Latest news with #AlbertNicholas
Perth Now
2 days ago
- Business
- Perth Now
Pacific nations make passionate plea amid climate fears
Pacific leaders have made a passionate plea for help as climate change threatens some of the world's smallest nations. Countries on the climate crisis frontline have called for investment and partnerships to build resilient infrastructure at a packed Pacific conference on Wednesday. "Give us the resources. Give us the tools so we can manage our future," Cook Islands Deputy Prime Minister Albert Nicholas said. Nations have already benefited at the Pacific Infrastructure Conference in Brisbane, with Australia confirming it would extend direct flights to Palau for another year. While tourism provided a spark, Palau President Surangel Whipps Jr said building quality infrastructure would be the region's priority amid the climate change threat. However he warned they couldn't afford any more loans after the COVID-19 pandemic. "Our goal is to really transform our economy, to strengthen the resilience, the connectivity and the security of our entire blue Pacific," he told more than 500 delegates at the conference. "But ... we really can't take more money out to build infrastructure through loans. "We need partners ... it's through those partnerships that we are able to have this aggressive approach to infrastructure development." Australia's Pacific Island Affairs Minister Pat Conroy told the conference quality and resilient infrastructure would help combat the climate change threat. Australia has committed almost $2 billion to 56 projects across 11 nations in the region through the Infrastructure Financing Facility for the Pacific. The commonwealth has also established a $350 million Pacific climate infrastructure financing partnership. Mr Conroy had earlier confirmed sustained flights from Brisbane to the tiny nation of Palau through to 2026, with the more than 4000km route continuing with Qantas. "Pacific leaders have rightly declared climate change is the number one threat to the security of their people," he told the conference. Mr Whipps Jr said ensuring quality infrastructure projects would benefit the region's residents and economies as they combat the climate change threat. "When we invest in projects that improve climate resilience, create jobs, enable trade, we do not just advance one's nation's development, we lift the prospects of our region as a whole," he said. Mr Nicholas said there was an obvious shortfall between Cook Islands' budget and the level of ambition for infrastructure development. He hoped development partners and international private capital could help make it a reality for the Cook Islands. "In delivering infrastructure development, our experience is that the one-size-fits-all approach to procurement perhaps does not suit our scale," he told the conference on Wednesday.
The Advertiser
2 days ago
- Business
- The Advertiser
Pacific nations make passionate plea amid climate fears
Pacific leaders have made a passionate plea for help as climate change threatens some of the world's smallest nations. Countries on the climate crisis frontline have called for investment and partnerships to build resilient infrastructure at a packed Pacific conference on Wednesday. "Give us the resources. Give us the tools so we can manage our future," Cook Islands Deputy Prime Minister Albert Nicholas said. Nations have already benefited at the Pacific Infrastructure Conference in Brisbane, with Australia confirming it would extend direct flights to Palau for another year. While tourism provided a spark, Palau President Surangel Whipps Jr said building quality infrastructure would be the region's priority amid the climate change threat. However he warned they couldn't afford any more loans after the COVID-19 pandemic. "Our goal is to really transform our economy, to strengthen the resilience, the connectivity and the security of our entire blue Pacific," he told more than 500 delegates at the conference. "But ... we really can't take more money out to build infrastructure through loans. "We need partners ... it's through those partnerships that we are able to have this aggressive approach to infrastructure development." Australia's Pacific Island Affairs Minister Pat Conroy told the conference quality and resilient infrastructure would help combat the climate change threat. Australia has committed almost $2 billion to 56 projects across 11 nations in the region through the Infrastructure Financing Facility for the Pacific. The commonwealth has also established a $350 million Pacific climate infrastructure financing partnership. Mr Conroy had earlier confirmed sustained flights from Brisbane to the tiny nation of Palau through to 2026, with the more than 4000km route continuing with Qantas. "Pacific leaders have rightly declared climate change is the number one threat to the security of their people," he told the conference. Mr Whipps Jr said ensuring quality infrastructure projects would benefit the region's residents and economies as they combat the climate change threat. "When we invest in projects that improve climate resilience, create jobs, enable trade, we do not just advance one's nation's development, we lift the prospects of our region as a whole," he said. Mr Nicholas said there was an obvious shortfall between Cook Islands' budget and the level of ambition for infrastructure development. He hoped development partners and international private capital could help make it a reality for the Cook Islands. "In delivering infrastructure development, our experience is that the one-size-fits-all approach to procurement perhaps does not suit our scale," he told the conference on Wednesday. Pacific leaders have made a passionate plea for help as climate change threatens some of the world's smallest nations. Countries on the climate crisis frontline have called for investment and partnerships to build resilient infrastructure at a packed Pacific conference on Wednesday. "Give us the resources. Give us the tools so we can manage our future," Cook Islands Deputy Prime Minister Albert Nicholas said. Nations have already benefited at the Pacific Infrastructure Conference in Brisbane, with Australia confirming it would extend direct flights to Palau for another year. While tourism provided a spark, Palau President Surangel Whipps Jr said building quality infrastructure would be the region's priority amid the climate change threat. However he warned they couldn't afford any more loans after the COVID-19 pandemic. "Our goal is to really transform our economy, to strengthen the resilience, the connectivity and the security of our entire blue Pacific," he told more than 500 delegates at the conference. "But ... we really can't take more money out to build infrastructure through loans. "We need partners ... it's through those partnerships that we are able to have this aggressive approach to infrastructure development." Australia's