The Jet Volume 4 Number 6 Web

Fijis First Community Newspaper Issue: 34 APRIL 15, 2012 PRICE: 50 CENTS VIP
Move Uphill
Rise in sea water level is the main cause of severe floodings according to experts
By EMOSI LASAQA
Nadi Town Council CEO Nemia Tagi, left, explains the Nadi drainage plan to the permanent secretary for provincial devel-
opment and national disaster management Lieutenant Colonel Inia Seruiratu, third from left, and members of the newly es-
tablished national disaster management task force during a special briefing at the council chambers. Photo: SHALENDRA PRASAD.
More flood coverage on pages 4, 5, 12.
The $200 million loss has
sparked great concern on the
future of the flood battered
Nadi Town.
Apart from the desperate
need of assistance to cushion
the impact of the phenom-
enon, there have been a lot of
deliberations on the solutions
to the recent water attack in
the tourism capital of Fiji.
And there were many alle-
gations that human activities
have made Nadi more flood
prone.Major developments
like Denarau, Naisoso Island
and Fantasy came under fire.
But Geography Professor
and scientist, Doctor Patrick
Nunn who predicted that the
jet-set town will be underwa-
ter by 2030 said developments
are not the major reasons.
Even changing the course
of the Nadi River, he said,
will change nothing.
The only long-term solu-
tion for Nadi is to move up-
hill. Deforestation of the hin-
terland (Nausori Highlands
and places) occurred decades
ago, so cannot satisfactorily
account for the increase in
flood frequency and magni-
tude in Nadi over the last 10
years.
River dredging makes a
small short-term difference to
the problem. There is no evi-
dence that river dredging is an
effective long-term solution,
he said.
Now the Head of the
School of Behavioural, Cog-
nitive and Social Science at
University of New England
in New South Wales, Austra-
lia, Doctor Nunn believes that
while heavy rain and logging
surely make small contribu-
tions, the principal cause of
the increased flooding in Nadi
over the last 10-years is sea-
level rise.
Sea level is rising. The
Lautoka tide gauge shows
that this rise is currently
around 3.2 millimeter per
year, which is close to the
global average. The Nadi
river (as well as the artificial
drainage in Nadi Town itself)
is adapted to drain into a sea
level lower than todays. Sea
level may be one meter higher
in the year 2100, so we may
see sea level 25 centimeter
higher than today off Nadi in
the year 2030.
This will make flooding
even worse than today. The
only long-term solution to
the problem is for Nadi to be
relocated. The sooner this
happens the easier it will be
for all affected. If you think
about it, any rain that falls in
the Nausori Highlands and
comes down the hill to Nadi
needs a slope to get out to sea.
It needs a gradient.
Now, as sea level has
been rising, so this gradient
has been getting less and less
and now most of the water
just stays in the lowest parts
of the Nadi lowlands, which
includes parts of Nadi Town,
until the rain stops. Its a very
serious problem.
I do emphasise that the
problem is not one that is ex-
clusive to Nadi. We are seeing
(or will do soon) the same in
Labasa and Navua which, like
Nadi, are built on river deltas
where the land is also sinking
slowly. This sinking ampli-
fies the observed sea-level
rise. To see what sea-level
rise alone (without sinking) is
doing, you might see what is
happening at Nabila Koro just
to the south of the town, says
Doctor Nunn.
Water Authority of Fiji
Hydrologist Seremai Koroi,
who was visiting the flood
ravaged areas in Nadi for the
past weeks, agrees.
He said sea level records
for Fiji are relatively short. At
the Lautoka Wharf, the rate
of sea level rise from 1992 to
1998 was 3.2 millimeters per
year.
Mr Koroi revealed that the
global average sea level has
risen since 1961 at an aver-
age rate of 1.8 millimeters
per year and since 1993 at 3.1
millimeters per year.
Whether the faster rate for
1993 is a short term or an in-
crease in the longer term, he
said, is unclear to scientists at
this stage.
Asked on how hot Fiji will
get, Mr Koroi said this de-
pends on several factors- the
main one being how soon and
how much humans reduce
greenhouse gas emissions.
Best estimate global air
temperature projections to
2100 range from +0.6Celcius
to +4.0Celcius. Assuming hu-
mans do little to reduce green-
house gas emissions, models
predict Fijis annual mean air
temperatures to increase be-
Continued on page 2...
Reserve Bank of Fiji assists Nadi businesses
By EMOSI LASAQA
At a time when businesses in
Nadi need a savior, the Reserve
Bank of Fiji (RBF) has stepped in
to lend a guiding hand.
It comes in the form of Flood
Rehabilitation Facility (FRF)-a
package which was initially de-
signed to assist businesses that
were affected by the January 2012
floods.
RBF Governor Barry Whiteside
in a letter to Nadi Chamber of Com-
merce & Industry President Doctor
Ram Raju said those affected by the
more recent April 2012 floods may
also tap into FRF.
Mr Whiteside said the facility
is accessible via commercial banks,
licensed credit institutions and the
Fiji Development Bank until De-
cember 31, 2012 and allows eli-
gible businesses to take out loans at
a maximum rate of six percent per
annum.
Apart from the FRF, business-
es whose core operation is export-
ing or import substitution related
may be able to tap into funding
under the Import Substitution and
Export Finance Facility (ISEFF)
at a maximum interest rate of six
percent from financial institutions.
This Facility operates similarly to
the FRF where financial institu-
tions can access funds from RBF to
lend to eligible customers.
He further stated that Fiji Gov-
ernment has this year introduced
a Samll and Medium Enterprises
Credit Guarantee Scheme (SMEC-
GS) which offers a Government
guarantee for the lesser of fifty
percent of the outstanding princi-
pal amount of small and medium
enterprise (SME) business loans or
$50,000 per business.
The SMECGS, which is also
available via lending institutions,
may be used in conjunction with
any of lending institutions cur-
rent loan facilities. The maximum
interest rate on this facility is ten
percent.
In addition, the Reserve Bank
has also implemented an Agricul-
ture and Renewable Loans ratio,
which requires commercial banks
to increase the proportion of their
deposits, and similar liabilities that
they lend to the Agriculture (in-
cluding Fisheries and Forestry) and
Renewable Energy sectors to four
percent and two percent, respec-
tively.
The policy, he said, is expected
to support domestic economic re-
covery as well as assist those busi-
nesses in the above sectors in re-
covering from the recent floods.
We are aware that lending in-
stitutions and commercial banks
have also offered their own flood
assistance loan packages to assist
businesses, Mr Barry Whiteside
said.
www.thejetnewspaper.com www.epapergallery.com
THE JET - FIJIS FIRST COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER 2
FROM THE DESK
ON THE BRIGHT SIDE
Fiji - the way the world should be
Being the hub of the Pacific, Fiji has everything that a spectacular tropical paradise
has to offer - from private island resort accommodations, top class restaurants to
white sandy beaches, inbound tours, jet boat rides, hot air balloon rides, mountain
trekking, inland tours, eco tourism, sky diving, helicopter rides, cruise trips, scuba
diving, massage and beauty parlours, vibrant night life and a lot more than any other
destination in the world offers
THE JET is Fijis first community newspaper published monthly
from Nadi - the tourism capital of Fiji.
PUBLISHER : SHALENDRA PRASAD Cell: 9232073
EDITOR : EMOSI LASAQA Cell: 8451259
PHONE : (679) 6264424 / 6708188
FAX : (679) 6728353
OFFICE CELL : (679) 7307574 Digicel / 5164 Vodafone & Inkk
EMAIL : thejetnewspaper@gmail.com
: lasaqaemosi@gmail.com
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LAYOUT BY SHALENDRA PRASAD. PRINTED BY MAX MARKETING LTD.
EMOSI LASAQA
COMMUNITY NOTICE BOARD
PACIFIC COUNSELLING
AND SOCIAL SERVICES
provides private, confidential
counselling on depression,
family/marital, stress, grief,
abuse, suicidal thoughts,
STIs, drugs, alcohol & be-
havior lifestyle changes.
Opens 8am 3pm, Monday
Friday. Call us on 6708169
Located at Nadi old hospital
road.
ROTARY CLUB OF NADI
is currently on a membership
drive to increase members
who represent all sections of
the community. Nadi Rotar-
ians meet every Wednesday at
Sitar Restaurant in Martintar
at 6.30pm.
