jnr
“The housing policy is good. It was a pity government was not able to come in straight away with this. I would have thought category two (26-50 percent damaged home) would get more assistance, but otherwise it’s good. For the private sector the assistance is good but $1 million for small businesses means tourism businesses are only getting a drop in the bucket.”
Tourism industry
member Mike Henry
“Time is of the essence. Every day longer (without assistance) costs more money. If the funds are available, we could be spending tomorrow and moving forward.”]
Ureia resident
Katapu Natua
“It’s a great start. We’ll be better off now.”
Arutanga resident ‘
Ana Jessie
“It’s a terrific idea. It gives us some satisfaction after not knowing where to get answers from before.”
Nikaupara resident
Tukumate Ngatuakana
“We’re happy we’ve finally got some help from the government and now everybody’s heard about it.”
Reureu resident
Tupuariki Puna
“I’m very, very happy, as some people expressed their opinion, they really appreciate what the government has done. The government has done a very good job in giving us finances.”
Nikaupara resident
Kira Tschan
“We are happy. My house is still standing but we have been sheltering our family who lost theirs, so this will be good news for them.”
NZ firms up commitment to Aitutaki recovery plan
Fri
12 Mar
New Zealand has confirmed up to $1.2 million more in
support towards the $9.46 million Aitutaki cyclone recovery plan.
The NZ government has yet to publicly announce its aid toward the recovery project, but in a letter from the acting New Zealand High Commissioner, Nicola Ngawati, to minister of finance and recovery coordinator Wilkie Rasmussen, some commitment has now been made.
Rasmussen announced last week that NZ had indicated it would support the recovery plan with $8-10 million in funding – mostly to cover the costs of rebuilding homes and basic infrastructure on the cyclone devastated island.
Rasmussen told CI News last week that because government only has about $2.7 million to allocate to the recovery plan, it is relying on NZ to cover most of the funding.
Yesterday he said he remained confident that NZ would confirm its total funding commitment soon and that it would
be as much as indicated in talks with NZ officials, including foreign affairs minister Mur-ray McCully.
Apparently NZ hopes to re-allocate unspent funds from the NZAID/AusAID programme to support ‘aspects’ of the recovery and reconstruction plan.
Ngawati’s letter states that the funding can support the $705,000 repairs to public infrastructure which include water pumps and galleries ($368,000), repairs to the hospital ($293,768) and schools ($42,754). The Cook Islands Investment Corporation has been working with the NZHC office on the contracts for this work.
According to Ngawati’s letter, NZ is also going to pay for the $530,410 to be spent on disaster risk management activities which include the clean up of debris, training, improving evacuation shelters and early warning systems.
NZ has already responded to the Aitutaki disaster by providing a Hercules relief flight and $350,000 in relief funding. The Cook Islands Red Cross received $100,000 of this to provide emergency supplies, and the remainder was used to buy building material to repair schools and provide relief supplies and equipment.
Rasmussen said yesterday that he is considering a trip to Wellington to visit McCully to talk about the aid commitment to the recovery plan, but he believes NZ will not turn away from supporting the Pacific country it has its closest ties with and whose people are NZ citizens.
Recovery plan for Aitutaki to manage disaster risk
Thu
11 Mar
Government hopes to spend over half a million dollars on improving Aitutaki’s disaster awareness following Cyclone Pat’s destruction last month.
As part of the $9.46 million cyclone recovery plan announced last week, a strategy has been put together to help the island better manage its disaster risk.
The recovery needs assessment showed that communities want to address their exposure to disaster risk by carrying out clean-up activities, improving early warning systems (such as the meteorological station), strengthen housing and public buildings and improve the delivery of water and electricity.
The recovery plan says existing preparedness procedures and evacuation shelters need to be improved too.
Government wants to fund and oversee the update of the island’s disaster response plan, the collection of debris, disposal of roofing iron and purchase of a compacting machine, as well as raise awareness through community workshops and activities in schools, train local carpenters in disaster resilient building techniques, and replace the damaged meteorological station.
|
