Tuvaluan officials visit compatriot workers Avalanches pose risk
OAMARU MT COOK
NEW ZEALAND’S horticultural and fishing industries are crying out for workers and Tuvaluans can help fill the roles, Tuvalu’s Deputy Prime Minister Minute Taupo says.
Mr Taupo was in Oamaru this week with Tuvalu’s High Commissioner Paulson Panapa to discuss working opportunities for Tuvaluan employees represented by the Recognised Seasonal Employee scheme.
Mr Panapa was responsible for the programme, which served to recruit people from the Pacific Islands to work seasonally in New Zealand, under the Pacific access category resident visa.
Mr Panapa said he was visiting the 15,000 Tuvaluans working across New Zealand but was also exploring new employment opportunities for them.
‘‘Tuvalu lacks working opportunities and there is always a shortage in New Zealand’s horticultural industry.’’
He hoped to extend the scheme from the horticultural and fishing industries to include the meat industry.
In Oamaru he met the Tuvalu Community Group and representatives from the Alliance Group Pukeuri freezing works on Thursday.
Mr Taupo joined the tour to encourage and show support to the workers.
‘‘Tuvaluans are doing a lot of good work,’’ Mr Taupo said.
He also had meetings scheduled with various New Zealand ministers, including Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, to discuss issues faced by people of Tuvalu.
During a financial crisis in 2009, many of the country’s seafarers were heavily impacted and lost their jobs, causing them to seek work in European shipping.
The seasonal workers in Australia and New Zealand filled in a big gap, and strengthening Tuvalu and New Zealand’s bilateral relationship was important, Mr Taupo said.
Mr Taupo came to New Zealand with his wife in February last year for an eye treatment, but was caught in the national Covid19 lockdowns and has been here ever since.
Until his return to Tuvalu, he would stay with family in Paraparaumu, north of Wellington.
STORM slab avalanches large enough to injure or kill a person have been sighted at Mt Cook after heavy summer snowfall.
More than 50cm of new snow has fallen since last Sunday.
The Avalanche Advisory has downgraded its warning level from very dangerous to heightened conditions for all terrain until this afternoon.
Mountain Safety Council chief executive Mike Daisley said a moderate risk was reasonably high for this time of the year.
‘‘. . . just because it’s nice and sunny doesn’t mean the risk isn’t there.
‘‘What we are seeing up higher on the mountain is loose, wet avalanches, it’s like when you have snow on your roof then the sun comes up and it loosens it and a big chunk comes down in one big piece.’’
Climbers needed to keep a close eye on the avalanche forecast, Mr Daisley said.
There was little to no risk for day walkers on the Hooker Valley Track in the valley below.
There had been two major rockfalls in the past two weeks, one the size of a rugby field.
Noone was around when they happened, but they were in climbing areas.
‘‘It’s impossible to predict rockfall . . . and the problem is we will continue to see this happen as more snow and ice recedes each year,’’ Mr Daisley said.
Global warming was cause ice and snow to recede further each year, ‘‘exposing rock that hasn’t been exposed in a very long time’’, he said.
‘‘The ice and snow has been holding the rock together, so as it’s loosened by the heat from the sun we are seeing a lot of rockfall.’’ — RNZ