Interested people can call
club treasurer Krupesh Patel
on 6700478
SOROPTIMIST INTER-
NATIONAL is a vibrant,
dynamic organisation for
todays professional and busi-
ness women, working through
projects to promote equality,
development and peace. We
are seeking members to join
our club. Interested ladies can
call SI Nadi president Irene
Chand on 9921090
FIJIAN WRITERS ASSO-
CIATION which has been
recently established to form
the first ever formal body rep-
resenting writers, poets, jour-
nalists and everyone who has
a passion for writing is seek-
ing new members. Interested
people can contact Professor
Subramani via email:-
subramani@fnu.ac.fj
Malolo Sangam Temple president Karna Waddi Raju and Nadi Temple head priest
Sankaran Anand Gurukkal in front of the new temple at Malolo in Nadi.
Photo: EMOSI LASAQA.
New temple renews hope
during times of hardship
By SHALENDRA PRASAD
Bad weather could not stop
Hindu devotees from witness-
ing the opening of their new
temple within the Malolo
Sangam Temple premises on
Monday, April 16.
The brand new temple is
devoted to Goddess Karu-
mari Amman who is believed
to bring good luck and ful-
fill the good wishes of every
devotee.
The $250,000 worth tem-
ple is the second one to be
constructed at the property
and sits adjacent to a Lord
Vishnu temple constructed re-
cently around the same cost.
According to Malolo San-
gam Temple president Karna
Waddi Raju, a week-long
celebration was observed to
mark the opening of the new
temple which was purely con-
structed by local builders and
decorated by local painters
and sculptors.
At first sight, people think
this is the work of talented
artists and builders from India
but we are happy to inform
that all the works have been
carried out by our local peo-
ple, Mr Raju informed.
Mr Raju said the temple
committee and people of Ma-
lolo, a highly populated set-
tlement in the tourism town of
Nadi, are overwhelmed with
the generosity of various do-
nors which enabled the com-
mittee to complete the works
as expected.
People have braved bad
weather and hardships of the
recent floods to be part of the
week-long celebrations and
we pray to God to help us dur-
ing such hard times.
The temple which hosts
various religious and cul-
tural activities throughout the
year is well known for its fire
walking ceremony.
Rotary Club continues assistance
By SHALENDRA PRASAD
Rotary Club of Nadi president Sanjit Patel, centre, hands
over food items to a flood victim while fellow Rotarian
Krupesh Patel looks on. Photo: SUPPLIED.
The Rotary Club of Nadi
continues to assist people
affected by the recent floods
which wreaked havoc in the
western division.
President Sanjit Patel
said members were busy
distributing food packs to
families in the Navo and
Nadi Town areas a week af-
ter the floods and the focus
now will be on education.
We have been distrib-
uting food items for almost
a week and now that the
floods have receded and life
is beginning to get normal
slowly, so we will focus more
on providing educational
assistance to children who
have been badly affected
by the floods, Mr Patel of-
fered.
The club was also heavily
involved in humanitarian
aid work during the Janu-
ary floods and is in the pro-
cess of creating a web-net-
work to seek assistance for
every underprivileged child
in the area.
We have also received
around fifty mattresses
which will be given out to
the needy families and we
will inform the public when
more assistance pours in
from our sister clubs and
Rotary International.
Theres light
after bleakest
days
Business owners in Nadi are restless and they have a good
reason to be so. Many are discouraged by the recent floods with
its scars and gaping wounds still visible for all to see.
We have seen many images of Nadi Town during and after
the flood- some likened it to a war zone.
It has been a brutal April. The month reminded us all on how
fragile and uncertain life can be.
The people were not given time to settle after the January
flood and were not given time to flee as the rushing water si-
lently broke the Nadi River bank on the dawn of Friday, March
30.
Like a thief, the water entered Nadi Town in a pace not ever
known before. By Friday afternoon, many houses were already
waterlogged leaving thousands stranded-some areas worse af-
fected than the others.
But there is good news. This is Nadi (O Nadi Ko) and there
is hope-to its businesses and its people.
It is deeply rooted in every fiber of a Fijian-a resilient spirit
with a deep sense of pride in our heritage. Its who we are.
Where else in the world would you find smiling faces amid
dire straits and chaos?
Many heroes were born during the flood. The likes of hum-
bled hero Nacanieli Dokoni crossed my mind.
What about the villagers in Yasawa who set out to sea with a
large wooden cross at the height of Cyclone Daphne?
They say the sky above them cleared and the sea became
calm.
Throughout the darkest times in the nations history, religi-
osity and pride has kept everyone strong and optimistic.
The nation has given grace under pressure a different mean-
ing, a different nuance that could be understood and appreci-
ated only by another Fijian.
We take pride in our ingenuity and capability as a nation.
As the rebuilding work continues with the small assistance
we have, lets keep the fervor burning. The scars of the flood
will always remain but theres light after bleakest days.
With hope, Nadi and Fiji will rebuild.
Move Uphill
From page 1
tween 1.5 and 2.5 Celcius by
2100.
Mr Koroi further stated
that sea levels will continue
to rise and the rate of rise will
likely increase and there are
many other implications.
On the rainfall patterns, he
said considering all the un-
certainty with rainfall projec-
tions, it would be wise when
planning for the future to con-
sider both negative and posi-
tive rainfall projections.
Asked on whether its too
late- Mr Koroi said, If you
mean to keep air temperature
and sea level rise to current
levels, the answer is Yes.
Greenhouse gas emissions
must be reduced to prevent
further acceleration of air
temperature and sea level
rise.
The immediate focus on
Fiji is to develop a greater un-
derstanding of the projected
impacts and prepare for these
changes.
It is important that greater
emphasis be placed on me-
teorological and environmen-
tal monitoring, vulnerability
assessments be undertaken
and adaptation options e.g.
restricting development in
threatened coastal and flood-
plain areas, put in place.
With an increasing popu-
lation and projected greater
impacts from natural disas-
ters, it is important the Fiji
public receive as much warn-
ing in advance as possible,
Mr Koroi says.
2
LOCAL NEWS
Milika ready
to lead the
charge
By EMOSI LASAQA
It is a pivotal year for the
Western Cancer Society with
a new committee of vibrant
young women in place.
And Milika Marshall, the
new President has declared
that she is ready to lead the
charge in the fight against
cancer.
The appointment came on
Tuesday, March 20 during
the societys Annual General
Meeting at Raffles Gateway
conference centre in Nadi.
In fact, Mrs Marshall said
she was approached by Bev-
erley McElrath, who previ-
ously served as the president
on the evening.
Because I had worked
closely with Beverley for two
years- as a member I accept-
ed. And its for a cause close
to my heart so I was willing to
take it up. We also have Doc-
tor Fred Merchant as our Vice
President. I have a good feel-
ing about it and we are going
to do a lot to fight the killer
disease, she said.
Mrs Marshall said her first
priority is to look on how to
work closely with hospitals in
the Western Division.
You would have heard a
lot in the news of the Ministry
of Healths initiative to take
palliative care to the homes.
We had actually talked about
this late last year, to educate
families who have members
that are living with cancer
and to give them enough in-
formation and support where
we can on how to make their
lives a bit more comfortable
and to have the family sup-
port all around.
This is part of our aware-
ness program as we plan to
take our mobile clinic on the
road in late April targeting
Korovou and surrounding vil-
lages. This is of course the
caravan that was donated by
Williams and Goslings and
the Hino truck that has been a
result of the Western Societys
gift of a truck that will carry
the caravan through AusAid.
We are so excited about
this and are putting together
a programme with a budget to
take us there.
The challenges, she said
has been in generating the
interest for the public to go
for their initial checks-to seek
medical assistance when they
feel anything different to their
everyday life.
The other, Mrs Marshall
adds, is talking about the dis-
ease to pocket groups and get-
ting past the cultural barrier
and the fear.
Mostly we tell people that
we will even go with them for
their check. But there are av-
enues to get through and we
hope by getting more public-
ity we can raise the aware-
ness.
On her long term goal, Mrs
Marshall said, Im going to
be looking at the statistics in
my term, if we can drop the
numbers somehow in those
that have the disease than we
will know that people are get-
ting checked before they get
it.
With cervical cancer
cases high in Fiji (more than
breast cancer) we hope to
get the health centres work-
ing with us to get the checks
early. Educating the wider
public, its one of the most
preventable and curable types
of cancer if checked early and
its a simple test.
We are going to tackle the
western side from Sigatoka,
to Lautoka through to Raki-
raki with our awareness pro-
grammes and then go onto the
islands out here, the Yasawas
and the Mamanucas. In work-
ing with our Suva branch we
can work in the greater East-
ern area as well.
Mrs Marshall said they
have been lucky with the
amount of support and good-
will in the West and from
so many business houses as
well.
Its been amazing in the
last year to see how people
have contributed when we
have reached out to them. We
are always looking for volun-
teers in our Society, if only to
make up little support groups
that we can call on for house
and hospital visits. I think its
so important to let them know
that when they are detected
with cancer there is still hope
and you can still enjoy a qual-
ity life.
