Pacific Islanders

Esitone Pauga is the Operations Capability Manager in FENZ and is currently the highest ranking Pacific Island officer in the organisation.

He says his new position allows him to be a Pacific Island role model and push to attract more Pacific people to the job.

"It's always good to go as high as you can and get into those ranks where key decisions are made," he says. 

Pauga says Pacific fire-fighters contribute more than just physical strength to the job.

The Pacific group will rise from 8 percent of the population in 2013 to 10 percent by 2038.

The broad Asian group will jump from 12 percent to 22 percent.

Maori will grow from 16 percent to 18 percent.

Due to lower birth rates the 'European or other' group will drop from 75 percent to 66 percent.

Modelling of smaller ethnic groups indicate the Chinese and Indian share of the population, about 4.5 percent and 4 percent respectively, will double.

Overall New Zealand's population is predicted to grow by about 1 million by 2038.

Dr Lalotoa Mulitalo, Etivina Lovo and Vincent Lal, will shortly commence their placements with their respective host organisations.

The Greg Urwin Awards are a joint initiative of the Australian Government, through the Pacific Leadership Program (PLP) and the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat (PIFS). 

The proposal, from international policy think-tank the Lowy Institute, was prompted by what it describes as a “bleak” economic outlook for the region and a call from Malcolm Turnbull for a “step change” in engagement.

It also includes a more modest suggestion in which Australia attracts around 3000 Pacific Islanders per year to work permanently to deliver more benefits to the region by 2040 than the current aid program.

Jonathan Pryke, one of the report’s authors, said there was a “real need for change in the way we engage with the Pacific”.

The seventh victim is the captain of the charter boat Francie which capsized in Kaipara Harbour on Saturday.

The search for one person who is presumed dead and the boat, the Francie, continued on Sunday.

Radio New Zealand reports the men were aged between 31 and 59 and they were a group of friends who liked to go fishing together from time to time.

The missing man was believed to be a Cook Islander.

Police were liaising with families of the victims to support them and officers had been assigned to each of the families to help them.

RNZ reports the 98 man-made islets of Nan Madol on Pohnpei housed the tombs and ceremonial centre of the island's Saudeleur rulers hundreds of years ago.

The 83 hectare site, which received UNESCO World Heritage status in July, is made up of impressive stone monuments linked by a network of canals in a lagoon on the south-east side of Pohnpei.

One of the researchers involved in the study, archaeologist Mark McCoy, said advances in technology enabled the team to date the architectural stone and coral from the tomb of the first chief of the entire island.

RNZ reports the Kupe Scholarship, awarded by the Education Ministry, aims to encourage more Pacific students into teaching.

Recent government figures showed a twenty percent rise in Pasifika students leaving school with a secondary school qualification over the last eight years.

The figures also showed more Pacific people were now studying at tertiary level.

One of the recipients of a Kupe, Moana Toleafoa, said she hoped to encourage others to break the mould.

RNZI reports Fiji born wingers Taqele Naiyaravoro and Eto Nabuli have been included in a 39-man training squad.

Glasgow Warriors flyer Naiyaravoro made his test debut against the United States last year, scoring with his first touch of the ball, while Nabuli is poised to become a dual international, having played for the Fiji Bati rugby league team.

The workers came to Australia in January as part of the Department of Employment's Seasonal Worker Program.

The group of 20 from Fiji, and others from Tonga, were taken to the caravan park in Merrigum, in the food bowl district of northern Victoria.

Previously restricted to horticulture, aquaculture and cane farms, guest workers will now be allowed to work on cattle, sheep, grain and mixed farming enterprises.

Pacific Island and East Timorese workers can apply to work for either six or nine months, pay a flat 15 per cent tax rate and can return each year for the seasonal work.