NEWSPAGE 18 March
2011

(Photos: ASB Polyfest)

NEW ZEALAND: Special function at ASB Polyfest with Christchurch group

SAMOA: Samoans use competition for RWC preparations
Source: Fiji Times

Samoa A is aiming to finish the Pacific Rugby Cup competition on a high note.

The Samoans lead the PRC competition and face the Fiji Warriors next Tuesday.

Samoa A team manager Ryan Schuster said the schedule for the PRC was tight.

He said it was ideal preparation ahead of the Rugby World Cup in New Zealand in September.

"This is the first time that we are on a break for a whole week," Schuster said.

"For the last four weeks we have been playing games every four days. So we hope that this rest is an advantage. We have been blessed with no major injuries."

On the Australia leg of the PRC, Samoa A recorded two wins. In New Zealand the side won one game.

Schuster said the new PRC format provided the island teams a platform to play higher level rugby.

He said this was a great challenge for them.

"The aim was to get a lot of points in Australia and New Zealand and we achieved that in the last two weeks," Schuster said.

"The new format is a dream come true for the local players. We have wanted to play in this level of competition especially with the franchise academy teams in Australia and New Zealand.

"It's a good opportunity for the players to be playing at a higher level. We would like to thank the International Rugby Board for the change in the PRC format."

Samoan teams dominated the first two editions of the PRC.

Savaii Samoa defeated the Fiji Warriors 10-5 in the final in 2006 while Upolu Samoa beat Tau'uta Reds 35-15 in the 2007 final.

Schuster said with two matches remaining, it was a challenge for them to finish the competition on a high note.

"We have a mixture of youth and experience in the squad," Schuster said.

"We have drafted some players from last year's national Under-20 team. There are some players who have also represented the Manu Samoa team previously.

"We still have the same focus from the last six games. The boys just have to do their best. It's always tough to play any Fijian team in Fiji."

Samoa A will face the Fiji Warriors at 4.30pm at Churchill Park in Lautoka.
 

(Photos: Australia-Pacific Technical College)

AUSTRALIA: APTC and TVET success in Tuvalu
Source: Australia-Pacific Technical College

A celebration of success took place in Funafuti, Tuvalu, when 18 APTC students recently graduated in the presence of the Tuvalu Minister of Education, Youth and Sports, Dr Falesa Pitoi.

The graduates included TVET teachers from a range of education settings from throughout Tuvalu who had completed Certificate IV in Training and Assessment in 2010 in Funafuti, and early childhood educators who had studied Certificate III in Children's Services in Nadi, Fiji.

Drawing inspiration from the film Mission Impossible for his keynote address, Dr Pitoi extended a challenge to the graduates to make it their mission to take TVET in Tuvalu into the 21st century, and emphasised the importance of skills and training for Tuvalu and its future development.

Unable to attend the event in person, HE Australian Acting High Commissioner to Fiji and Tuvalu, Ms Judith Robinson, made use of the Internet to send a congratulatory message to the graduating students.

Graduates Mr Fousago Malo and Ms Sele Kausami spoke on behalf of their colleagues. Mr Malo urged his fellow Certificate IV TAA graduates to go forward, confident they had the skills and knowledge to make a contribution to Tuvalu, while Ms Kausami emphasised both the important role the Children's Services graduates will play in helping to improve standards in the Tuvalu early childhood sector, and their willingness to share their knowledge and skills with their compatriots.

APTC Country Manager, School of Tourism and Hospitality Fiji, Mr Anthony Bailey, took the opportunity to thank the gathered Tuvaluan dignitaries for their continued support of APTC and its programs. As well as Dr Pitoi, the distinguished guests included Ms Siemai Apinelu, Training Officer, Office of the Prime Minister; Mr Lapana Ene, Executive Officer, Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports; Director of Education, Ms Katalina Taloka; Secretary of the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports Mr Paulson Panapa, and Secretary Personnel and Training, Ms Misalaima Nelesone.

Photo Captions:

Photo 1 - The Certificate III in Children's Services graduates proudly display their
certificates.

Photo 2 - Certificate IV in Training and Assessment graduates celebrate their
success with Mr Anthony Bailey (Centre).

NEW CALEDONIA: SPC and French Polynesia team up to reduce natural disaster risk 
Source: Secretariat of the Pacific Community Press Release

Under two new agreements French Polynesia will receive technical expertise and funding from the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) to mitigate the risks of natural disasters facing the country.

In a ceremony bringing together the Government of French Polynesia, the French High Commission, the European Union and SPC, President Gaston Tong Sang praised ‘the perfect symbiosis’ between all parties. He remarked that ‘when we all pull in the same direction, we can achieve high results to the benefit of our people, particularly the most vulnerable.’

In welcoming this partnership, SPC Deputy Director-General Richard Mann noted the ‘importance of these agreements for the safety of populations exposed to natural disaster risk’ and their focus on ‘addressing priorities set by French Polynesia.’ French High Commissioner Richard Didier emphasised the ‘concrete, tangible and on-the-ground’ results to be achieved by the partnership.

The agreements worth € 1.085 million in total will support French Polynesia to reduce two types of risks faced by the country. The Marquesas archipelago is highly exposed to tsunamis, yet its alert system is deficient, with half of its sirens not working. In the Tuamotu archipelago, cyclonic waves threaten the safety of the population and the security of its infrastructure.

Both initiatives will seek to reinforce the safety of populations: in the Marquesas by repairing sirens and developing local capacity to maintain them in the future; in the Tuamotus by identifying precise zones at risk and refining building codes.