Please highlight the fact
that we have been very lucky
with Raffles Gateway for their
ongoing support of the West-
ern Cancer Society in hosting
our AGM each year with the
Fiji Times and Motibhais for
their sponsorships and Rosie
Tours for assistance in visit-
ing clinics.
Members of the Western Cancer Society during the AGM at the Raffles Gateway Hotel conference centre last month.
Photos: SHALENDRA PRASAD.
Western Cancer Societys newly elected president Milika
Marshall.
FLOOD FOCUS
Trust lends a helping hand
By EMOSI LASAQA
The Nakovacake Devel-
opment Trust on Thursday,
April 12 donated $60, 000
to the people of Navoci and
Namotomoto to help them re-
build their lives.
Situated along the bank
of the not so friendly Nadi
River, the two villages were
badly hit by the recent flood
and most are still reeling from
its effect.
Trusts Deputy Chairman
Tomasi Naulumatua said
the money would be shared
amongst VKB registered ben-
eficiaries of the two villages.
Some the houses were
damaged, many lost their be-
longings and root crops were
washed away. This is to help
them get back to normal.
We look after their welfare
as they are owners of three
quarters of Nadi Town, said
Mr Naulumatua showing
two money bags containing
$30,000 each.
He said they are also will-
ing to assist if the villagers
need further assistance.
Navoci Village assistant
head man Mosese Nailumu
who received the money on
behalf of his fellow villagers
said they are deeply touched
by the generosity of the Trust
Committee.
Namotomoto Village DIS-
MAC Chairman Aporosa
Saulete shared similar senti-
ments.
We are grateful and we
say thank you. Its a timely
decision as many in lot of
ways need assistance, Mr
Saulete said.
(Lami, Suva, 04/04/12)
Colgate-Palmolive (Fiji) Ltd
has donated over $55,000
retail value worth of items to
assist with DISMACs efforts
to help those affected by the
flood. The company has pro-
vided a donation of personal
hygiene and home-care prod-
ucts to assist with relief sup-
ply packs which were given
to families at the various
evacuation centres.
The products consist of
Colgate toothpastes, Colgate
toothbrushes, Protex Soap,
Colgate-Palmolive helps put
smiles during times of need
By RENATA RAM Fabuloso Cleaners and Pacif-
ic Laundry bars. The donation
was officially handed over to
the Permanent Secretary for
Provincial Development and
Natural Disaster Lieutenant
Colonel Inia Seruiratu.
On behalf of the company,
the General Manager Nick
Ryan expressed his empathy
for those suffering due to the
floods and particularly those
who were at the evacuation
centres.
Our best wishes are also
with the recovery teams work-
ing hard to get the country
back to normal. We at Colgate
Palmolive felt strongly about
playing our part in the recov-
ery and making life a little
easier for those who are suf-
fering and have lost so much.
We would like to announce
the donation of Colgate Pal-
molive products, valuing
$55,000, targeted to those
in the Evacuation Centres.
These products are aimed at
maintaining everyones sani-
tation, health and wellness at
this time.
In accepting the donation
Lt. Colonel Inia Seruiratu
expressed his gratitude and
thanks on behalf of the Fijian
government.
Colgate-Palmolive general
manager Nick Ryan hands
over items to the perma-
nent secretary for provi-
sional development and
national disaster manage-
ment Lieutenant Colonel
Inia Seruiratu. Photo:
SUPPLIED.
Fiji Sevashram Sangha feeds food victims
The Fiji Sevashram Sangha was one of the first NGOs to reach out to the thousands of flood victims who suffered during the recent floods in the west-
ern division. The organisation played a crucial role in providing cooked food and groceries to areas which were worst affected by the floods. Seen in this
picture are Carreras Road residents after receiving groceries from the FSS recently. Photo: SHALENDRA PRASAD.
The Youth branch of the Ah-
madiyya Muslim Jamaat
Fiji, classified as Majlis
Khuddamul Ahmadiyya
Fiji has been actively tak-
ing part in helping severely
affected flood victims and
relief activities in the Nadi
area in co-ordination with
DISMAC.
Majlis Khuddamul Ah-
madiyya has visited the
grief stricken families
of Nawaka Nadi on 31th
March 2012. They catered
for about 150 evacuees at
the St Andrews Primary
School, Nadi and also pro-
vided meals for service
men and women during
flood at Nadi Hospital,
Nadi Fire Station, Nadi
Police Station, Nadi Police
Evacuation center(Police
Bure) and all police offi-
cers on duty in Nadi town
street patrol.
On 7th April the youth group
cooked food for the Mili-
tary Personnel cleaning the
streets of Nadi, Natabua
Inmates, Prison wardens,
Mobile Police unit, Dismac
Staff, and also to badly af-
fected Navakai Settlement
They catered for approxi-
mately 480 people in phase
2 of their distribution.
Ahmadi
Muslims
reach out to
the needy
By ASHFAAQ KHAN
India offers
flood help
The Government and the peo-
ple of India have conveyed
their heartfelt sympathy to
all those affected by the
recent devastating floods
in Fiji, which have caused
loss of lives and property.
We hope that with the efforts
of all those involved, the
situation in the affected
areas would improve and
return to normal, the In-
dian Government said in
a statement to this news-
paper.
Government of India has con-
veyed a contribution of
US$200,000 towards the
efforts for relief and reha-
bilitation in the flood af-
fected areas.
Source: PRESS RELEASE
Westpac offers customers disaster relief finance options
Westpac has encouraged
customers impacted by the
floods to call or meet with
their banker to discuss finan-
cial relief options.
Some of our customers
have only just got back on
their feet again following the
floods earlier this year. Its
Source: PRESS RELEASE a tragedy to have the dam-
age and destruction repeated
and our thoughts are with
everybody affected by the
floods, said Adrian Hughes
(pictured), General Manager,
Westpac Fiji.
We understand how in-
terruptions, whether theyre
natural disasters or otherwise,
can have such a major impact
to the livelihoods of so many
people and to businesses
which in turn have further
consequences such as loss of
stock, damage to property and
little or no revenue.
As everyone and every
business circumstances are
unique, we want them to talk
to their banker to see how we
can best practically help them
in these difficult times. This
can involve suspending per-
sonal and home loan repay-
ments for a period of time,
restructuring their loan ac-
counts or Term Deposits cus-
tomers can terminate without
incurring the Early Termina-
tion Fee penalty.
But its best for custom-
ers to either contact our Cus-
tomer Service Call Centre
on 132 032 or talk to their
relationship manager to de-
termine the most appropriate
and responsible solution for
their circumstance, said Mr
Hughes.
4
FLOOD FOCUS
Relocation talks unrealistic
By EMOSI LASAQA
Business owners can move
to a flood free area if they
want to but Nadi will still be
viable with or without them.
Nakovacake Development
Trust Deputy Chairman To-
masi Naulumatua made those
statements amid the proposi-
tion that the only way is up if
the jet-set town is to survive
floods fury in the future.
The Trust administeres the
financial affairs of the Nako-
vacake people, consisting of
Namotomoto and Navoci vil-
lagers who own three quarters
of Nadi Town.
Mr Naulumatua said they
have been hearing a lot of
talks on relocation for the past
ten-years.
There are lot of talks but
the difficulty of moving is not
taken into account. Who is
going to move-who is ready,
I dont think anybody is ready
to move. Its unrealistic.
According to our history,
the flood usually comes after
10-years but that has been
broken by the one in 2009 and
the recent one
For sure it is going to hap-
pen again but not every year.
If theres some normalcy in
the system than it should be
back after 10-years so they
(business owners) have nine
years of prosperity.
Its good for me too.
if they relocate we can find
someone else to use Nadi
Town. There are many people
in Nadi who are looking for
homes and we can turn the
town area into residential if
they decide to move. This is
Nadi-its close to Denarau
and for sure-its still the best
place to invest, Mr Naulu-
matua says.
Nadi Chamber of Com-
merce and Industry president
Dr Ram Raju said it is no easy
task to just uproot everything
and move.
The cost and logistics of
moving Nadi Town makes it
an impossible task and this
is something that we are not
even going to discuss at this
stage or in the near future.
We simply have to find solu-
tions to minimise flooding,
he said.
Nakovacake Development Trust Deputy Chairman Tomasi
Naulumatua.
US
Assists Fiji
Flood Relief
Efforts
The United States of Amer-
ica is assisting the people
of Fiji by responding to
the recently declared
state of emergency in the
western parts of the main
island, Viti Levu, caused
by the recent severe
flooding of homes, towns
and villages.
