Disasters, Conflicts and Migration

 

For a more detailed database on disasters by country, please see the Centre for Research on Epidemiology of Disasters.

 

Seasonal Effects on Logistics Capacities

 

There are no seasonal periods that cause disruption to transport or storage other than those occasional and relatively rare weather events mentioned in the tables above. 

 

There are generally no seasonal bottlenecks.

Capacity and Contacts for In-Country Emergency Response

Government

The Government is well placed to respond to emergencies and has an on-going program to strengthen the country’s capability.

The Emergency Management Cook Islands (EMCI) is the designated governmental division charged with ensuring the maintenance of the Disaster Risk Management (DRM) plan and all necessary sub-plans for the Cook Islands. It is the coordinating body between other humanitarian actors in the region including the UN agencies (regionally based in Fiji and Somoa), Cook Islands Red Cross Society, the Adventist Disaster Relief Association (ADRA) and  the civil agencies of Police and Infrastructure Cook Islands. EMCI will also coordinate with the NZ and French military and NZ Aid organisation in events that require their assistance.  A cluster system is being finalised whereby specific organisations will take a lead role in key areas such as health, emergency communications, education, protection etc.

It is planned to establish a Cook Islands Civil Defence Organisation by 2023

The declaration of a disaster is the responsibility of the Prime Minister acting upon input from the EMCI, the Police and Meteorological Service At the declaration, the Police Commissioner – as the National Disaster Controller- activates the operation of the National Operations Centre based at Blue Sky, the national telecommunications provider. At this point, all stakeholders and first responders (EMCI, Police, Ministry Of Health, Blue Sky, Red Cross) and other relevant stakeholders and specialists commence response.

For more information on government contact details, please see the following link: 4.1 Government Contact List.

Humanitarian Community

The Cook Islands Red Cross Society (CIRCS) and the Adventist Disaster Relief Association (ADRA) are present and active in the Cook Islands. Both organisations have contingency stocks of disaster relief items stored in country. The UN agencies whilst not permanently represented in country work with the EMCI through their regional offices in Fiji and Samoa on disaster preparedness and relief programs

Red Cross has offices on 9 of the 12 inhabited islands implementing programs working with communities to adapt to climate change and tackling communicable and non-communicable diseases in addition to cyclone relief efforts. They maintain contingency stocks of disaster relief supplies on all of the inhabited islands. ADRA provides disaster relief food and shelter funding through its partners, Red Cross and the UN agencies.

For more information on humanitarian agency contact details, please see the following link: 4.2 Humanitarian Agency Contact List.

 

Further information on Cook Islands Disaster Management and Disaster Preparedness can be accessed at: http://www.emci.gov.ck/  and in Appendix 5.8 UNDP  Cook Islands Country Preparedness Package

The politics of the Cook Islands, an associated state, takes place in a framework of a parliamentary representative democracy within a constitutional monarchy.

The Cook Islands is not a United Nations member state but has had their "full treaty-making capacity" recognised by the United Nations Secretariat and is a full member of the WHO and UNESCO, UN specialised agencies is an associate member of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) and a Member of the Assembly of States of the International Criminal Court.

Emergency Management Cook Islands (EMCI)

EMCI is the designated governmental division charged with ensuring the maintenance of the Disaster Risk Management (DRM) plan and all necessary sub-plans for the Cook Islands. This involves combining a high state of preparedness from emergency services to respond to disasters (disaster management) with an on-going investment in activities that reduce the risk and vulnerability of the economy and communities (disaster reduction)

 

Ministry Of Infrastructure Cook Islands (MICI)

The Ministry Of Infrastructure Cook Islands (MICI) is responsible for the majority of governmental capital infrastructure projects across the Cook Islands and also some of the regulatory responsibilities and projects. MICI works with donor partner, Island Governments, other departments, the private sector and the community to implement activities and projects and carry out operations and maintenance of public infrastructure assets. It is responsible for infrastructure projects in the Pa Enua (Outer Islands).

