Nine bridges
p. 50 · Read in the full issue
Cook Islands
Nine bridges for starters
Most Australians would be hard put to place the small islands of the Cooks group on the map, with the consequence that Australian tourist traffic is very small, write Margaret Mcllroy and Karen Williams from Rarotonga. This is prob ably due largely to the lack of direct flights between Australia and Rarotonga, with distance and cost also being a major barrier.
Tourist promotion could however be on the increase, after the recent visit of two Australian television stars, Rowena Wallace and George Mallaby, who have been com
missioned by the Rarotongan
Hotel and Air New Zealand to do a feature article promoting the Cook Islands for an Aus tralian TV magazine.
Inter-government relations
are very warm and cordial,
emphasised by the increasing
aid given to the Cooks by the Australian Government. The majority of Australians who come to the Cooks are volun teers on an aid scheme, and they have made a favourable impression on the local people
despite their predilection to
gather in groups.
Australian investment in the Cook Islands is very limited, probably due to the physical distance. Mobil Oil (Australia) Ltd, is the only Australian company registered in the Cook Islands. Some individuals have come to live in the Cooks over the years and invested money in such profit able ventures as the natural
pearl industry.
Trade is minimal and defi nitely one-sided. The last time the Cook Islands exported any goods to Australia was $6600 worth of wood carvings in 1975. Trade figures show that only about 3.8% of the Cooks’ total imports come from Aus tralia, but this represents about $666 000.
The Cooks imports about 20% of its petroleum products and natural gas needs from Australia. But in other areas the percentages are very small.
They range from .01% of food, 2% of beverages, .06% of raw materials, 2.9% of chemicals, 2.6% of basic manufactured goods, 5.4% of machines and transport, and 2.5% of miscel laneous manufactured goods.
Although Australian aid is small compared to that pumped in by New Zealand,
the recently completed Raro
tonga bridge project may be an
indication of the aid they are prepared to advance to the Cook Islands in the future. The
bridge project got underway in
1975 with materials, local labour and Australian exper tise all financed by the Aus tralian Government. Earlier this year the ninth bridge was completed in the most ambi tious Australian aid project to date in the Cooks.
Before this project, aid had been more or less limited to two experimental-type houses built in 1977, and provision of
telecommunications equip
ment (secondhand from Papua New Guinea) which was in stalled on Rarotonga and Aitu taki.
For the future, aid has been committed for the improve ment of banana production in Aitutaki, and the Australian Government has shown
interest in proposed develop
ment of the isolated islands of the northern group of the Cooks. This extensive project involves improvement in water supply, power and electricity, airstrips and communications.
Since 1963 the Cook Islands has received manpower assist ance in the form of Australian Volunteers Abroad, and at pre sent they form the largest group of volunteer aid workers in the country. There are 15 AVAs, and three other Aus tralian aid workejs.