The Embassy of the United
States in Suva, Fiji, has
donated USD 100,000
to Rotary Fiji and USD
50,000 to the Fiji Red
Cross for the provision
of emergency relief sup-
plies including blan-
kets, water purification
tablets and hygiene kits
to the areas and people
affected by the devastat-
ing floods.
The United States under-
stands well the vulner-
abilities of its friends in
the Pacific to natural
disasters. Through its
Center for Excellence in
Disaster Management
and Humanitarian Assis-
tance, the U.S. has pro-
vided significant training
and support to relevant
agencies in Fiji in 2010
and 2011, assisting them
in their efforts to better
respond to disasters.
The United States com-
mends the governments
response to the floods
and remains committed
to helping the people of
Fiji with disaster relief
efforts.
Vodafone ATH Foundation makes the difference
Various charity partners of
the Vodafone ATH Fiji Foun-
dation have been passionately
engaged in providing flood re-
lief to the needy in the West.
The Foundation has allo-
cated $ 48,000 for immediate
relief work to ease the pain of
flood victims. The foundation
is engaging its charity partners
Sangam Fiji Foundation, TISI
Mathar Sangam, Lions Club
of Ba, Rotary Club of Lau-
toka, Lions Club of Lautoka,
Rama Krishna Mission and
the Fiji Sevashram Sangha to
reach those affected.
Jagannath Sami of Sangam
Fiji Foundation stated that the
Foundation has provided din-
ner for 254 children and milk
and baby food for 26 babies
at St Andrews Primary School
evacuation centre. There
were 500 adults at the centre
and the TISI Mathar Sangam
cooked food and the delivery
and serving was done by the
youths, said Sami.
Lions Club of Ba project
officer, Mr Brij Dayal said
that they distributed borehole
water to the Yalelevu Com-
munity. The club prepared
250 packs of groceries for
distribution at the evacua-
tion centres in Ba. We were
closing monitoring the situa-
tion and were able to help a
lot more when the flood water
receded and the roads opened
up.
The team distributed wa-
ter and food to Votua, Wailai-
lai, Matanigana, Nailaga, Na-
mosau, Bangladesh, Yalelevu
and Moto victims, said Mr
Dayal.
Rotary Club of Lautoka
had purchased $10, 000 worth
of groceries sent to St An-
drews Primary School, Nadi
Muslim, PWD Depot, Mt
St Marys said Ricke Eyre,
President of Club.
The Fiji Sevashram
Sangha had been distributing
hot cooked food to people at
the evacuation centres. The
second phase involved distri-
bution of food rations in the
affected areas accessible and
to families who had returned
to their homes.
They have relied on its self-
less volunteers and donors to
mobilise immediate help to
the needy, it again appeals to
them to please come forward
and help the Sangha help the
thousands in need today. The
damage and suffering is wide-
spread, the affected are in tens
of thousands and the suffering
is severe.
Sangha urgently needs
helping hands of the volun-
teers and food supplies to start
the relief work. The suffering
communities in the West are
waiting for the Sanghas bri-
gade of volunteers to bring
first help to them as they have
done in the past. Volunteers
are requested to call into the
Sangha Ashram at 10 Nasoki
Street in Lautoka and assist in
the relief work.
The community at large
are requested to drop dona-
tions at the centre, said Swa-
mi Sanyuktanand.
The Sangha has distributed
food to 400 people at Drasa
Muslim School, Drasa Pri-
mary School, Deshbandu Vi-
togo Primary, Luvu Sangam
Primary and Yalelevu Sanatan
Primary.
The Lions Club of Lau-
toka has supplied food, warm
clothes, beddings and water
tanks. It continues to assist
Naviago, Drasa, Matawalu
Village, Luvu Seaside and
Saweni communities. They
have also distributed 16 car-
tons of clothes to the centres.
It is sad to hear the con-
tinuing massive damage that
is occurring due to the heavy
downfall and fresh flood in
the western division of Fiji,
especially when people were
just recovering from the re-
cent crisis said National Vol-
unteer Centre [NVC] coordi-
nator, Neil Maharaj.
Our coordinators verbal
reports from Sigatoka, Nadi,
Ba and Tavua gave an insight
that this flood has caused
even more damage then the
previous flood.
As per reports, we have
quickly mobilised NVC vol-
unteers to keep a watch and
also assist those affected in
ways possible. Many flats in
Tavua were under water and
without electricity and wa-
ter. Sigatoka Coordinators,
Sitiveni Kunaika revealed
that it is also one of the worst
affected areas this time com-
pared to last flood.
Many houses and villages
in Sigatoka were underwater.
He said that 44 houses were
swept away and people were
only in the clothes they were
wearing.
It will definitely take
people time to recover espe-
cially being victims of two
floods. Immediate assistance
with basic needs would prob-
able first in everyones mind.
Should you need volunteer
assistance, please contact Mr
Neil Maharaj on 9993663 or
3312 649 who has close tabs
with coordinators in Siga-
toka, Ba and Tavua. Should
there be a need volunteers can
be mobilized in each of the 3
districts.
In the mean time we will
continue to follow up with the
coordinators.
Leading by example...Vodafone Fiji CEO Aslam Khan, right,
was personally engaged in the delivery of flood relief items
in the western division. Photo: FACEBOOK.
(NATADOLA, FIJI) Mon-
day 16 April 2012 The man-
agement company behind Inter-
Continental Fiji have provided
over 30,000 kg of essential sup-
plies to the flood-affected com-
munities surrounding the resort
and all of its employees.
Intercontinental Hotel
Groups (IHG) global charity,
Shelter in a Storm, provided
disaster relief to victims of Ja-
Peoples Resort management company gives back
Source: PRESS RELEASE pans earthquake and tsunami,
Christchurchs earthquakes, and
the recent flooding in Bangkok
and now Fiji.
According to DISMAC, vil-
lages seriously affected in the
area include Semo, Navisaba-
saba, Nalele, Lomawai, and
Emuri. By the end of the week
these villages will have col-
lectively received over 10,000
kg of food and essential sup-
plies from the resort. Affected
employees have also been pro-
vided 45 kg care-packages for
their families.
Ratu Ilaisa Memorial
School, smaller settlements and
seriously affected homes along
the highway are also the focus
of attention, and teams of resort
employees are volunteering to
help communities clean and re-
build their homes.
Recognizing the oppor-
tunity to use their networks
size and scale for good, IHG
set up the Shelter Fund and
established a partnership with
CARE International to provide
relief to communities following
natural and manmade disasters.
By fundraising in anticipation
of disasters, teams across the
world can take immediate and
effective action to help commu-
nities in crisis.
According to General Man-
ager, Scott Williams, Fijis
recovery relies heavily on the
tourism industry bouncing back
however, the healing must start
with the people.
We are the Peoples Re-
sort and caring for the people
of Fiji is central to how we do
business, said Mr Williams.
The floods have left thou-
sands devastated, however we
are committed to supporting
where we can through this dif-
ficult time and providing relief
to those in need.
Flood relief items being
delivered at Semo Village
in Sigatoka.
Photo: SUPPLIED.
US Ambassador to Fiji
Frankie Reed.
THE JET - FIJIS FIRST COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
LOCAL NEWS
Communities
make a difference
to home and lives
of the residents
By RAJNEESH CHARAN
Staff members of Tourist Transport Fiji (TTF) pose for a group photo after carrying out community work at the Golden Age
Home at Natabua in Lautoka last month. Photos: RAJNEESH LATA CHARAN.
Different communities
have been visiting the Golden
Age Home to make a differ-
ence in the lives of the resi-
dents.
A fifteen member reser-
vations team from the Tour-
ist Transport Fiji (TTF) led
by Customer Services and
Reservations Manager, Arun
Prasad did the much needed
cleaning of the wards and
compound at the Home on
Saturday, 17th March 2012 as
part of their community work.
After the rainy season the
molds and mildews formed in
the high ceiling of the wards
and we are really thankful to
TTF staff for the timely assis-
tance. This great service was
provided between 9am to 3
pm and this definitely helped
in brightening the place. The
General Manager of TTF,
Brad Rutherford commented
that, The team at TTF, in-
cluding the management, is
very proud of the efforts the
Reservations & Customer
Services team made on Sat-
urday as part of TTFs over-
all efforts to assist more in
community service. We hope
the folks at the Golden Age
Home enjoyed the experience
and improved surroundings.
The residents did not only
enjoy the clean surrounding
but also enjoyed the compan-
ionship of the friendly TTF
staff.
The Lions Club of Lau-
toka as part of their project
initiative planted fruit trees
at the home on 17 March
2012. They planted banana,
pawpaw, baigan, chilies and
mandarin trees at the home
garden.