Pacific Island Affairs Minister Pat Conroy told the conference quality and resilient infrastructure would help combat the climate change threat. Australia has committed almost $2 billion to 56 projects across 11 nations in the region through the Infrastructure Financing Facility for the Pacific. The commonwealth has also established a $350 million Pacific climate infrastructure financing partnership. Mr Conroy had earlier confirmed sustained flights from Brisbane to the tiny nation of Palau through to 2026, with the more than 4000km route continuing with Qantas. "Pacific leaders have rightly declared climate change is the number one threat to the security of their people," he told the conference. Mr Whipps Jr said ensuring quality infrastructure projects would benefit the region's residents and economies as they combat the climate change threat. "When we invest in projects that improve climate resilience, create jobs, enable trade, we do not just advance one's nation's development, we lift the prospects of our region as a whole," he said. Mr Nicholas said there was an obvious shortfall between Cook Islands' budget and the level of ambition for infrastructure development. He hoped development partners and international private capital could help make it a reality for the Cook Islands. "In delivering infrastructure development, our experience is that the one-size-fits-all approach to procurement perhaps does not suit our scale," he told the conference on Wednesday. Pacific leaders have made a passionate plea for help as climate change threatens some of the world's smallest nations. Countries on the climate crisis frontline have called for investment and partnerships to build resilient infrastructure at a packed Pacific conference on Wednesday. "Give us the resources. Give us the tools so we can manage our future," Cook Islands Deputy Prime Minister Albert Nicholas said. Nations have already benefited at the Pacific Infrastructure Conference in Brisbane, with Australia confirming it would extend direct flights to Palau for another year. While tourism provided a spark, Palau President Surangel Whipps Jr said building quality infrastructure would be the region's priority amid the climate change threat. However he warned they couldn't afford any more loans after the COVID-19 pandemic. "Our goal is to really transform our economy, to strengthen the resilience, the connectivity and the security of our entire blue Pacific," he told more than 500 delegates at the conference. "But ... we really can't take more money out to build infrastructure through loans. "We need partners ... it's through those partnerships that we are able to have this aggressive approach to infrastructure development." Australia's Pacific Island Affairs Minister Pat Conroy told the conference quality and resilient infrastructure would help combat the climate change threat. Australia has committed almost $2 billion to 56 projects across 11 nations in the region through the Infrastructure Financing Facility for the Pacific. The commonwealth has also established a $350 million Pacific climate infrastructure financing partnership. Mr Conroy had earlier confirmed sustained flights from Brisbane to the tiny nation of Palau through to 2026, with the more than 4000km route continuing with Qantas. "Pacific leaders have rightly declared climate change is the number one threat to the security of their people," he told the conference. Mr Whipps Jr said ensuring quality infrastructure projects would benefit the region's residents and economies as they combat the climate change threat. "When we invest in projects that improve climate resilience, create jobs, enable trade, we do not just advance one's nation's development, we lift the prospects of our region as a whole," he said. Mr Nicholas said there was an obvious shortfall between Cook Islands' budget and the level of ambition for infrastructure development. He hoped development partners and international private capital could help make it a reality for the Cook Islands. "In delivering infrastructure development, our experience is that the one-size-fits-all approach to procurement perhaps does not suit our scale," he told the conference on Wednesday. Pacific leaders have made a passionate plea for help as climate change threatens some of the world's smallest nations. Countries on the climate crisis frontline have called for investment and partnerships to build resilient infrastructure at a packed Pacific conference on Wednesday. "Give us the resources. Give us the tools so we can manage our future," Cook Islands Deputy Prime Minister Albert Nicholas said. Nations have already benefited at the Pacific Infrastructure Conference in Brisbane, with Australia confirming it would extend direct flights to Palau for another year. While tourism provided a spark, Palau President Surangel Whipps Jr said building quality infrastructure would be the region's priority amid the climate change threat. However he warned they couldn't afford any more loans after the COVID-19 pandemic. "Our goal is to really transform our economy, to strengthen the resilience, the connectivity and the security of our entire blue Pacific," he told more than 500 delegates at the conference. "But ... we really can't take more money out to build infrastructure through loans. "We need partners ... it's through those partnerships that we are able to have this aggressive approach to infrastructure development." Australia's Pacific Island Affairs Minister Pat Conroy told the conference quality and resilient infrastructure would help combat the climate change threat. Australia has committed almost $2 billion to 56 projects across 11 nations in the region through the Infrastructure Financing Facility for the Pacific. The commonwealth has also established a $350 million Pacific climate infrastructure financing partnership. Mr Conroy had earlier confirmed sustained flights from Brisbane to the tiny nation of Palau through to 2026, with the more than 4000km route continuing with Qantas. "Pacific leaders have rightly declared climate change is the number one threat to the security of their people," he told the conference. Mr Whipps Jr said ensuring quality infrastructure projects would benefit the region's residents and economies as they combat the climate change threat. "When we invest in projects that improve climate resilience, create jobs, enable trade, we do not just advance one's nation's development, we lift the prospects of our region as a whole," he said. Mr Nicholas said there was an obvious shortfall between Cook Islands' budget and the level of ambition for infrastructure development. He hoped development partners and international private capital could help make it a reality for the Cook Islands. "In delivering infrastructure development, our experience is that the one-size-fits-all approach to procurement perhaps does not suit our scale," he told the conference on Wednesday.
