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COMMENTARY

FROM NEW ZEALAND

By John Uri

SYDNEY, Australia, (February 2, 2001 - Pacific Forum)---The Minister for Immigration, the Hon. Philip Ruddock, made the point last year that he wanted to reduce the number of New Zealand migrants coming to Australia. There were reasons for Mr. Ruddock's sudden turn of heart against the 'Kiwis', and of course, the Australian media had never been slow to demonize the Kiwi 'invasion' when the announcement was made.

Mr. Ruddock initially rejected New Zealand's new immigration policy when the Helen Clark government proposed to allow some 20,000 overstayers to seek a second chance to remain in that country - with conditions attached. This worries the Australian government for two main reasons. First, it assumes that migrants from Asia or the Middle East are using their New Zealand residency or citizenship as a backdoor for further migration to Australia. Secondly, the Government did not appreciate the fact that some 10,...

SUVA, Fiji Islands (February 1, 2001 - Oceania Flash/SPC)---The number of cattle from New Caledonia are gradually increasing at Fiji’s government-owned Yaqara Pastoral Company (YPC) ranch.

It’s as part of an 8-year-old cooperation program, the French Embassy in Suva said in a release this week.

There are 10 reproductive males (bulls) and 13 females (heifers).

The last batch of eight arrived last month from New Caledonia.

The French-funded agronomic cooperation plan between the neighboring territory of New Caledonia, its French agronomic institute CIRAD, and Fiji's Ministry of Agriculture is aimed at improving the Fiji livestock.

The project started with several phases, including artificial insemination and pasture improvement.

The goal is to eventually produce enough quality meat to meet the needs of the local and tourism markets in Fiji, thus avoiding costly Australian and New Zealand imports.

Another objective is to enable Fiji to...

HONIARA, Solomon Islands (February 1, 2001 - Solomon Islands Broadcasting Corporation/PINA Nius Online)---Former militants getting angry about a bank's refusal to cash a Solomon Islands government check has led to the possible closure of all banks in the capital.

The former militants are said to have threatened staff at the ANZ Bank when told a government check would not be cashed because there was not enough money in the account to which it was made out.

The banks operating in Honiara - ANZ, Westpac, National Bank of Solomon Islands, and the Development Bank - have an agreement that if one is threatened they will all close in support.

SIBC reported that yesterday the National Bank of Solomon Islands and the Development Bank made a public announcement that the bank will be closed today and ANZ Bank’s closure was confirmed by an employee.

Bank managers have asked the government to provide security. They have also asked leaders of the former militant...

PORT MORESBY, Papua New Guinea (February 1, 2001 - Post-Courier/The Independent/PINA Nius Online)---Papua New Guinea's Duke of York islanders, threatened by rising sea levels, will soon move to safer ground as a result of the green light given them by Baining landowners on mainland East New Britain.

The agreement comes as a result of a breakthrough in negotiations between Lassul Baining landowners and the provincial government during a meeting in which government representatives spelled out the spin-off economic and social benefits of resettlement.

Provincial chairman for lands and physical planning James Tapele, who attended the meeting, told a press conference yesterday that the landowners would accept the islanders.

The Duke of Yorks are among the low-lying atolls and islands in Papua New Guinea threatened by climate change and rising sea levels.

The Duke of Yorks consist of a number of small low-lying islands in St. George's Channel near Rabaul....