The members of the
Art-of-Living, Lautoka are
continuing to conduct the
weekly Yoga classes for the
residents.
Other community groups
who visited the home recently
to provide companionship to
the residents were Student In-
ternational California, USA,
Hare Krishna Mission and
South Pacific Evangelical.
The Valentine Travel &
Tour Limited have also indi-
cated that they would include
The Golden Age Home as
part of their itinerary as part
of their tour of their guest to
the Lautoka City.
The Board of Visitors dur-
ing its monthly meeting on
21st March 2012 co-opted a
new board member, Saleshni
Lalji. She comes with a Social
Welfare background and will
be an asset to the board.
Baroda Lautoka blood drive a success
Bank of Baroda Lautoka
branch hosted a blood drive
on Saturday, March 24 to as-
sist the Western Blood Bank
as part of their community
outreach.
Branch head Pushpa
Singh said she was im-
pressed with the response
from her staff members,
customers and members of
the public.
We were able to collect
fifty-five pints of blood in
our half-day blood drive and
the response was very en-
couraging, Mrs Singh said.
By SHALENDRA PRASAD Most of our staff members
also donated blood and our
customers also turned up in
numbers to donate blood for a
worthy cause, she added.
According to Mrs Singh,
the bank has carried out nu-
merous blood drives in the
past and this one was the first
for the year.
Donating blood is the no-
blest thing a person can do so
we are always ready to help
the blood bank with such an
initiative, Mrs Singh said.
Our efforts today will
definitely help save lives and
apart from organizing blood
drives, we have also assisted
a lot of people after the recent
floods.
The bank continues to
carry out community work
and has recently provided
food for residents of the
Golden Age Home and also
assisted school children with
stationery needs via the Fiji
Sevashram Sangha.
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TASTE BUDS
By BRENDON COFFEY
Executive Chef
Sofitel Fiji Resort & Spa
For reservations and information on
Sofitel Fiji Resort & Spa, please visit
www.sofitel.com
South Pacifc Food and Wine Festival
Who could imagine that
only three to four weeks ago
we were experiencing pos-
sibly the most exciting food
and beverage event that Fiji
and its hospitality sector have
ever encountered.
A star studded cast of
Chefs, foodies and industry
speakers that would have
made a big event in any of the
leading culinary cities around
the world. To have such an
event here in Fiji is to say
the least extraordinary. So
what does it really mean for
our young chefs and industry
professionals as a whole? It
allows them to tap into a vast
amount of knowledge and
expert resources that would
otherwise not be available. It
extends the opportunity for
networking and forming last-
ing industry relationships and
hopefully encourages other
industry leaders to come, visit
and share which is the es-
sence of hospitality and what
we do.
Unfortunately the Festival
was quickly overshadowed
by more dramatic and disas-
trous events of late that will
have an on going effect in our
community for a number of
months to come.
This makes it even more
imperative that we look at the
overall purpose of the South
Pacific Food and Wine Festi-
val which is to help develop a
more self sustaining approach
to local product and Pacific
flavors especially in regard to
our tourism.
I believe whole heartedly
that the South Pacific Food
and Wine Festival was a huge
success. It has set a theme
and a thinking that can only
develop further. It has the po-
tential to develop a first class
international event in a truly
unique environment. We also
need to remember that it was
the first time for Fiji and, just
like trying on a new pair of
trousers, Im sure some minor
adjustments are necessary.
I applaud all those involved
for initiating and organizing
the event. Also the suppliers
and sponsors who got be-
hind and supported the event
without really knowing the
impact that this can have on
our future chefs and food and
beverage professionals. I also
applaud the Chefs and young
people from the industry who
took the initiative to come and
volunteer their time to work
alongside our visiting Chefs
to better their own knowledge
and skills. So what were some
of the new ideas and skills to
come out of the kitchen?
Michael Meredith showed
us some new and intriguing
ways with coconuts
Coconut yoghurt using
only the green flesh with the
addition of an acidophilus re-
sulting in a very fresh unique-
ly flavored yoghurt. Michael
also demonstrated green co-
conut cocktails, salads, and of
course different ways to use
spongy coconut flower.
Robert Oliver with his
zealous humor and expertise
on all things Pacific had our
staff hungry for more. Rob-
ertss encouragement toward
our local staff and what can
be achieved was truly inspir-
ing.
Peter Gordon was so at
home with a laid back pro-
fessionalism and showed the
team how to incorporate local
flavors into his dishes with a
simplicity and flair. In par-
ticular the date and chocolate
sauce using Adi Chocolate
from Savusavu and of course
the simple way in which he
put together a salad of bele,
moca and coconut gave us all
a fresh way of thinking.
Peter Kuruvita was ex-
tremely engaging and had our
young chefs spell bound as he
talked and showed them sim-
ple but new techniques.
The kitchen theatre was
a lot of fun and people were
able to gain insight into a
number of products and ideas.
In particular Willie Harcourt
Cooze and his passionate al-
most eccentric expertise on
cacao. There was also our
own local spices and cooking
styles with the original Spice
Girls who came in the form
of a panel of local ladies shar-
ing their knowledge and ideas
of local cuisine and childhood
favorites.
The Rising Stars pro-
gram was a great initiative
and highlights the importance
of getting our young chefs ac-
cess to first class resources.
All our visiting Chefs and
speakers that I had the oppor-
tunity to meet and talk with
all expressed their under-
standing of the idea of Pa-
cific Cuisine and how much
they enjoyed their time work-
ing here.
The festival serves as a
base from which to carry this
further and momentum now
is paramount and with this
in mind it is a necessity that
the Festival takes place again
next year.
In the mean time we have
a hard couple of months to as-
sist our local farmers back to
normality.
Fiji and its people have al-
ways astounded me as to their
resilience and resourcefulness
and Im sure with all stake-
holders working cooperative-
ly we can be back serving fine
Pacific fare with interesting
and locally grown produce in
no time at all!
Things you should know:
Information is current as at April 1, 2012. (Rates may be subject to change. Increase in rates with a prior notice of 7 days). Account terms and conditions apply for
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checklist policy will need to be met. For more information, call our Customer Service Call Centre on 132 032, visit your nearest Westpac branch or log on to www.
westpac.com.fj
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to the Banks normal lending criteria, currently 6.99% p.a for Premium Option Home Loan.
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Peter Kuruvita with the Sofitel team. Photos: SUPPLIED.
SPFWF brand ambassador Robert Oliver, Brendon Coffey and Peter Kuruvita.
Peter, Ben and Michael.
Miso Marinated eggplant by Peter Gordon.
10
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Visit www.fdb.com.fj for details on fees
and charges.
The Ministry of Agriculture has pegged the flood damage to
the non-sugar agricultural sector at $17.4 million.
Ministry permanent secretary, Mr Mason Smith, said the
Ministry would be utilising close to $0.5m for rehabilitation
programme for farmers.
He said the Ministry was already working with a number of
non-governmental organisations to purchase seeds from over-
seas.
One such group is the Rama Krishna Mission based in
Nadi and we are also working with Bio Security to get clear-
ance for the seeds from overseas for farmers in the field, Mr
Smith said.
He said these organisations will be also assisting in the prop-
agation of the seeds and the seedlings prior to the distribution
to the farmers.
In addition we are working with others such as Natures
Way Cooperative in the non-sugar agricultural sector to try and
get out farmers back on the field.
Government
assists
agricultural
sector
PM approves sugar help
By MINFO
New Chip Mill to boost economy
By MINFO
Fifteen-years of waiting
has finally materialised after
Prime Minister Voreqe Baini-
marama commissioned the
opening of the Wairiki Chip
Mill in Bua this month.
In his speech the Prime
Minister highlighted that it
had taken long to open the
mill as there was corruption
and false promises made by
the previous management of
Tropik Woods Limited.
However, the Prime Min-
ister highlighted that Gov-
ernments aim is to eradicate
corruption and ensure that
the people get the maximum
benefit from land based re-
sources.
It is a great day for Fiji
Pine and also the pine land-
owners and the Vanualevu
community. We are witnessing
a fundamental transformation
of the Vanualevu economy,
Prime Minister Bainimarama
said.
This island will, for the
first time, open itself to the di-
rect export trade of pine wood
chips and this will drive for-
eign earning and we will also
be making history, through
launching a vessel carrying
pine chips from the shores of
Vanualevu bound for Japan.
This further contributes to
Fijis place as the hub of the
Pacific and underscores the
growth potential Fiji has.
The Prime Minister
thanked landowners for their
patience and cooperation
with Government as well as
the CEO for Tropik Woods,
Mr Faiz Khan for having the
Wariki Chip Mill running in
just over a year.