 

Ministry of Finance and Economic Management (MFEM)

 The ministry serves four (4) separate functions, namely:

• Treasury Operations concerning Fiscal and financial management of public expenditure
• Revenue collection (tax and customs)
• Collection and dissemination of statistics and
• Responsible for the planning and overall management of donor program and project activities

 

Jointly with the Office of the Prime Minister it has responsibility and oversight for the Communications/Telecommunications sector.

 

Ministry Of Agriculture

The Cook Islands Ministry of Agriculture is responsible for agricultural development, legislation and sustainability , quarantine  and Bio security in the Cook Islands. Biosecurity Cook Islands operates very strict biosecurity procedures at airports and ports to prevent the introduction of unwanted pests and diseases of plants and animals. The main focus of Biosecurity is to manage biosecurity risk and facilitate trade into and out of the Cook Islands

The Cook Islands National Environment Service

The Cook Islands National Environment Service is the central government agency charged with protecting, managing and conserving the environment of the Cook Islands

 

Ministry Of Health

The Government through Te Marae Ora is the main provider of health care services in the Cook Islands. Services of the Ministry are complemented by a range of Civil Society and Non-government Organisations such as the Red Cross Society, Te Vaerua, Te Kainga, CI Family Welfare Association, CI Child Health and Welfare Association and the Creative Centre. The core function of the Outer Islands Health Services directorate is mainly to provide accessible and equitable health care with a focus on preventative and basic primary and secondary health care services.

Ministry Of Transport

The Cook Islands is a country dependent upon maritime and aviation transport, both nationally and internationally. The Ministry of Transport is charged with carrying out all of the functions of maritime and aviation administration necessary under international and national law

In addition, the Cook Islands Meteorological Service is a division of the Ministry of Transport providing weather updates, forecasts and warnings for the Cook Islands.

 

Ministry Of Internal Affairs

Among its responsibilities, of relevance to the Logistics Infrastructure, The Ministry of Internal Affairs is the government agency responsible for regular cleaning and maintenance of public roads.

Office Of the Prime Minister

The Office of the Prime Minister Cook Islands (OPM) is responsible for Central Policy and Planning, Emergency Management, Information Communication Technology, Corporate Services, Cabinet Services and Research.

 

Ministry Of Police

Responsibility for all uniformed police activity in addition to Meteorological Branch and Disaster Management.

 

 

Cook Islands Chamber Of Commerce

Whilst not empowered in regulatory activities it is worth noting this organization is active in the region and with around 100 full members and 204 members with associate membership, the Chamber has wide ranging connections to private enterprise in the Cook Islands and can potentially source many products and services through its database. It coordinates between EMCI and its membership for disaster preparedness.

 

For more information on regulatory departments and quality control laboratories’ contact details, please see the following links: 4.1 Government Contact List and 4.3 Laboratory and Quality Testing Company Contact List.

 

 

Duties and Tax Exemption

For contact information regarding government custom authorities, please follow the link below: 

4.1 Government Contact List 

Emergency Response:

[Note: This section contains information which is related and applicable to 'crisis' times. These instruments can be applied when an emergency is officially declared by the Government.  When this occurs, there is usually a streamlined process to import goods duty and tax free.]

 

Exemption Regular Regime (Non-Emergency Response): 

SECOND SCHEDULE Section 10(3)(b)

 Exempt importations

1. Passengers' baggage and personal effects admitted free of duty and import levy under references 85, 86 and 87 of the Customs Tariff Act 1980 and section 7 A of the Cook Islands Amendment Act 1981.

2. Goods admitted free of duty and import levy and entered into a Customs Bonded Warehouse under the Customs Tariff Act 1980.

3. Containers containing goods, being ordinary trade containers for packing of goods; or

4. Goods imported:

(a) by or on behalf of any overseas government for its use in the Cook Islands whether in an office established by that overseas government or in any approved aid project; or

(b) by or on behalf of the United Nations, Pacific Forum Secretariat or the South Pacific Commission or any agency of those organisations for approved project in the Cook Islands; or

(c) for use in any approved aid project in the Cook Islands; or

(d) by or on behalf of the University of the South Pacific for use at its centre on Rarotonga; or

(e) by a non profit body as donation for use in any project in the Cook Islands; or

(f) by any religious organisation, for its own use or for a specific church activity or project in the Cook Islands (except motor vehicles and motor cycles); or

(g) by any organisation for use in public projects in the Cook Islands, being projects designed primarily for the benefit of a particular island, vaka or village community; or

(h) by any school for educational purposes in the Cook Islands; or

(i) by or on behalf of any person or organisation being uniforms or sporting equipment to be donated to any sporting group in the Cook Islands;

(j) by or on behalf of any person requiring life saving medical supplies.

