Depopulation in the Cooks needs addressing - economist

Transcript

A development economist in the Cook Islands says depopulation will continue to occur there until the government starts funding infrastucture and industries in the outer islands.

The Statistics Office released figures showing the total resident population has dropped by 1000, from 14,400 to 13,400, in the past two years.

Vaine Wichman says the government needs to take the issue seriously, as more people leave the country to chase job opportunities overseas.

Ms Wichman says people from Pa Enua, or outer islands, will be encouraged to stay if more funding is put into developing their handicrafts, fishing and agriculture projects.

VAINE WICHMAN: The recent data continues to confirm a trend that's been here even since before we had the economic reforms over 15 years ago. We've really never addressed this symptomatic problem.

MARY BAINES: Why is it occurring?

VW: Two things. We have the right to travel to New Zealand and work and enjoy the bright lights. And second, when things aren't working well for New Zealanders in New Zealand they travel across the ditch, the Tasman, and when things aren't good in Australia they will return back to New Zealand. We're only a small snapshot of a bigger global picture but it's more obvious in small island states I suppose.

MB: So what can be done to turn the situation around?

VW: This is not a hundred yard sprint type of fix. We have to look at long-term marathon runs in terms of our country's development. Even though we have a really good national sustainable development goal of bringing a lot of good development, social and economic, that will help our people and make them enjoy living in the Cook Islands, somehow each government hasn't really tackled what really is important. Unfortunately our governments have not had enough, I would say, commitment in their pledges before they entered into government to take these hard-basket issues. And one of them is just putting investments back into the much needed areas of access, so that our people from the islands to Rarotonga, and Rarotonga to the islands, is much easier. Still we have really bad states of harbours and airports in the islands. If you look around throughout the Pacific region you'll find most good governments have made sure that all the infrastructure in the Pa Enua is top quality. Small things like that, heavy, but small like that, would have helped a long way, a long time ago. Not so much to stem it, but at least to encourage our people to think long-term about going away but coming back quickly.

MB: So there just aren't the jobs in some islands for people to want to stay?

VW: There are informal sector activities that are still ticking over. Women's handicraft, fishing, agriculture. Rarotonga is always going to be the strong hub for the tourism sector, but it doesn't mean that our Pa Enua can't feed them, or our Pa Enua women handicraft can't merge in or integrate into this thriving Rarotonga sector. We just haven't had serious government or leadership to make that integration a reality.

MB: So governments need to focus on developing those agriculture, tourism, niche markets, to keep people in the country?

VW: It's not just that, as well as the accessibility. Because transport is such, you know, 30 years ago, the transport system to the northern Cooks is much better than today. Today the northern Cooks, sometimes they can go up to six weeks without a boat. I've lived and worked with people in the north, and they want to stay there. They never did want to leave, but they have to, for the sake of consolidating their homes in the future for their children.