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(Photos: Department of Labour) |
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NEW ZEALAND: PAC citizens encouraged to register
for 2009 Pacific Access Category
Source:
Department of Labour Press Release
Registrations for the 2009 Pacific Access
Category (PAC) ballots are now open.
Eligible citizens of the PAC countries
(Tonga, Kiribati, and Tuvalu) should get in
early and lodge their properly completed
registration form as soon as possible, but
no later than 30th April 2009.
Those considering the opportunity to
register should make sure they do a few
simple things to ensure their registration
is acceptable, says Department of Labour
Immigration New Zealand Acting Group
Manager, Ross Grigg.
“We encourage citizens of the PAC nations to
register but we also remind them to check if
they meet all the necessary New Zealand
Immigration requirements”, adds Mr Grigg.
Pacific people seeking residence in New
Zealand under the Pacific Access Category
should meet the standard criteria relating
to factors such as age, health and absence
of criminal convictions. Employment is an
important consideration in terms of
settlement, so a genuine job offer for full
time work has been made a requirement of
obtaining residence.
“With the low number of registrations
received in the past from the people of
Tuvalu and Kiribati, we make sure the level
of communication is a priority for these PAC
nations so they are fully aware of the
processes and what is involved to register”,
says Mr Grigg.
Those wanting to register for the ballot can
obtain more information from the New Zealand
Immigration Service website
www.immigration.govt.nz around guidelines
and requirements or by contacting nearest
INZ branch to ensure all information
required are included to avoid any
disappointment.
Mr Grigg says that in the last three years,
ballot places have been largely filled in
both Samoa Quota and Pacific Access
Category. However, some people selected in
the ballot decide not to proceed with their
application for residence, others fail to
meet immigration health requirements, and
some simply cannot obtain an acceptable
offer of a genuine, permanent, full-time
job.
Fully completed registrations must be
received by Immigration New Zealand by 30
April or they cannot be accepted.
Registrations received after this date or
not properly completed will be returned.
Photo Captions:
Photo 1 -
Antony Harris, Apia Branch Manager will lead
his team for this year’s Samoa Quota which
provides an opportunity for 1,100 Samoan
citizens to gain permanent residence in New
Zealand.
Photo 2 -
Pitisi Jensen and Loviena Tukuafu of
Nukualofa branch gearing up for the Pacific
Access Category which allows 250 places for
Tonga to gain permanent resident in NZ.
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(Photo:
Samoalive) |
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SAMOA: Taufusi Heads Manu Samoa 7s Campaign
Source:
Samoa Rugby
Union Press Release
The Samoa Rugby Union (SRU) has announced that
Aiolupotea Lilomaiava Taufusi Salesa will head
Manu Samoa 7s campaign in the two remaining iRB
tournaments. He takes over from Galumalemana
Rudolf Moors who will assist in developing
Samoa’s depth of sevens players.
“Naturally I’m disappointed but that’s part of
life. The Rugby Union makes decisions for the
best interest of Samoa’s rugby and I firmly
support Taufusi and the team to the remaining
tournaments”, says Mr Moors.
“For me moving forward I’m still young, so I’ll
take away the experience and continue to learn
with the outlook of coming back better in the
future because rugby is still my passion.
Mr Salesa takes charge of the Manu Samoa 7s team
heading to the crucial London and Scotland legs
on 23-24 and 30-31 May respectively. The move
aims to improve Samoa’s rank from the remaining
two legs of the iRB World Sevens Series.
Currently he is Samoa’s Director for Rugby and
was Technical Advisor to the Manu Samoa 7s team
at its recent Hong Kong and Adelaide campaigns.
One of Samoa’s best-known international players,
he coached Manu Samoa 7s to one of its
historical milestones when winning the 1993 Hong
Kong championship. He is actively involved with
club and provincial union rugby and directing
national sevens tournaments.
