Prime Minister Christopher Luxon wrapped up his trip to Niue yesterday — pledging a $20.5m renewable energy project to help get the island nation off using costly diesel.
By the end of next year, it would provide 80% of Niue’s electricity.
"This will make a big difference because as we know, diesel is very expensive," Luxon said. "It’s good for the emissions profile of Niue."
While Luxon and Niue Premier Dalton Tagelagi have had positive bilateral talks, Niue said more work needed to be done as it struggled to fill a depleted workforce.
While there was a big focus on tourism and the development of infrastructure, one of Niue’s biggest challenges was the shortage of people to fill critical roles.
The Prime Minister, his wife Amanda and All Blacks great Michael Jones were among those enjoying the hospitality in Niue. (Source: 1News)
The solution — bringing in foreign workers to fill jobs the small population of 1500 couldn’t.
Many teachers and health workers were from Fiji.
"For quite a while now we have brought in staff from all over the Pacific, there is in the pipeline at the moment a plan to bring through retired Solomon Islands nurses, and that’s just to help out with our aged care," said Minerva Ikimau-McCurdy, Director of Health.
She has recently returned home to Niue, making the decision to return after working at Counties Manukau DHB.
"It really is the right place for us to be."
The head of news at Television Niue has four workers from Fiji and was likely to hire more.
"We cannot continue to draw on resources from the region, we have to be able to help ourselves," Gustava Esther Pavihi said.
"It’s absolutely critical for us to bring in our people from overseas to come back and help us."
Tagelagi said they were working hard on labour mobility.
"We already started recruiting from our neighbours, but I must say, also it’s good to see our own people starting to return.”
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