 

Organisations classed as Non-profit under Section 42 of the Income Tax Act 1996 are entitled to import goods duty free. Other organisations can do so provided those goods are then donated to other organizations such as sporting or community groups and not sold for profit or kept for their own benefit or use.  

Exemption Certificate Application Procedure: 

Exemption Certificate Document Requirements

Customs Clearance

General Information 

Customs Clearance Document Requirements

Transit Regime

There is no requirement for transit. The Cook Islands are not used as a transit stop for aid to other countries.

 

 

The country has two ports of entry, the main port, Port of Avatiu on Rarotonga and Port of Arutanga, which serves the island of Aitutaki. 

Port of Avatiu is capable of accommodating container and fuel tanker vessels up to 200 m in length and is responsible for handling almost all the country’s export and import cargo. A small percentage is taken directly to Aitutaki to service the needs of the locals and tourist resorts there, however large vessels cannot berth and cargo must be transhipped to shore by barge.

All the Outer Island harbours are small and shallow; freight shipped to these islands must be transferred to barges or other small vessels to be landed.

 

Key airport information may also be found at: http://worldaerodata.com/

The official source for all aeronautical information including airports and air navigation services is the Cook Islands Aeronautical Information Publication (AIP). The AIP can be downloaded free of charge from https://shop.aeropath.aero/collections/cook-islands and www.transport.gov.ck

 

The Cook Islands are served my several international carriers using Rarotonga International Airport with daily international flights from New Zealand, twice weekly from Tahiti and weekly non-stop flights from Los Angeles and Sydney. Aitutaki Island handles on average five domestic flight arrivals from Rarotonga daily, the outer islands are served by domestic flights less regularly and for the less populated and more distant islands, service is by charter.

The Cook Islands Airport Authority (CIAA) is responsible for management of Rarotonga International and Aitutaki Airports. It is a state-owned but independently operated enterprise responsible for:

• Management – Lead the managing and direction of the Airport Authority.

• Air Traffic Services  

• Administration and Finance 

• Commercial Operations and Quality Assurance Services  

• Airport Security Services  

• Rescue Fire Services

• Maintenance  

• Terminal Services  

CIAA have some oversight of the Outer Islands airports however these airports are non-certified aerodromes with crushed coral runways, run by their respective Island Council’s who manage the state of the runway and daily administration.

 

Rarotonga International Airport provides efficient service satisfying current demand and has ongoing upgrade plans that includes improvement to passenger and cargo terminals. This development is supported by growing tourist numbers.

Ground handling services are provided by Air New Zealand.

The potential for significantly growing national capacity within the island group is constrained by large distances and small populations.   

Cook Islands Airports

For more information on government agency and airport company contact information, please see the following links: 4.1 Government Contact List and 4.5 Airport Companies Contact List

Procedures for Foreign Registered Aircraft

International flights into, from or over Cook Islands territory shall be subject to the current Cook Islands regulations relating to civil aviation. These regulations correspond in all essentials to the Standards and Recommended Practices contained in Annex 9 to the Convention on International Civil Aviation.

Aircraft flying into or departing from Cook Islands territory shall make their first landing at, or final departure from Rarotonga International Airport.

 

The Cook Islands’ Civil Aviation Act 2002, Section 25 details the legislative requirements for aircraft to be registered in the Cook Islands.  Foreign registered aircraft are able to operate in the Cook Islands in accordance with the notification and requests for approval requirements as published in the Cook Islands AIP, sections GEN 1.2, 1.3 and 1.4.

Application to register an aircraft is made to the Director of Civil Aviation, Ministry of Transport on form MOT24047/01.  Forms can be download from www.transport.gov.ck

Cook Islands Civil Aviation Rules (CICAR) Part 47 “Aircraft Registration and Markings’ contains the detailed requirements for registering an aircraft onto the Cook Islands Civil Aircraft Register. 