Mr Salesa hails from the villages of Vaivase,
Moataa and Asau. Some of his career highlights
include:
· Captain first schoolboys team tour of New
Zealand 1978
· Winner ‘Fastest player of the Tournament
title”, Hong Kong 1979
· Winner Western Samoa Sportsman of the Year
Award 1981
· Invited to tour South Africa with World
Invitation team 1982
· Winner SAM Award (Samoan Athletes in Motion,
Hawaii) Sportsman of the Year 1982
· Captain Rest of the World Sevens Team for
Sports Aid for South Africa. Cardiff, Wales 1986
· Winner Middlesex Sevens 1992
· Winner Western Samoa Sportsperson of the
Decade Award 1992
More information, contact SRU Media Officer,
Mobile 7702175
Photo Caption: The new face of the Manu
Samoa 7s campaign, Aiolupotea Lilomaiava Taufusi
Salesa.
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(Photos:
Australia
Pacific Technical College) |
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AUSTRALIA:
APTC students are ready to serve
Source:
Australia Pacific Technical College
Creative and refreshing is how the Hospitality
and Commercial Cookery students of the Australia
Pacific Technical College (APTC) have described
the new menu as they prepare for the opening of
the student training restaurant known as
Visions.
The students have come together from 5 different
countries across the Pacific including Samoa as
part of an Australian Government training
initiative designed to offer the people of the
Pacific an opportunity to add value to their
existing skills in the Hospitality and Cooking
industry.
“Visions training restaurant allows our full and
part time students the opportunity to put into
practice what they have learnt in class over the
past 10 weeks. Practical training in a simulated
restaurant environment is the best way for the
students to learn. The students are accountable
and they have to deliver a quality product to a
standard that will ensure they obtain full
customer satisfaction” says Culinary Trainer
Steve Johnston.
We encourage the student Chefs to be proud of
what they create so as part of their training
they are required to enter the restaurant and
liaise with the guests. This way patrons have
the opportunity to meet the person who prepared
their meal and it also allows the student to
receive valuable feedback which is all part of
our continuous improvement program.
During your dinning experience in the restaurant
the hospitality students will be under the
watchful eye of trainers Michael Higgins and
Dianne Whelan. As you are enjoying a refreshing
cocktail, your main meal or a scrumptious
dessert the students are being assessed on
various competencies associated with their
course. This is why patrons should recognise and
understand that the restaurant is a classroom
first and restaurant second.
The training restaurant, located in building H
of the NUS complex (opposite Vaivase Primary
School) is open to the public two nights a week
(Wednesday and Thursday) and every Friday from
noon for lunch. The restaurant offers a 3 course
menu which is completely prepared and presented
by the students. The meals are priced as “good
value for money” to attract customers to ensure
the students are able to train in a life like
environment.
“By choosing to dine at the Visions restaurant
it means you are not only supporting the
training and development of the APTC students
you are directly involved in the future
sustainability of the Hospitality and Culinary
industry in Samoa” says Hospitality Trainer
Dianne Whelan.
The students have a great menu planned so
bookings are essential. All guests attending the
restaurant will receive a complimentary 5 minute
tour of the training facilities from the Tourism
Operations students.
Photo Captions:
Photo 1 -
APTC Food and Beverage students are ready to
serve this term at Visions Restaurant.
Photo 2 -
An example of student work for the topic
“Fostering an inclusive learning environment”.
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PAPUA NEW GUINEA: Tourism driving Tufi economy
to new heights
Source:
The National
People in Tufi, in Oro province, have embraced
tourism as the only sustainable economic
activity in the district where there is no other
source of income generating activity.
Luke Nunisa, chairman of Tufi Tourism
Association (TTA), says that tourism has become
a sustainable economic activity for Tufi.
He said since the establishment of Tufi Dive
Resort and TTA, there were many tourists coming
to Tufi, thus, generating cash income for the
people.
He also said that due to tourism, Tufi’s
rational cultures were revived and strengthened.
Mr Nunisa stressed that because of spectacular
landscapes and natural beauties, untouched reefs
and friendliness of the locals, more tourists
were visiting Tufi and would want to visit all
year round.
“Tufi Dive Resort is the only vehicle through
which tourism brings sustainable income to Tufi,”
he added.
During tourists’ tour to villages, the villagers
put up traditional dances, perform rituals,
process sago and sell artifacts like the famous
tapa clothes, sea shells, pottery, including
many other crafts which are of interest to the
tourists.
Every village tour, site seeing, traditional
dancing and marketing was organised by TTA and
the resort.