He has also called on
the current management of
Wairiki Chip Mill to maintain
transparency and good corpo-
rate governance.
More than 150 workers
will be employed in the first
phase, with the first shipment
to Japan in June this year.
Prime Minister Bainima-
rama said the opening of the
Wairiki Saw Mill is part of
Governments look north
policy, targeted towards
boosting economic growth
in the Northern Division and
at the same time ensuring
that local people are assisted
through employment, instead
of transporting resources to
the Drasa Chipping Mill in
Lautoka.
The Wairiki Chip Mill will
operate 12 hours a day with
an output three times more
than the Chip Mill in Drasa,
Lautoka which operates 24
hours.
Prime Minister Bainimara-
ma at the opening in Bua. By MINFO
Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama has approved an
assistance scheme for sugar farmers who have been affect-
ed by the recent floods.
The Sugar Industry Tribunal, FSC and the cane growers
council has carried out a valuation assessment to determine
those farms which were affected by the recent floods.
Government will issue to individual affected farmers a
grant of $2,500 per hectare to replant sugarcane, which was
damaged by the recent floods.
Government will also assist farmers throughout Fiji by
offering an interest free loan of $1,250 per hectare with a
further grant of $1,250 per hectare to replant sugarcane.
The grant portion of this assistance will be given once the
loan has been assessed and approved by the Sugarcane
Growers Fund.
The Prime Minister who is also the Minister for the Sug-
ar portfolio stressed the importance of rehabilitating the
sugarcane industry as quickly as possible.
We must ensure these farmers have every opportunity
to quickly replant crops and are not tied down by financial
burdens, Prime Minister Bainimarama said.
It is estimated that through this grant approximately
500 hectares will be planted with a further 1,600 hectares
planted through the joint loan/grant assistance.
FEATURES
By PROFESSOR SUBRAMANI
Fiji foods and human values
The recent floods in the
western districts of Fiji have
yet again brought to the sur-
face the issue of human val-
ues.
We can take some conso-
lation from the fact that Fiji
is not alone in facing disas-
ters. In recent years, these
disasters, unfortunately, have
become a way of life on this
earth.
The havoc that nature is
causing though earthquakes,
tsunamis, cyclones, floods,
droughts is just one side of
the story of crisis-ridden
world; alongside the natural
disasters, there are disasters
of even greater proportion
caused by human beings evi-
dent in collapsing economies,
upheaval in governments,
environmental crisis, wars
and terrorism, and recently
chaos in the media itself. The
greatest sufferers are the poor
people of the world.
These entire crises are, in
one way or another, linked to
crisis in human values. That
is, our inability to distinguish
provided good leadership in
promoting values. Our pri-
mary schools are now teach-
ing human values, and at the
tertiary level, the Fiji National
University has made teaching
of ethics compulsory at all
its campuses. There is prob-
ably a gap at the secondary
school level; this is now be-
ing addressed by a recently
published book called Edu-
cation in Human Vales; Re-
source Book for Secondary
Schools. It is intended to be
an inspiring and instructive
publication written in the
context of global crisis in hu-
man values. The book will be
launched as soon as we recov-
er from our difficulties in the
west, and The Jet will carry a
full review.
These positive contribu-
tions make us believe again
in a new Fiji that we say the
way the whole world ought to
be.
Police officers seen evacuating families from Carreras Road in Votualevu affected by the floods on Friday,
March 30. Photo: SHALENDRA PRASAD.
The floods have receded; its time to take stock
between right and wrong. The
collapse of the banks in the
West, wars and terrorism in
the Middle Eastern countries,
global climate change, failure
in governance every where,
and irresponsible activities
in the media are connected to
confusion over values.
The tragic floods in Fiji
showed us both, the potential
good in us in the way business
corporations, Government,
NGOs and individuals re-
sponded to the human plight
in flooded areas, showing
love, compassion and caring.
At the same time, what
is most heartbreaking, is the
base activities of those who
chose to inflict more pain on
the injured by looting and car-
rying on corrupt trade.
This is like hurting those
who are already hurt and that
to not because of need but be-
cause of greed.
There cant be a more pain-
ful example of degradation of
values.
The global crisis, and our
own tragedy, demonstrates
clearly the massive task of
re-educating human beings in
values that support us in car-
rying on civilized existence:
mutual dependence, kindness,
generosity, proper conduct,
respect, justice and fairness.
This realization is slowly
dawning on the whole world.
The Fiji Government has
Given the flooding sce-
narios in the west, it is only
safe for estuary towns and all
low lying settlements to relo-
cate to safer, higher locations.
There is no better solution
than to relocate from flood-
prone areas to higher areas.
The idea of relocation must be
taken seriously. I have been
repeatedly saying this for the
last ten-years now but I have
seen municipal councils not
taking much heed. I hope they
do realize this now and gov-
ernment must ensure that this
takes place.
By now, people must have
seen how ferocious floods
can be. The intensity and ve-
locity of floods must never be
underestimated. What we are
seeing and experiencing is not
the end. There will be more to
come with the many environ-
mental changes taking place
globally.
I must also say that artifi-
cial methods to control and
overcome flooding is not ef-
fective.
It is also worrying that
people in Wailotua ,Tailevu
are not prepared to move to
a new site which the District
Officer Korovou says has
been prepared. People must
understand that if govern-
ment is assisting them with
relocation, they must take
up that opportunity to move.
This is for the betterment of
Relocate Now
By PARDEEP LAL
the future generations. People
must think ahead. They must
not only think of the next 50
or 100 years but beyond that.
We must think 200 years from
now and beyond. What kind
of place are we going to cre-
ate and leave behind for our
generations? The decisions
we make today will be crucial
for the future generations.
People have seen the
devastating floods and the
damage it brings to families,
businesses and the nation
alike. Government must seri-
ously think of the idea of re-
location if it wants to reduce
the increasing cost incurred
by natural disasters such as
floods and tropical cyclones.
The whole idea about reloca-
tion is that it is pragmatic and
the best method to reducing
losses.
Research by distinguished
scholars point out that at least
3 towns in Fiji, namely Nadi,
Navua and Labasa could be
affected by sea level rise by
2027. Furthermore, climatic
projections for Fiji clearly
say that temperatures are
projected to increase and the
intensity and frequency of
extreme rainfall will be high.
The proposed plan to divert
Labasa river along Naseakula
is not the way to solving the
problem of flooding of La-
basa town. It will aggravate
flooding of more areas which
include agricultural and resi-
dential areas.
What is happening year in
year out is that during time of
flooding, people are urged to
move to higher ground. They
lose a lot as their houses and
businesses go under water.
After floods recede, they go
back and clean up. Again they
move to higher ground during
the next flood and so this saga
continues. But if we calculate
the economic losses over a
few floods, it is huge. This
must stop now and the focus
must be on finding better saf-
er, locations for our vulner-
able towns and settlements.
I must also say that the
governments effort to reach
out to victims has been great.
They have been very quick to
mobilize workforce and pro-
vide assistance. With elected
governments, there is always
bureaucracy which badly de-
lays rescue, relief work and
rehabilitation process. The
people should be lucky and
thankful to the government.
Victims started receiving as-
sistance without much delay
and this places us among some
of the developed countries
where government and NGO
assistance reaches victims in
a short time.
Government must bring
in legislations to ensure that
towns and low lying settle-
ments move to higher, safer
locations. This process may
take a few years but it must
start now. Government will
have to identify and develop
better locations first. Those
who do not relocate to safer
areas identified and developed
by government should not be
assisted if they are affected by
flood in future. They remain
in those flood prone areas at
their own risk. Government
must encourage and educate
people to move as it helps all
in the long term. Government
must also assist the poor in re-
locating. A larger budget for
disaster management needs
to be allocated as severity of
natural disasters is expected
to increase. Immediate refor-
estation must commence in
areas which are deforested in
the highlands. Thorough wa-
ter shed management is cru-
cial to reducing the impact of
severe flooding.
Given these scenarios, it is
time now to realize that these
natural events such as floods
and tropical cyclones mean
business. In return, we got to
face these disasters head on
with great wisdom and intel-
lect and take control of it be-
fore it controls and shakes us
and our economy.
Pardeep Lal is a lec-
turer at the FNU La-
basa Campus. Views
expressed are his own.
Members of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat youth wing busy distributing food items to af-
fected families in Nadi. Photo: ASHFAAQ KHAN.
12
TRAVEL AND TOURISM
Solomon students graduate from AFL Aviation Academy
For the first time Solomon
Islands students have gradu-
ated from the Airport Fiji
Limited Aviation Academy in
Nadi.