Before a Cook Islands registered aircraft can be flown it must also be issued an Airworthiness Certificate.  CICAR Part 21 contains the detailed requirements for obtaining Airworthiness

The CICAR can be downloaded from http://www.transport.gov.ck/aviation/rules/

 

For more information on procedures for foreign registered aircraft, please see the following attachments:

Annex 5.6 Part 2 Entry into the civil aviation system, (25) Requirement to register aircraft

 

 

Road networks total 295 km of which 70% are sealed.

Rarotonga has a sealed road around the entire island and as generally the population has tended to build close to the road, most households are easily accessed. Recently some high voltage electricity supply has been transferred to underground which has lessened the risk of road closures resulting from high winds felling power lines.

Increased traffic on Rarotonga together with tourist traffic, including an increase in cycling, has created the need for a substantially improved foundation and road surface. Significant factors in road damage is the lack of adequate pavement drainage and to a lesser degree control of axle weights and uncontrolled activities (such as trenching for services).There is not a lot of heavy truck traffic on the roads however the imposition of axle weight limits is under consideration.   

The service provider for maintenance is Infrastructure Cook Islands (ICI) a Government body. New road construction is tendered to the private sector. Constraints to improvement are the limited right of way (about 10m), and the minimal roadside drainage. There are no major new developments planned however there is an ongoing maintenance and upgrade program to improve  paved surfaces and better provide for pedestrian and cycle traffic.

On the Outer Islands, other than Aitutaki, most roads are unsealed, this does not present a hazard however as vehicle numbers are low on these islands. The service provider for maintenance on the outer islands is each Outer Island’s governing body (Island Council)

For more information on government contact details, please see the following link: 4.1 Government Contact List 

Distance Matrix

The road that circles the whole island, the Ara Tapu, is only 32 kms long meaning that a non-stop drive right around the island at the designated maximum speed of 40kph can take just 45/50 minutes.  

Avarua is the capital and main centre. There are no other major concentrations of population, rather an unbroken series of houses alongside the road for the entire circumference of the Island. The port is 600m from the centre of town.

For this reason the table below is barely relevant.

Travel Time Matrix

Road Security

There are no issues with road security.

Weighbridges and Axle Load Limits

There are no weighbridges in the country. There are no axle load limits. Currently the Port Authority ‘unofficially’ monitors the weight of containers as they are unloaded at the port and will refuse to load trucks with containers they consider ‘overweight’ for the roads.

 

The Cook Islands has no railways. 

There are no ‘internal’ waterways in the Cook Islands however as a nation that is formed by an ‘Island Group’ interisland water transport along with air travel are the only forms of transportation for people and the main form of transport for goods within in the country.

Ferries and landing craft are used extensively for transportation of people and cargo. Many of the outer Islands do not have docking facilities for large ships and therefore transhipment using small boats and barges from ships anchored off, to beach or wharf is the norm. Landing craft are the preferred option for heavy cargo / vehicle transportation.

Private shipping companies operate non-scheduled inter-island cargo and passenger services, based on demand. Generally they visit the Northern Islands on a 2 monthly basis and the closer Southern Group weekly.

For more information on government contact details, please see the following link: 4.1 Government Contact List

Company Information

There are 2 companies operating freight shipping services from the Port in Rarotonga, one of which, Taio Shipping Company, has duel purpose vessels fitted for passenger service as well. Due to the large distances and smaller cargo volumes to the outer islands services are cargo dependent on sailing frequency. The other, Cook Islands General Transport’s sea freight division, UMA shipping, operates a barge (landing craft) fitted with 5MT crane. They also have a 12m landing craft that is used to access shallow (5m draft) outer island harbours.  A 40 MT mobile crane is used to launch the smaller landing craft from the barge and then load heavy cargo from barge to landing craft for transport to shore.

For more information on waterway company contact details, please see the following link: 4.4 Port and Waterways Companies Contact List

M.V Lady Moana

 

M.V Maungaroa

 

Cook Islands General Transport Barge (Landing Craft)

Travel Time Matrix

 

As there are no ‘internal’ waterways in the Cook Islands, the remainder of this section is not applicable.