According to the TTA chairman, every village and
hamlet has a share of hosting traditional dances
and rituals, sago processing and selling of
crafts.
All income generated from tourism is equally
distributed to every village after how many days
of tourism activities.
Mr Nunisa said annual income from tourism in
Tufi could be estimated at K15,000-K20,000.
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(Photo:
Solomon Star) |
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SOLOMON ISLANDS: New chapel brings unity to Su’u
Secondary School
Source:
Solomon Star
A new chapel currently under construction at Su’u Secondary School in Malaita is bringing a
spirit of unity among the student body.
More than 100 former students, staff, parents,
and friends of Su’u in Honiara and Malaita
travelled to the school during the Easter break
to work on the chapel.
“We had a great time there,” organising
committee chairman Elton Osiagalo said.
“We’ve completed laying the slap, and work on
the chapel walling has also started.
“Now I can say that 80 per cent of the building
has been completed,” Mr Osiagalo told the
Solomon Star yesterday.
The ex-students, parents and friends of Su’u
started constructing the chapel last year.
This was after the school’s old chapel collapsed
some years back due to old age.
The ex-students raised funds and used their
Easter holiday break to travel to Su’u and build
the chapel themselves.
While there, they used the time to also share
and pray with the students and staff.
Su’u School principal Goldie Lusi said the new
chapel has brought a spirit of unity among staff
and students.
“We are excited at seeing the new chapel going
up. It brought to us a great sense of
assurance,” Mr Lusi said.
Mr Osiagalo said fundraising efforts will
continue in coming months.
“We are planning to commission the new chapel
September this year,” he said.
“A lot of materials are needed to complete the
building. So I am calling on former students and
supporters to come forward and let’s complete
the chapel before September.”
He also thanked businessman John Kwaita for
availing his ship, MV Charisma, for the group to
travel to Su’u.
Mr Kwaita was a former student of Su’u.
Mr Osiagalo said MV Charisma took the group and
waited for them while they spent the Easter
break at Su’u.
It brought the group back to Honiara on Monday.
He also thanked Malaita premier Richard Irosaea
who led a group of former students and parents
from Auki to assist in the construction.
Mr Osiagalo said after they complete the chapel,
their next project would be the rehabilitation
of the school’s run-down dormitories.
Photo Caption:
Builders working on the new chapel during the
Easter break.
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WORLDWIDE:
Environmental consequences of military build-up
explored
Source:
Marianas Variety via Pacific Islands Report
Representatives of different conservation groups
in the Pacific and the U.S. mainland are
wrapping up today their three-day discussions on
environmental issues, including the impact of
the military buildup on Guam’s brown tree snake
problem.
The annual brown tree snake working group
meeting held at the Pacific Islands Club was
attended by individuals from the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service, the U.S. Department of
Agriculture, the Guam Division of Fish and
Wildlife, the CNMI Department of Land and
Natural Resources and the Hawai΄i DLNR.
Representatives from the U.S. military based on
Guam also attended the meeting.
CNMI DLNR Secretary Ignacio Dela Cruz noted that
despite its proximity to Guam, the commonwealth
is still free of brown tree snakes.
"But for how much longer, that is anybody’s
guess," he said.
Earl Campbell, U.S. Fish and Wildlife’s invasive
species coordinator conducted the meeting.
CNMI brown tree snake program coordinator Nate
Hawley said the participants shared ideas
regarding the best conservation measures to
mitigate the impact of whatever development the
military buildup on Guam may bring.
Hawley said the CNMI brown tree snake program
was also discussed.
Although there have been 76 credible sightings
of brown tree snake on Saipan, not one has been
caught in nine years.
But since 1986, 11 brown tree snakes have been
caught on island.
"So if you look at those numbers, we probably
have snakes on Saipan," Hawley said.
The rapid response and containment of possible
brown tree snakes continues, he added,
Typically, he said, the sites they search are
near the seaport and the airport. Currently, he
added, there is an ongoing search near the
airport.
"We get a lot of goals accomplished every year,"
he said, adding that the CNMI has a lot of the
endangered species that are no longer on Guam.
"So if they ever want to be restored on Guam we
really have to protect what we have here for
future generations," he said.
The meeting also tackled funding issues and
priority projects.
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