RNZ News
08-05-2025
- Politics
- RNZ News
Cook Islands: Water petition group frustrated by minister's refusal to share report
By Talaia Mika , Cook Islands News To Tatou Vai water reservoir that releases the water into the water network pipeline for consumption. 9 February 2023 Photo: To Tatou Vai The organisers of the "Keep Our Water Free" (KOWF) Petition are frustrated after failing to obtain a copy of To Tatou Vai (TTV) Minister Albert Nicholas' report before it is tabled in parliament later this month. The report is in response to the Parliament Select Committee Report on the review of the KOWF Petition 2024, which agreed that the collection, treatment and reticulation of water continues without tariffs and ongoing charge to user subject to reasonable tariffs be imposed to commercial users. Parliament clerk Tangata Vainerere said Minister Nicholas' report is currently referred to the Bills, Petitions and Papers Committee for consideration. "It is up to them what actions they will take with regards to the response. I am not at liberty to make any disclosures or assumptions about that as the Committee is yet to complete its review of the response," Vainerere said. Lead petitioner Justine Matatoa Flanagan expressed dissatisfaction following a meeting with Nicholas this week, describing it as unsatisfactory and uninformative. Flanagan, along with two other members of the "Keep Our Water Free" Petition organising committee, met with Nicholas on Tuesday to discuss the Select Committee Report and the steps being taken to implement its recommendations. She said the group was hoping to gain clarity on the Minister's approach to implementing the report's recommendations. However, they left the meeting feeling frustrated as Minister Nicholas did not provide a copy of the report or disclose any specific information. "There's three of us that turned up at the meeting because we wanted to talk to the Honourable Minister for TTV to talk to him about the Select Committee Report and also hopefully discuss what steps he's taking to implement the recommendations," Flanagan said. "He, as of last week or something, he submitted that report to parliament, and he did not give us a copy of the report, although I asked, and he wouldn't disclose any information. "It was a little bit frustrating. Albert did suggest that we get in touch with parliament and ask them for a copy of the report." Lead petitioner Justine Matatoa Flanagan, closest to the camera, with other petitioners in Parliament on 16 September 2024. Photo: Cook Islands News Cook Islands News has contacted Nicholas' office and TTV chair Brian Mason, who was present at the meeting. Mason stated that disclosures of the report must come from the Minister himself. According to Flanagan, members of TTV, including chair Mason, chief executive Apii Timoti, and an engineer, were present at the meeting, which was "unexpected". She said Mason did most of the talking during the 30-minute meeting, even though the group had intended to meet solely with the Minister. Nicholas did indicate that the group could meet with him again after they had obtained and reviewed the report. However, no date was set for a follow-up meeting, Flanagan said. "There was no commitment to time or when or anything like that. So we were in a bit of a limbo because we haven't been given the report and we don't know what's in it." The report from Nicholas, the Minister responsible for the Cook Islands Investment Corporation which oversees the Rarotonga water authority, is expected to be tabled in Parliament on May 21. Flanagan said that the group is keen to get a copy of the report from Parliament. "We will approach Parliament again and we'll see what they say," she said. The KOWF Petition, presented earlier this year, advocates for the continued collection, treatment, and distribution of water without tariffs, except for reasonable charges on commercial users and penalties for wastage. The Bills, Petitions and Papers Committee chaired by Member of Parliament for Manihiki, Akaiti Puna, had agreed that TTV should be funded by the government. It also recommended a system that imposes a reasonable penalty for wastage and that commercial users be defined taking into account agriculture users and small businesses (market vendors). Additional reporting Losirene Lacanivalu. -This article was first published by [ Cook Islands News]