There is no commercial or public sector storage available for rent or lease on the main Island of Rarotonga. Shipping containers are the main form of storage used apart from some warehouses owned and fully utilised by private wholesale companies. Community halls or the community safety shelters would be utilised in case of a natural disaster.

A similar situation exists on the outer islands however there are many churches and community centres that could be utilised for storage in a disaster situation. In addition many islands have unused packing sheds left over from now defunct agricultural operations.

For more information on storage company contact details, please see the following link: 4.6 Storage and Milling Companies Contact List

Commercial Storage

There are no commercial storage facilities.

Storage Used by Humanitarian Organisations

Those humanitarian agencies present rely on shipping containers or privately owned buildings for storage of any disaster relief contingency stocks held in country.

Public Sector Storage

There is no public sector storage available. 

Cold Chain

There are no cold chain storage facilities available. Refrigerated containers may be used.

 

 

All fuel is imported from Australia, NZ, Korea, Singapore or elsewhere depending on the best market price that can be obtained by the private sector importers, TOA, Pacific Energy and Triad Petroleum. All 3 have their own fuel farms. Supply is regular; tanker vessels arrive usually every 20 days. There are no set reserve stocks maintained as companies look to control cash flow and reserve stock may get as low as 2 days before resupply.

TOA PETROLEUM has a total fuel storage capacity of approximately 1.4 million litres (10 tanks) plus portable ISO tanks but does not fully utilise this capacity. It restocks monthly to 200,000 L petrol and 100,000 L of diesel per month. It has a fleet of tanker trucks and trailers for distribution (1 x 4,000, 1 x 9,000, 1 x 16,000, 2 x 20,000) used to deliver to retail outlets.

 

PACIFIC ISLANDS ENERGY PTE Ltd supplies Jet A-1 to domestic and International airlines. It has storage capacity of 2.6 mil litres of Jet A-1 plus portable ISO tanks. It uses a 20,000L tanker truck for delivery to domestic airlines; fuel for International refuelling is pumped direct from its storage facility by underground pipe to the tarmac.

Pacific Energy also supplies 700,000 L of diesel/month to TAU for electricity generation.

TRIAD PACIFIC PETROLEUM has storage capacity of 1.4 mil litres (stocking 400,000L of diesel, 300,000L of petrol) plus portable ISO tanks and distributes it to private retail outlets using 1x 4,000L and 2 x 20,000L tanker trucks

There are 28 retail fuel outlets on Rarotonga and a further 11 on the Outer Islands. 

While there is strict quality control at source (originating refineries) only Jet A-1 is further tested to international specifications after transit shipping to the Cook Islands. While there have been no issues with fuel quality in the country for some time, there are plans to tighten this aspect of supply in future.

It should be noted that all 3 companies’ fuel farms are situated in a coastal location that is considered risk vulnerable to cyclone or tsunami damage.

For more information on government and fuel provider contact details, please see the following links: 4.1 Government Contact List and 4.7 Fuel Providers Contact List 

Information may also be found at: http://www.mytravelcost.com/petrol-prices/ which is updated monthly. 

Fuel Pricing

A national body, The Price Tribunal, sets fuel prices. This committee is made up of people from the Government and Private Sector. It convenes 2 monthly to set the wholesale and retail fuel prices for the Cook Islands based on the current purchase market after factoring in the costs of transportation and a margin for the importers. Prices are also set for the outer islands, paying regard to the additional shipping costs faced by the distributors and the retail price can be up to 125% higher in the distant Northern Group of islands relative to Rarotonga as a result  (see Annex 5.4 Fuel Price Tribunal).

 

Seasonal Variations 

There are no season variations to price or availability.

Fuel Transportation

Fuel is pumped underground from the wharf direct to the fuel farms. The 3 fuel import companies have tanker trucks for further distribution.  ISO tanks are used for transportation to the outer islands.

Standards, Quality and Testing

INTAFF carries out monthly audits and checks of local retail and distribution activity to ensure standards however this is not a technical standards test.

 

 

 

 

 

Disclaimer: Inclusion of company information in the LCA does not imply any business relationship between the supplier and WFP / Logistics Cluster, and is used solely as a determinant of services, and capacities.

