New Zealand is sending an RNZAF Hercules with emergency relief into the Solomon Islands this morning, Foreign Minister Murray McCully announced on Sunday. Tens of thousands of people in and around the Solomon Islands’ capital Honiara have been left homeless by flash flooding and heavy rains. Entire communities had been swept away, major access bridges…
Fiji will stand in unison with and support Solomon Islands following flash floods in the Melanesian nation that have caused severe destruction and death. Last week Solomon Islands faced severe destruction following flash floods which also claimed the lives of 16 people so far. The flash flooding has displaced thousands of her citizens in most…
TORRENTIAL rain has forced operations at the Gold Ridge mine to be suspended. However, the company said yesterday all employees on site are safe. “St Barbara is concerned for the welfare of people in communities near to the Gold Ridge mine, including but not limited to downstream of the tailings storage facility (TSF),” the company…
SOLOMON Airlines Thursday cancelled all flights – international and domestic – in and out of Honiara as the bad weather persists. This was due to extensive flooding and associated debris on the run way and surrounding airport areas. All domestic and international flights have been suspended until further notice, a spokesman said The spokesman added…
THE relationship between natural disasters and economies was highlighted at the Second Pacific Regional Meeting of Ministers of Energy and Maritime Transport in Nadi.. Fiji’s Minister for Labour Jone Usamate said the cost of these disasters to Pacific economies especially infrastructure is large and often unsustainable. “Unexpected events and natural disasters bring destruction to our…
Today (Saturday) we announce that Australia will provide $250,000 in emergency relief supplies to assist the Government of Solomon Islands respond to the needs of people affected by flooding. This follows a request for assistance from the Government of Solomon Islands on Saturday. In addition, Australia will provide two Australian Civilian Corps engineers and two…
AUSTRALIA geothermal energy company Geodynamics on Thursday announced the appointment of Mal Kuper as its Country Representative resident in Honiara. Mr Kuper will be responsible for liaison with local stakeholders, including government, community and suppliers, the coordination of activities necessary to support exploration drilling planned for later this year and representing Geodynamics locally as the…
“AUSTRALIA and New Zealand (ANZ) have told us time and time again that they do not have a commercial interest in these negotiations, but the reality is that without substantive commitments on labour mobility and development assistance, they (ANZ) will be the major beneficiaries of this Agreement,” says Trade Negotiations Envoy Robert Sisilo. Mr Sisilo,…
THE awareness program that is being carried out by Guadalcanal Plains Palm Oil Limited (GPPOL) in North East Guadalcanal has now resumed after being disturbed due to the wet weather experienced earlier in the year. The program commenced late in 2013 and it is the intention of GPPOL to visit a number of predetermined communities…
THE Melanesia Spearhead Group (MSG) Secretariat has conducted another successful two days Workshop on the Draft MSG Trade Agreement and other Trade and Economic Agreement/Initiatives in the region. This was held at the Secretariat Conference Room in Port Vila, Vanuatu from 26-27 March 2014. The Workshop was co-funded under the MSG-Pacific Integration Technical Assistance…