These initiatives fall under a larger regional project aimed at reducing disaster risk in Pacific Overseas Countries and Territories (New Caledonia, French Polynesia, Wallis and Futuna and Pitcairn Islands). The project is managed by SPC’s Applied Geoscience and Technology Division (SOPAC) and funded by European Development funds.
 

(Photo: Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme)

TONGA: Tonga presents at Pacific Climate Change Roundtable
Source: Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme Press Release

Tonga’s achievements towards addressing climate change as a nation was showcased during the Pacific Climate Change Roundtable in Alofi, Niue.

The Kindgom of Tonga is the first of the Pacific members of the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) to produce a joint national action plan for climate change adaptation and disaster risk management.

The action plan was approved by Cabinet in Tonga in July last year.

The plan has helped bring two separate bodies together that work on similar issues to work in a more unified manner under the one action plan that covers all sectors, instead of working independently and often duplicating efforts. It addresses issues in relation to climate change, sea level rise, extreme events and geological hazards.

“This plan started with political support in 2009,”said Lupe Matoto of the technical and sustainable development division in the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change.

“We also carried out a lot of consultation with stakeholders, nationally we haven’t been so quiet, and we have achieved a lot in terms of collaboration with other stakeholders.”

The Vision of the Joint National Action Plan (JNAP) on Climate Change Adaptation and Disaster Risk Management for Tonga is to ‘promote and ensure safe, healthy, secure and resilient communities to climate change impacts and disaster risks’.

The plan has six goals in all covering good governance, enhanced technical knowledge and an increase in education and understanding of the JNAP, analysis and assessment of climate change impacts and disaster risk, enhanced community preparedness and resilience to all disasters, technically reliable, economically affordable and environmentally sound support to Tonga and strong partnerships between government agencies, NGO’s and private sectors.

“In preparing this plan we learnt that you need really good teamwork for this to work well, teamwork and strong partnerships. It is also best if there is direct involvement of the communities in project activities to ensure ownership and there is a real need for donor coordination to avoid duplication.”

Other major achievements by the Kingdom of Tonga include the passing of two legislations, one being the Environment Management Act 2010 which has led to the establishment of the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change, the Renewable Energy Amendment Act 2010 and the Tonga Energy Roadmap 2010 - 2020 was formed which steps out the plan for Tonga to use more renewable energy.

Tonga has completed their second national communications, a report which is required under the United Nations Framework for the Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) which will be submitted to cabinet for endorsement.

“We’ve taken the first step, now we need to follow through and carry out this work. We’re hopeful that partners will take our JNAP and other related action plans on board to see how we can all work on this together.”

The Kindgom of Tonga has also established a Parliament Standing Committee for Environment and Climate Change which will discuss any issues on a cabinet level to fast track any outstanding issues on climate change. Every quarter the Ministry on Environment and Climate Change will host a national climate change roundtable with resident donors and all relevant stakeholders, the first one was held last year with the next climate change roundtable to be held next month.
 

(Photo: International Union for Conservation of Nature)

WORLDWIDE: Tourism seals new environment partnership
Source: International Union for Conservation of Nature Press Release

In light of current high demands for green tourism, The South Pacific Tourism Organisation today signed a Memorandum of Understanding with IUCN, the International Union for Conservation of Nature, officially forging a five year partnership to pursue greener tourism developments within the region.

SPTO Chief Executive Officer Ilisoni Vuidreketi said this new partnership would enable both partners to share resources as well as expertise towards addressing the issue of sustainable management of tourism developments with the focus of adding value and benefits to the tourism private sector.

“Tourism depends on healthy natural environment and this partnership will allow us to ensure that we take the right steps towards protecting and preserving our island environments, which provide the resource base for our tourism attractions and products”

Tourism in the Pacific has grown steadily over the last two decades totaling 1.3 million visitors in 2009 and with it the increase in the demand for general infrastructure such as roads, airports, tourism facilities including resorts, hotels, restaurants and golf courses. The impacts of such tourism developments can gradually degrade the environment on which it depends.

Regional Director for IUCN Oceania Regional Office, Taholo Kami highlighted some key areas that existing conservation agencies are working on that could help the tourism industry to continue with their mandate and at the same time preserve the environment. These include locally managed marine areas, water resource management, and renewable energy.

“Environment organizations are doing great work with communities that could be beneficial to the tourism operators. Working with landowning communities to manage their catchment areas means less pollution in river systems and eventually the reefs - something tourist resorts can appreciate. We look forward to strong partnerships between the environment organisations and private sector tourism operators and this is another step forward. ”

One successful model on tourism contributing to conservation currently being undertaken in Fiji is the ventures by RiversFiji. This company has taken white water rafting to greater heights in the country - working with local communities, land owners, local businesses, government agencies and conservation partners - effectively demonstrating that conservation is a win-win situation.

“We work hard to educate tourists about local environmental assets and threats, cultural traditions and modern impacts, heritage sites, and local preservation issues,” said Dr. Kelly Bricker, Director of RiversFiji. “Through our work we have broadened Fiji's overall perspective of the economic value of conservation as it relates to its people and have provided a new dimension in the rural highlands for Fiji tourism.”

Activities that IUCN and SPTO will now pursue include the prospect of funding from development banks for low interest renewable energy loans.

Photo Caption: (L-R) Regional Director IUCN Oceania Regional Office, Taholo Kami and CEO South Pacific Tourism Organisation, Ilisoni Vuidreketi signing the Memorandum of Understanding.