Please note: WFP / Logistics Cluster maintain complete impartiality and are not in a position to endorse, comment on any company's suitability as a reputable service provider.

 

 

 

Although there are a few single vehicle transport operators, one major company dominate the road transport market. Cook Islands General Transport Ltd (CIGT). The relatively small size of the market and expense of importing heavy transport equipment to the islands serves to discourage other small operators from entering. The current capacity of equipment is sufficient to serve domestic requirements and would be sufficient to meet a modest surge demand given the country’s small scale. Generally the equipment on hand is modern and well maintained. There is very little impact from unions in the country; the overriding impediment to foreign operators arriving is geographical isolation.  

The outer Islands have sufficient transport options, small trucks and the Island Councils’ heavy machinery, to meet their domestic requirements.

For more information on transport company contact details, please see the following link: 4.8 Transporter Contact List

 

Disclaimer: Inclusion of company information in the LCA does not imply any business relationship between the supplier and WFP / Logistics Cluster, and is used solely as a determinant of services, and capacities.

Please note: WFP / Logistics Cluster maintain complete impartiality and are not in a position to endorse, comment on any company's suitability as a reputable service provider.

Unions are not strong in the country however the Employment Relations Act 2012 sets out very clearly the requirements of employers in the Cook Islands. The unskilled sector has a high dependence on immigrant labour from Fiji, the Philippines and Indonesia (of the estimated 14,000 population on Rarotonga around 3,000 are foreign workers) who tend to stay for only a short time. In the skilled sector workers from NZ also tend only to work 2 or 3 year contracts before leaving.

As a result there is a shortage of labour in all sectors.

Like most countries and territories in Oceania, telecommunications is limited by its isolation and low population,with only one major television broadcasting station and six radio stations, one reaching all islands

However, most residents have a main line or mobile phone. Telecommunications are mainly provided by Blue Sky Cook Islands, 

Teleraro Limited, a consortium, led by the Bluesky Group, purchased a 60% interest in Telecom Cook Islands Limited from Spark New Zealand in February 2015. The consortium includes a Trust which holds 10% of the Teleraro shares on behalf of participating employees in the Cook Islands. It also includes a Trust to hold 15% of the shares of Teleraro for Cook Islanders to purchase.   

Bluesky's product range offers core telecommunication services of fixed-line, mobile, internet  products for the home and individual users as well as to corporate clients (PABX, dedicated lines), international and national (long distance) calling services, prepaid calling cards, wifi/hotspots, e-charges services, mobile products and accessories.

Although Bluesky currently has a monopoly, Government proposes to open the market to competition. There are no restrictions to obtaining local SIM cards and mobile numbers. All that is required is identification. A range of data plans is readily available 7 days a week.

For more information on telecoms contacts, please see the following link: 4.11 Additional Services Contact List

 

 

Telecommunication Regulation

Currently Blue Sky Cook Islands is the sole telecommunications service provider. But Government is proposing to open up the market to competition later in 2018.

Existing Humanitarian Telecoms Systems

There are no specific humanitarian telecommunications systems. UN agencies do not have a permanent presence in the Cook Islands. Other Agencies (Red Cross) use the public network and although they have VSAT telephones, they are not permanently activated due to the on going monthly cost of maintaining a connection.

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

 There is a single ISP, Blue Sky, that organisations contract through; businesses connect using either copper lines or fibre cable.

 

Mobile Network Operators (MNOs)

Blue Sky is the sole provider of mobile network.  Government owns 40% and shareholders 60%. It has a physical precence in all 11 of the populated islands.Connectivity is currently via sattelite however there are plans to connect to the Manatua submarine cable. Currently Rarotonga and Atutaki, have 4G coverage, the outer islands have GSM and data through wireless hotspots.  The network is reliable and has approximately 90% national coverage.

For information on MNOs please visit the GSM Association website. 

Rarotonga has a largely tourism-based economy and as a result is well served by restaurants, supermarkets and convenience stores supplying foodstuffs commonly seen in NZ and Australia. Regular international flights and shipping mean stocks are maintained. Local demand is well served and supplies could be scaled up to meet demand provided transport services are maintained. There is no local manufacturing however the country is virtually self-sufficient in meat, fish, poultry, and vegetable requirements.  