The students were con-
gratulated by a delegation of
Solomon Island government
officials led by its Minister of
Aviation & Communication
the Honourable Walter Folo-
talu who had travelled to Nadi
to attend the graduation.
The graduation ceremony
saw seven Solomon Island-
ers receive their certificates
in Basic Air Traffic Control,
a 11 week, course that be-
gan on February 7. They will
now return to their country as
qualified Air Traffic Control
Assistants.
In addition there are four
Solomon Islanders all study-
ing towards qualifications as
Air Traffic Controllers.
Commenting on the gradu-
ation, AFL CEO, Mr. Tony
Gollin said that this is the first
time overseas students have
enrolled in the Airport Fiji
Limiteds Aviation Academy,
an indication of the recogni-
tion it is beginning to receive
as a viable alternative to other
overseas aviation schools,
By AFL MEDIA The Academy, located in
the AFL compound at Nadi,
was opened in 2010 to ad-
dress a shortage of air traffic
controllers at AFL and was
expanded to include training
in aviation security and air-
port rescue and fire-fighting
services.
Up to now, the Academy
has graduated 80 Air Traffic
Controllers who have not only
satisfied AFL requirements
but also are now working in
New Zealand, Australia, USA
and Canada.
The Academy is only two
years old so it is still early
days in our development, but
we have already expanded
our curriculum to include air-
port fire-fighting and rescue
services and security.
These are all ICAO sanc-
tioned courses which means
when students graduate in
their discipline they can work
at any airport in the region,
said Mr Gollin.
The AFL Aviation Acad-
emy is close to the airport
control tower and Air Traffic
Management Centre. This
gives students access to the
state of the art Aurora Air
Traffic Management System
as well as other airport facili-
ties.
Fiji graduates with Solomon Islands Minister of Aviation & Communication Honourable Walter Folotalu and AFL CEO
Tony Gollin. Photos: SUPPLIED.
Solomon Islands graduates pose for a photo.
ADVERTISEMENT
14
EDUCATION AND CAREERS
Proudly supported by:-
NADI HOSPITAL BOARD OF VISITORS

INVITES
VOLUNTEERS FOR 2012
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ThankYou!
His Excellency the Presi-
dent of the Republic of Fiji
and the Chancellor of the
University of Fiji, Ratu Epeli
Nailatikau reminded more
than 200 graduates of the Uni-
versity of Fiji not to forget the
very people that have made
sacrifices for students.
He made the comments
as he handed out degrees and
masters certificate at the Uni-
versitys Saweni campus in
Lautoka on Friday, April 13.
15 of the graduates quali-
fied with an LLB while 60
students also graduated with
Masters in Business Admin-
istration.
Uni Fiji graduation
gets bigger and
better
By MINFO You the graduates are the
most recent beneficiaries of
the sacrifice and resilience
of the people who laid the
solid foundations. We would
always remain grateful to
them, he said.
Whatever happens, do
not forget your parents, your
guardians and your families
for their full unstinting sup-
port and their many sacrifices
on your behalf.
With the demand for qual-
ity people always on the rise,
Ratu Epeli reminded them to
never forget what they have
learnt in school and at home.
Ponder well the course
you are to embark on for your
future. Cherish and treasure
bonds and friendships that
you have formed while study-
ing, Ratu Epeli said.
His Excellency noted that
50 per cent of the graduates
were women.
University vice chancel-
lor Professor Mahendra Ku-
mar said he looked forward to
seeing students of the univer-
sity contribute positively to-
wards the society and nation.
I hope you will approach
the challenges and opportuni-
ties that lie ahead with an open
mind and contribute towards
the growth of this nation.
University of Fiji students from left, Sheetal Chand, Rinika Prakash, Ashutosh Maharaj and Jasbindar Singh caught in a
jovial mood after their graduation. Photos: SUPPLIED.
His Excellency Ratu Epeli Nailatikau is flanked by University of Fiji staff Vineeta Narayan,
Neha Naidu and Irfaaz Ismail after the graduation.
University of Fiji vice-chancellor Professor Mahendra Kumar shares a moment with First
Lady Adi Koila Nailatikau after the graduation.
TALK BUSINESS
By PRANESH AMARSEE
Bula Everybody
On Wednesday 22nd Feb-
ruary our Prime Minister
made the following speech to
the Police Officers: Effective
and efficient leadership is the
key to any successful organi-
sation, be it civil, disciplined
or the public sector.
And while delivering this
speech, there was a breaking
news in Australia that Kevin
Rudd will be challenging the
Australian Prime Minister Ju-
lia Gillard for Labour Party
Leadership. So What is Lead-
ership?
Well there are many defi-
nitions of Leadership. I have
gathered the following best
five definitions:- Bruce
Bagley Leadership is the abil-
ity to guide and motivate a
group of people to a common
purpose.
Gretchen Dickson-Com-
mitment to a cause or orga-
nization and undertaking the
responsibility to see positive
change in that organization.
Leadership is not the office
that you hold or the job you
do, but rather the attitude
with which you approach
your involvement in a project.
Leadership is about having
the foresight to see the future
needs of an organization, the
commitment to providing
whatever effort is necessary
to move the organization in
that direction and the grace to
do so because it is what is best
The importance of good leadership
for the organization and not
in an effort to gain personal
glory or accolades.
English H.Gonzalez-
Leadership as the opportunity
to change the world, hope-
fully for the better.
Jim Martin- Someone
who believes that taking
(leading) a group (team,
family, organization, coun-
try, etc.) into a certain condi-
tion or status will make the
group and those influenced
by the group better.
Viviana S Martinez-Bi-
anchi - A person that has the
ability of leadership is some-
one that can exert influence,
motivate, inspire, help others
realize their potential, mentor,
lead by example and make a
difference. It takes knowing
oneself, being a good listener
and a good speaker. It requires
passion and ability to always
recognize ones limits in or-
der to grow. It requires know-
ing when and how to delegate
and when and how to change
the course. It requires trust-
ing others and trusting ones
instincts.
Understanding the im-
portance of leadership is the
key to your business success.
Leadership has so much influ-
ence in our lives because so
often it determines whether
we enjoy a particular activ-
ity. The Army Leadership
manual, FM 6-22, expresses
the importance of leadership
best:
A leader is anyone who
inspires and influences
people to accomplish organi-
zational goals; they motivate
others to pursue actions,
focus thinking, and shape
decisions for the greater
good of the organization.
Leadership is about build-
ing teams and communicat-
ing so that everyone works
together. The importance of
leadership is a key ingredient
to successful businesses and
championship teams. Teams
that have this synergy tend
to be the ones on top. Team-
work establishes an environ-
ment that allows everyone to
feel that they can be a part of
something greater. Communi-
cation is about creating new
or better awareness; achiev-
ing a common understanding.
Are you a leader just be-
cause you run a small busi-
ness? No. But you need to be.
Without business leadership,
your small business ship will
circle aimlessly and eventual-
ly run out of power. Effective
business leadership demands
a captain of the ship, not just
someone whos standing by
the helm. Leadership is active,
not passive. Cool-headed, far-
seeing, visionary, courageous
- whichever adjectives you
choose, leadership is a win-
ning combination of personal
traits and the ability to think
and act as a leader, a person
who directs the activities of
others for the good of all.
Anyone can be a leader,
even if the only person theyre
leading is themselves.
But you cant be a leader
just by saying you are. Busi-
ness leadership, like leader-
ship of any kind, needs to be
worked at.
Transform yourself into
the kind of leader your small
business needs with these five
keys to business leadership
which I read in one of the ar-
ticles while getting bored in
the plane.
For Effective Business
Leadership:
1. A leader plans. What to
do, when to do, how to do and
who will do it. Simply its just
like building a house where
first step is to draw up a de-
sign and plan before we start
laying bricks. In any business,
planning is important.
2. A leader has a vision.
Where do you want to see your
company in next 12 months?
But before that where do you
want to see yourself in the
next 12 months. Do you want
to achieve something in life
and in your company? This
question should be asked by
every individual.
3. A leader shares vision.
Sharing your leadership vi-
sion helps your vision grow
and your business leadership
develop. As you tell your
leadership vision to others,
you will strengthen your
own belief in your vision and
strengthen your determina-
tion to make your leadership
vision become reality. And
other people will start to see
you as a person whos going
places. Your business leader-
ship skills will grow as you
and other people recognize
you as a person with leader-
ship potential.
4. A leader takes charge.
You cant just talk a good
game to be a leader; you
need to act and to be seen as
taking effective action for the
good of your small business.
5. A leader inspires
through example. We can all
name many actions of other
people whom we admire, but
what inspires us is the integ-
rity that gives these actions
meaning.