Outer islands produce root vegetables and have plentiful fish supplies but import a variety of other vegetables, meat and pre-prepared foods via Rarotonga.

Fish products are the main export (60%). Imports are led by recreational boats (18%) and refined petroleum (13%)

All other NFI supplies that an organisation arriving in the Cook Islands might require are readily available. There are several large hardware supply stores affiliated to international retailers that provide any and all items that would be expected available for procurement in Australia or NZ and resupply time from these countries is around 14 days. Prices are competitive.

 

Generic country information can be located from sources which are regularly maintained and reflect current facts and figures. For a general overview of country data related to the service and supply sectors, please consult the following sources:

The Observatory of Economic Complexity – MIT (OEC): https://atlas.media.mit.edu/en/profile/country/cok/

 

Disclaimer: Inclusion of company information in the LCA does not imply any business relationship between the supplier and WFP / Logistics Cluster, and is used solely as a determinant of services, and capacities.

Please note: WFP / Logistics Cluster maintain complete impartiality and are not in a position to endorse, comment on any company's suitability as a reputable service provider.

Overview

Service providers are almost exclusively based on the main island of Rarotonga. The outer Islands have basic health and telecommunications providers but little more. Due to the country’s relatively small commercial population there are not always multiple providers however most services an agency might require are available in the main centre of Avaru., As a result of catering to the large numbers of international tourists that visit the country and its close association with NZ, the quality of available services is good and up-to-date.

For more information on company contact details, please see the following link: 4.11 Additional Services Contact List 

Accommodation

There is an abundance of accommodation options on the main Island of Rarotonga ranging from high-end resorts to bungalow Air BnB’s. Standards are high and security is not a problem. Of the outer islands, only Aitutaki has many motels and several larger resorts, generally as any of the outer islands’ resident population decreases, so do the corresponding accommodation options, however all islands have sufficient vacant private houses and large community halls to support a short-term influx of demand.

 

Electricity and Power

Voltage is 240V

On the main island of Rarotonga electricity is generated, distributed and retailed by Te Aponga Uira (TAU) a State owned Enerprise (SOE) The power utility provides 90% of Rarotonga’s electricity demand. All households on Rarotonga have access to the grid. Its goal is the conversion to renewably sourced (solar) electricity by 2020.

With 5 diesel generators @ 1.6Mw per engine the grid can produce a total 8Mw if needed. At present average daily fuel usage is 20,000L and 1.5 months of fuel stocks are kept in reserve.Current local peak demand is 5 Mw/ Daily. Additionally (at peak) there is a 4.1Mw Photo Voltaic (PV) system located at Rarotonga Airport plus privately owned generators.

Outages are not common, at most two a year, due to an engine fault or an HV cable fault. Once the cause of the outage is discovered it takes about 2-3 hours to get all households back on line. 

There are plans to get distribution lines underground, particularly to safeguard the assets during cyclones, however due to the high cost involved there is no timeline set for this.

The Outer Islands will all be self reliant on solar power to every household by the end of 2019. This project was donor funded under administrative guidence of The Office Of The Prime Minister. Once completed the generation equipment and distribution infrastructure is the property and responsibility of the individual Governing Island Councils. Conversion of distribution lines to underground is ongoing. The existing diesel generators are being kept and maintained by the Island Councils’ as back up.

Energy is currently the only infrastructure sub-sector with a regulating commissioner overseeing the performance of the service provider.

Financial Service Providers

The Cook Islands are well served by mainstream financial services, banks, accountants and insurance companies. An organisation can expect to find all economic services they may require.

ANZ Bank

ANZ Bank is an international banking institution established in Cook Islands since 1988, represented by two branches in Rarotonga and Aitutaki, 6 ATMs, four outer island agencies, and an extensive EFTPOS network. Their staff are bilingual and trained to assist both local and foreign customers with a wide range of personal and commercial banking and investment requirements.

As well as providing a range of financial services, ANZ Cook Islands is able to provide advice on investment opportunities, handle trade inquiries and assist in introductions on behalf of customers interested in doing business in the Cook Islands.

 

Bank of the South Pacific

Bank Of The South Pacific (BSB) initially commenced trading as a branch of the National Bank of Australasia Limited Port Moresby, in 1957; through acquisitions of branches of other banks (Wespac and others) it is now represented in Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Fiji, Vanuatu, Tonga and Samoa.

 

 

Bank of the Cook Islands

Bank of The Cook Islands (BCI) is a State Owned Enterprise established in 2001. It has the largest branch-banking network in the Cook Islands (7 branches including the Head Office in Avarua).

 

 

 

Clearing and Forwarding Agents

There are a number of experienced and efficient clearing and forwarding agents available in Rarotonga. They are generally reliable and are located in Avarua, adjacent to the port area.

Handling Equipment

There is sufficient supply of handling equipment available to cope with current demand and a surge demand if required. There is equipment owned by the Port’s Authority (Government Agency) that is kept at the port and additionally there are private contractors that would lease or hire equipment as necessary to assist with an organisations needs. There is a reasonable supply of good quality pallets available and more could be accessed from cargo vessels if required.

On the Outer Islands the Island Councils’ all have some construction equipment that can be used for lifting and transporting cargo.

Postal and Courier Services

International courier companies including DHL and FEDX are available on Rarotonga. Their services are reliable and operate to international standards.

Cook Islands Post operates mail and parcel delivery service in the Cook Islands delivering to communities and businesses. Services include express mail service (New Zealand only), flypost (placing flyers in the post boxes), permit post service (franking service), assurance service (registered mail) and postal boxes. Bluesky, a State Owned Enterprise (SOE) is the agency that handles collection and distribution services.

On the Outer Islands, Bluesky offices on each island handle the collection and distribution of mail for their respective islands and forward or receive the mail from Cook Islands Post. The Ministry Of Finance and Economic Management and Office Of the Prime Minister have a joint responsibility for oversight of this sector (Telecommunications, Communications).

Further information on postage rates, postal services and deposit locations can be found at: http://www.telecom.co.ck/content/page/cook-islands-post/m/122/

See also Annex 5.7 Cook Islands Postal Costs

Printing and Publishing

There are a number of printing and publishing companies on Rarotonga that are all capable of producing quality work using the latest technologies. They are all readily available and located in the main centre of Avarua.

Taxi Companies

There are a number of taxi companies operating on Rarotonga; most have only 1 or 2 vehicles. There is a bus service run by a private company that leaves every hour and half-hour to circumnavigate the island. Speed limit on the island is 40km/hour, which keeps road travel generally safe.

Vehicle Rental

There is an abundance of rental vehicles available and an organisation should expect to be able to satisfy their requirements given there is likely to be very little demand from tourists in the aftermath of a disaster occurring in the region.

Waste Management and Disposal Services

Infrastructure Cook Islands (ICI) oversees waste management and disposal. Collection of kerbside waste is tendered to private contractors. This service is free of charge to domestic dwellings. Commercial activities are required to pay for collection. Initial sorting for recycling is carried out kerbside and further sorting at the landfill site. The landfill is close to capacity so further sorting is occurring at the landfill into waste that can be incinerated while other waste is re-compacted to prolong the life of the facility. Further excavation will be required in the future.

Outer Islands’ waste management is the responsibility of the individual Island Councils. Apart from Aitutaki where there is a more comprehensive management program, all waste goes to landfill with little or no sorting. Most of these councils are reviewing their policies on this and working toward educating the local inhabitants on waste minimisation strategies.

Waste Disposal Non-Hazardous

As above. Non-hazardous waste is disposed of either by incineration if practical or otherwise to landfill.

Waste Disposal Hazardous

The private contractor who manages the recycling operation also collects hazardous waste (such as e-waste) and it is transported in shipping containers out of the country. Waste oil is stored in barrels then also shipped off the island. All sewerage on the main island of Rarotonga is collected in septic tanks, which are then emptied and transported by tanker to settling and sedimentation ponds managed by ICI. Grey water from the ponds goes to surface as irrigation. De-watered sludge eventually goes to landfill. On the smaller, less populous outer islands, septic waste goes to drainage pits.

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