Who is a leader in your
context? Our Prime Minister
is a leader leading this coun-
try, individual ministers are
leaders leading their desig-
nated portfolios, the president
of various religious organi-
zations are leaders leading
their group, the head master
or principle is a leader lead-
ing his or her school, a head
boy or a head girl is a leader
leading students, a sport-
ing team captain is a leader
leading the team, in business
a store manager is a leader
leading the store and likewise
there are many categories of
leadership. A true leader will
identify his or her responsibil-
ity. While reading the Sunday
Times (15/4/12) I came across
an article where the head girl
of Nasikawa Vision College
was interviewed and this girl
quiet interestingly portrayed
the qualities of a good leader
whereby she dealt with stu-
dent problems with profes-
sionalism.
Leaders face good times
and bad times. To deal with
both is an art. Today our
country is in difficult times
due to the massive record
breaking floods in the west-
ern division. In this situation
our leaders starting from the
Prime Minister are working
very hard. I always remember
this great quote from Swami
Vivekananda as he said that
If you are walking on a path
which has no problems, than
its the wrong path. I can
imagine and understand that
its easy to say that we will
get over and out of this cur-
rent situation we facing in
Nadi , but the cost of it is un-
bearable this time.
God Bless Nadi. God Bless
Fiji.
Leaders in their own right...former leader of opposition Prem Singh, left, and FSC execu-
tive chairman Abdul Khan share a light moment during the Nadi Chamber of Commerce &
Industry annual forum earlier this year. Photo: SHALENDRA PRASAD.
1
ENVIRONMENT
WORLD Water Day
(WWD) is an international
celebration held annually on
the 22nd of March as a means
of focusing attention on the
significance of freshwater and
advocating for the sustainable
management of freshwater re-
sources. This year the interna-
tional focus is on Water and
Food Security: The World
Is Thirsty Because We Are
Hungry. Fiji and the Pacific
have adopted the theme: Wa-
ter Security Is Food Security,
this seeks to highlight the re-
lationship between water and
global food supplies.
According to the UN,
Food security exists when
individuals have both physi-
cal and economic access to
adequate, safe and nourish-
ing food that meets their re-
quirements for an active and
healthy life. Events were or-
ganised to celebrate this most
important day in the Western
division involving schools,
communities, and the busi-
ness sectors.
Activities began from Ra-
kiraki and concluded in Siga-
toka with the major celebra-
tions held in Nadi.
It goes without saying,
that water certainly deserves
the attention its receiving to-
day, since it does define our
blue planet covering ap-
proximately 71 percent of the
earths surface. Its a critical
necessity to most if not ev-
By ELENOA LAWAVOU
Mamanuca Environmental
Society
ery aspect of human activity,
from agriculture, to industry,
to energy. Like the air we
breathe, it is vital to the health
of individuals and communi-
ties, both literally and figu-
ratively, water represents the
wellspring of life on earth.
For people who depend on
local agriculture for food and
income, a lack of water usual-
ly leads to undernourishment.
However changes in climate
and extreme weather condi-
tions such as droughts and
floods also lead to temporary
food shortages with notable
impacts on the agricultural
sector.
Fiji has been hit with dev-
astating tropical storms and
floods, with the northern and
western divisions facing the
full brunt. Families have been
left without safe clean water
and often have to drink from
contaminated rivers or wells.
This has resulted in a re-
cent outbreak of typhoid and
other illnesses attributed to
unsafe drinking water. Part
of being serious about adapt-
ing to climate change is about
being serious about water. As
the earth warms, rainfall pat-
terns can shift, bringing new
patterns of drought and flood-
ing. Hence we need to get out
in front of that problem.
The concern is the demand
for water for food production
as our population increases.
With this increase also comes
food wastage by individu-
als who are unaware of, or
insensitive to the resources
needed to produce it and the
spoiling of food as it makes
its way from the farms to the
markets.
Changes in individuals di-
ets, such as excessive food in-
take, coupled with increased
urbanization also calls for an
increase in the production of
food. With the theme Water
Security Is Food Security,
we are made to realize that
without water we will also be
without food. So much water
is used in the production of
our food, for example, 1500L
of water is needed to produce
1kg of grain and about 15000L
to produce 1kg of beef.
There are over 7 billion
people to feed on the planet
today and another 2 billion are
expected in years to come. In
addition, with rapid urbaniza-
tion diets are shifting. Water
scarcity already affects every
continent with more than 40
percent of the people on our
planet. The lack of water lim-
its farmers ability to produce
enough food to eat or earn a
living.
Its amusing when you
think of water all you con-
sider is its significant to our
livelihoods. Did you know
that a human body is made up
of almost 70percent water?
Incredible isnt it. Water as
we all know serves for count-
less purposes like; bathing,
washing, drinking and cook-
ing or in other words water
is life. People can go without
or with very little food for up
to a month, but, we cannot
survive a week without wa-
ter. We need water in order to
survive.
Like any other islands
around the globe and the Pa-
cific, the Mamanuca islands
are apt to conserve water and
use it wisely. Many of these is-
lands depend on rain water for
their daily routine. We should
be grateful to have enough
safe and clean drinking water
in spite of the natural disas-
ters that recently troubled our
western division.
MES celebrated World Wa-
ter Day with its three schools
in the Mamanuca namely
Mana SDA, Malolo District
School and Namamanuca Pri-
mary School. Malolo District
School hosted Mana SDA
for a combined celebration,
whereas Namamanuca Pri-
mary School will ran a par-
allel program on Thursday
(22/03).
The day is set aside to pro-
mote awareness and educate
schools and communities on
the significance of freshwater
and the need to conserve it.
Activities include Presenta-
tions and Quizes from MES
staff, Role Play, Oratory, Tree
Planting, Poster Competition
and Prize Give away for com-
petition winners. This is the
second time MES celebrated
WWD with its schools since
2009.
SOPAC together with Land
and Water Resource Manage-
ment have been advocating
their program for the Western
division. This celebration was
funded by SOPACs Water
Sanitation and Hygiene Pro-
gram. So while MES focuses
on schools at the Mamanuca,
SOPAC and LWRM with its
affiliates held a week long
celebration from the 19th to
23rd March with schools and
communities from Rakiraki to
Sigatoka.
The celebration was to
help raise awareness not only
in schools but also to business
sectors and village commu-
nities. The water that we use
today has been circulating
through the earth since time
began.
It must sustain humanity
for as long as we live on this
earth. In that sense, we didnt
just inherit this resource from
our parents, rather, as many
indigenous cultures remind
us, we are borrowing it from
our children.
It is my hope that by mak-
ing water a front-burner issue,
a high priority in our national
and international dialogues,
we can give our children and
our childrens-children the fu-
ture they deserve.
Make water a front burner issue
Nadi Basin Catchment Committee chairman Bryan
Watson, left, shares a light moment with Minister for
Agriculture Joketani Cokanasiga during the World
Water Day celebrations in Nadi. Photo: EMOSI
LASAQA.
BUSINESS NOTICE BOARD
1
SPORTS
Miniature golf
course in Denarau
By EMOSI LASAQA
The many leisure time
options at Denarau Golf and
Racquet Club are just ex-
panded with the opening of a
miniature golf course.
The first of its kind in the
Pacific-the creation is the
brainchild of Thomas Gora
and the deeply charming mini
golf course is by far the new-
est supplementary attraction
in Fiji.
While the final touches are
still being put on, it is already
becoming a frequent stopover
point for many Denarau citi-
zens and visitors alike.
But Mr Gora was forever
modest saying its just a start
of many big things to come
as he already has planned for
more land based activities on
board.
He envisioned its loca-
tion as a walking destination
for the hotel community and
those visiting the already fa-
mous Denarau Golf and Rac-
quet Club.
The idea is big in Ameri-
ca where they have big tour-
naments but we dont have to
rush. This is for everyone,
said Mr Gora-pushing away
the assumption that the course
was designed for kids.
The former Aucklander,
with business background in
food and beverage said the
amount he spends on the proj-
ect is something he is reluc-
tant to proclaim.
That is between me and
the local investor but we
work hard and we completed
most of the works in just five
weeks. The weeks of heavy
rain were a hindrance but we
managed to pull through.
The layout depicts the typi-
cal Fijian tropical setting with
designs such traditional canoe
and birds spreading through-
out the low level vegetation
area.
Adjacent to the DGRC, the
amusement centre also boasts
a bungee trampoline.
Golf enthusiast Michael gets in a jovial mood after trying out his putting skills
at the new mini golf course in Denarau. Photos: EMOSI LASAQA.
Andrea Mataki trying out the Bungee jumping.

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Fijis First Community Newspaper Issue: 34 APRIL 15, 2012 PRICE: 50 CENTS VIP

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